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"It's all about the meat" So say many hunters
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| Buck in my tall grass meadow, late summer 2011 photo by Jonthan Schechter "It's all about the meat!" so say many of my hunter friends. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps not. But I cringe when I see bloodied bucks propped up on hood of cars and trucks and deer dangling from deer poles with the proud hunters standing alongside their "monster bucks" And flip through the pages of many outdoor magazines during deer season and there are hundreds of shots of hunters posed with and even hugging their dead deer. I know when I go to the grocery store for meat I never pose next to a great looking rib-eye steak or post on Facebook an image of ground beef. But that's just me. This tree-hugging meat eating outdoor writer (me) has a strong preference for images of deer like the ones I shot in my yard this year - with my camera.  photo by Jonathan Schechter |
posted by Jonathan Schechter at
7:57 AM
4 Comments:
I used to hunt small game and deer when I was young as it helped feed our family of eight. This was back in the Fifties and I didn't think about it much. I never did pose for a picture with my dead deer as it was not something to glamorize. Now days I am not a tree hugger but understand the meaning of eating a tender steak. I feed the critters now and go outta my way to buy corn and peanut butter in the big jars for the squirrels and chipmunks.
While I am not a hunter, I do understand the necessity (food on the table) and sport ($ that spurs the economy and also DNR initiatives). What really brought me around was seeing the small, undersized deer in Oakland and Genesee counties. Independence Oaks in the late 90s had deer that were malnourished and the size of dogs. The same is true presently for For-Mar Nature Preserve in Davison/Burton area. I think "select hunts" would greatly benefit the deer population allowing them to get bigger and stronger. I live at the edge of Goodrich / Grand Blanc, and I have personally seen deer starved out by Winter. The starvation due to overpopulation is quite sad to see. I would rather see hunters take some for the good of the herd using a management technique decided on by all parties (hunters / State of MI / Outdoors folks).
Thank you "sandman" and Anonymous--for your thoughtful and well worded comments. Deer and deer hunting will always be issues---and discussions such as they are good for everyone. And FYI--although I would not want to partake, I support the special hunts at Independence Oaks--very near me.
At a time in our history as Mohawk people, when we were struggling and the Peacemaker came to us and gave us the deer as a primary food source to strengthen our bodies and to nourish us as a people. To this day when we hunt, we hunt respectfully and honor the deer that are taken in our hunts. Very seldom will you see Native hunters in our communities, not sure about others, acting in a disrespectful manner toward the deer that are taken. There is always ceremony involved for having had to take the life of one of our "brothers" of the woods.
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