Prey and predator have existed for millennia. And so it is no surprise that man has witnessed and participated in the hunt, recording the outcomes in poems and epic stories.
For every form of prey, there is a master predator. And man has tried to master them all. Sometimes with success. Other times at great pain and peril.
Even for those who abhor the idea of taking the life of another creature, the idea of overcoming the edge of death’s sickle still echoes in the human heart. Wolves at the door and she holds them at bay with nothing more than a firebrand while he faces down the great brown giant, unleashing a single shot to the heart. Countless stories tell the tale of the hunter and the hunted. And we are not always who we think we are.
For nearly a decade I have walked woods, public and private. I’ve missed my mark through failures to prepare or practice and through the mysterious unknowns that seem to rob of the great bounty for which I hunt. And I have brought home more than I could have hoped for. More than my family could keep.
To be clear, I am exceedingly grateful for every harvest. Every one. And whether or not you agree with my pursuits and successes, I hunt not for sport or for trophies. Each take is provision. They feed my family and others. And I process every one. A responsibility I esteem and believe every hunter should be capable of.
Whether stalking, in a blind, or sitting suspended in the air or on the cold earth, countless treasures have been stored in my memory. The first time I saw hawk grab its meal out the tall grass a few yards from where I sat to a rafter of turkeys the flew overhead like a gust of black wind. Or the elation of dropping my first deer only to feel it wash away as the reality I didn’t know what to do next set in.
Memories of frigid hours witnessing nothing more than blowing snow and gray skies to unseasonably warm December days that provoked squirrels to incessant barking on branches mere feet from my station.
Over the course of these posts, I hope to break down the lessons learned and share the majesty of the more memorable experiences. Maybe walking through the pain and failures and weaving back to the valuable insights gained from all those hours invested will spark some revelation in your own hunt for life.
