By Craig Dumas
Hunt or hunting as described by Webster’s Unabridged is: ‘the act of chasing wild animals for the purpose of catching them; a chase, the act of a person or animal that hunts’.
It may be inferred but it doesn’t say anything about killing them. That is exactly where I separate the term sport from survival. So, is it safe to say hunting’s now considered a sport, or is it truly a necessity for only those few that only rely on the meats of the wild to maintain life? Hardly. The sport is exactly that. Many a hunter goes out either alone or with a group to kill game for what? Do they just toss their kill in the trash and call it a day? Is there a ribbon or certificate awarded for the accomplishment? This is where the term should describe and differentiate fun from survival. As in fishing, catch and release is the only true explanation of the term. Nothing is killed, yet skill and talent are the only things expensed and exercised.
If you go out and join a club that shoots at targets short or long range, or even spot targets that move, that’s a sport. You are expressing skill and talent towards a hobby. You are not killing anything but time and ammo, hence the term ‘sport’. If you want meat, you depend on the local grocer to supply the fattening and heart attack-inducing beef that’s farm bred and fed chemicals to plump up our dinner portions. In today’s day and age, it’s common for us to hunt for fun since we are, after all, the superior species and have the opposable thumbs. Survival of the fittest is putting it mildly. We don’t have to depend on the kill to put food on the table and feed our families. I think it’s more common to see this when you get out of the city and get into the rural settings. Believe me – some of these settings are downright uninhabitable and inhumane. I don’t really know how people live and survive in little shacks that look deplorable and should be condemned. But I can tell you that by the number of gunshots I hear after the typical hunting hours plus out of season shots, these folks are putting food on the table for reasons beyond simple sportsmanship.
Survival as described by Webster’s Unabridged is ‘remaining alive or in existence by any means necessary’. This means that ‘sport’ is no longer the correct term and should instead be replaced by ‘hunting’. This is where it gets interesting.
The root purpose of survival hunting is to utilize all parts of an animal for food and whatever else is needed. Be it bait for entrapment of larger game, tools from the bones to fashion weaponry, or the skins to make clothing for protection from the elements. All these are truths to the terms survival and hunting. An example, you commonly find in that area is rabbit. Setting a snare trap is easy. Once caught, skinning and eviscerating are essential and need to be done quickly. Like rolling a wet sock down a leg, the hide is done fast and then you have fur-lined gloves. Hand protection. Deer is a larger game and the same rules apply. Only now you have some quantities of meat to be stored in an underground-type freezer. As an added bonus, you’ll have a hide that once added to another you have the makings for a durable coat. Being that deer hair is hollow; this creates wonderful insulation for your body. As for the meats, one must be aware that you can, and do, get protein poisoning due to over consumption of the wild meat. Since wild game is very lean to say the least, you will in turn get lean as well and must utilize all the other parts of the body to get the necessary fats available. This includes the eyes, feet, brains, and even bones. Yes, I said bones too. They do carry some fat sources that are at a minimum, but needed nonetheless.
So when they say hunting is considered by some to be a sport or a game, I don’t necessarily agree. Some don’t take it quite as seriously as I do. As our Canon Fodder editor, can attest to, I’m somewhat serious and reserved about the whole thing. More than I probably should be, so I try lighten up with a few ‘barley pops’ daily during the hunting season. I don’t go out there just to kill for the fling but to properly study and choose the best target, not unlike the natural predators of the land. It’s no longer a survival-type need, but more of a hobby practiced by those of us that like to be one with nature and fire weapons. It’s more an acquired skill that one cherishes and appreciates all the more when the trophy is taken. Heck, if I just wanted to kill for the rush of it, I have 10 acres that has a plentitude of game ripe for the taking anytime, any day. That’s not the point and I am sure you understand where I come from. In today’s day and age where anything goes and the future rapidly becomes the past, it’s hard to keep up with the discussion that never has an end but is a never-ending circle.
So is it sport, or survival, or a bit of both? Chasing game for the fun of it is sport, but when you actually kill something the critter is when it changes to hunting. Not necessarily for survival, but essentially to feed one’s family. Hunting is the intent of a kill; sport is the intent of the chase. I don’t know if it exactly jives with the Canon Fodder description of a sport, but the dictionary definitely has two definitions.
Now grab your firearm and get close with nature… it’s almost time for supper.