Hunters and anglers, writes Marc Bekoff in Animals Matter, “often like to hang signs that say ‘Gone Fishin’’ or ‘Gone Huntin’.’ But what these slogans really mean is ‘Gone killing.’” When I opposed hunting, I would—like Bekoff—have objected to the euphemisms. Even catch-and-release fishing, with its professed intent not to kill, often does. Now that … Read more
The first thing I ever heard about my great-uncle Al was that he never gave up. When I started hunting, my mentor—my mother’s brother, Uncle Mark—wanted to impress upon me the vital importance of persistence. So he told me stories about hunting with his uncles in Pennsylvania’s Moshannon State Forest back in the 1960s and … Read more
Smeared with blood and deer hair, the rubber gloves had been tossed by the roadside. Next to them lay a chunk of guts. The trash couldn’t be missed by anyone who parked at the hiking trail access the hunters had used. By then I’d stopped being surprised. In only my second year as a hunter, … Read more
“How are you doing?” Cath asked. We were sitting at the kitchen table, having coffee. I waggled one hand: so-so. “I’m in that zone.” She nodded. She’d known before I answered. Less than an hour after sunrise that November morning, she’d heard the shot. From the direction and distance, she’d known who squeezed the trigger. … Read more
The word “hunting” or “hunter” catches my ear. Then I hear my name. I’m at a gathering of neighbors and a friend has just told a couple acquaintances that I hunt. Catching a few more words, I can sense their astonishment from across the room. He seems like a nice enough guy, I imagine them … Read more
The twinkle in my stepson’s eyes should have told me I was in for it. He and his wife were up from Jersey for a Christmas visit. It was a month after I’d killed my first deer. And we were opening gifts. The box was small. Pushing aside the tissue paper, I saw the silvery … Read more
The doe stepped into the road, then trotted across and bounded into the woods as I slowed the car. Cath and I both relaxed. We weren’t going fast, but that had been close. Then the second doe was there, very close, pausing at the edge of the road. I caught the flash of movement at … Read more