Many of you are thinking, “what is Mark talking about, we have been outside all summer?” Well, that may be true, but the best part of the year is here, Hunting Season! It does not matter if you are out for Deer, Elk, Bear, or Birds all of the seasons are going to be open soon, and what a better time to spend quality time with our children and families!
The timeless tradition is still going strong here in the Great State of California! What great life lessons are there to be taught to our children with this great American Tradition!
“What do you mean learning, and teaching?” You may ask. Well… Starting with, but not limited to, Gun Safety, Self reliance, Responsibility, Value for life, the circle of life, patience and the list goes on and on. Few things can be an all inclusive instructor like a week in Deer camp. I can’t count how many times I have told somebody that I hunt, only to be asked “Do you eat the meat, or do you just get the rack, and leave the meat?” and every time I am shocked by their ignorance, not only do hunters eat what they shoot, but they share in Gods bounty with those who did not get their tags filled or who are in need. In many parts of the country this is the primary way of stocking the freezer with meat. In addition, no real hunter shoots for the trophy, and lets the meat go to waste, it is not only Illegal, but completely unethical, every hunter I know would trip over themselves to turn in and arrest such poachers.
But Value for life? You are killing things! Yes, and what better way to actually learn about the life cycle and life itself than to see it first hand, and what better way to teach gun safety and responsibility than for them to see first hand, the damage that can be done with a firearm if you are not careful. We are the beneficiaries of things being killed every time we eat a steak or burger as well, but few think of that.
How often do children get to spend true quality time, learning things from their parents or family? With no TV, No Radio, Microwave, nothing but a family, or a group of mentors to the next generation, teaching learning, and growing together. Lessons like teamwork butchering and field dressing the animal, sharing with those who were not as fortunate, helping those who need it without being asked, sharing the workload around the camp.
The lessons go on and on, I could go on all day, while some may love it, some may not, but what a great way to teach, bond, learn, and enjoy the greatest time of the year!
What a great skill and heritage to pass along to your children. It confirms the axiom: Give a man a fish….
Now your kids will never starve. Those of you skeptics who think we will always have grocery stores and restaurants, and think hunting is and will be unnecessary, will be the ones smelling the BBQ while the rest of us fix dinner.
That’s one big rabbit!
#1
Well, that’s a very end-times sort of outlook Dee Mac, but I wonder where you propose to hunt all this game, after all California has 35 million people and its share of gun “enthusiasts”. My family leases out an 18,000+ acre ranch to a hunting company and they are very responsible in husbanding the “game”, (deer, feral pig, wild turkey, farm raised pheasant and even a condor chick for eco tours) after a visit last spring, I can assure you that the amount of game on our ranch would be wiped out in a few weeks of “panic hunting”.
In other words, you should plan on starving with the rest of us.
Mmmmm Condor.
#3 If you everdicide you need to control the population on the 18,000 acres I “have gun- Will travel” Sorry but I have filled my deer tags this year already, but my pig tags are good to go…and Quail and Dove do open soon…
#4
If your interested in a boar hunt it’s; RS Guest Ranch, Paicines, Ca., but don’t even think about the condor.
Interestingly,
I have been a huge advocate of teaching children how to shoot and handle weapons.
I made the choice early one when a Floral Park Mom asked “do you have guns in the house?” The question caught me by surprise and my answer was yes. A long thought process ensued. I stored the guns, and as my kids matured I began teaching about how to handle operate and respect them.
My upbringing was different and guns were acceptable. But kids are kids and they’ll find the key to the closet….
Anyway, as long we keep them out of the hands of Mexicans and drunken Vice Presidents America will be safer right!
I lost my train of thought.
Well said Marko
#3
As far as “panic hunting” goes . . . A gun owner does not a hunter make. I know lots of people who are great shots when it comes to “paper” deer, “paper” hogs, and even “paper” bad guys, that doesn’t translate to being even a mediocre hunter. Deer and other game animals often have excellent hearing, eyesight, and a heightened sense of smell. It takes a little skill and a lot of patience to be a hunter, traits sadly lacking in many city dwellers today.
#7
Hmmmm, a forest full of hungry armed gun nuts, shooting at anything that moves, not a pretty picture.
And I wonder how long it will take gang-members armed with AK’s to figure out the best prey are the hunters or your neighbor’s armed with handguns to figure out they can swap your wife and/or kids for some deer meat.
Better that we keep society, civil, agree?
“Those of you skeptics who think we will always have grocery stores and restaurants, and think hunting is and will be unnecessary, will be the ones smelling the BBQ while the rest of us fix dinner.”
Dee Mac, nahhh, you don’t know what you’re saying.
“But Value for life? You are killing things! Yes, and what better way to actually learn about the life cycle and life itself than to see it first hand”
LOL at the above statement…
I like guns and I like to shoot, but I won’t shoot at animals just for the hell of it because it’s cruel. There is no lesson in value of life there, unless the lesson is we have the power to take life and let me show you how we do it. I respect your right to hunt and I know there are valuable lessons to be learned. But lets not over-inflate the value of the hunting experience. And just because you eat your meat, doesn’t make it ignorant to ask, because not all hunters do. And you can’t change that fact by labeling yourself a hunter and they’re not.
Lam, That is the point, we are not shooting coyotes, and gophers, and yes all hunters eat what they shoot. I fail to see, how shooting a deer, or quail, is cruel, but buying a burger from beef that was slaughterd…..Just because you don’t see it does not mean it does not happen…. that is the lesson
#11
“I fail to see, how shooting a deer, or quail, is cruel, but buying a burger from beef that was slaughterd”
I admit I’m somewhat hypocritical on this issue, BUT… as the words of Rocky Balboa to his son, “I fight so that you don’t have to fight”. Likewise, I don’t see the point in me shooting a deer for meat when it’s already readily available in the Supermarket. In other words, “they” slaughter so that I don’t have to kill.
I’m not placing a judgment on you, but as for me, it’s cruel to kill, even for meat, when you don’t have to.
So the judgement call is, Free range, grain fed, no hormone, natural meat… or hormones, steroids, etc… So other people can do the “dirty work” for you??? That is the lesson of the circle of life… if you eat the meat, Somebody had to grow it, feed it, kill it, butcher it….
Lam
You are correct… you are hypocritical. It’s ridiculous to say that I shouldn’t make the kill for the meat I eat because someone else will do it for me. And really, you’re quoting a fictional character to bolster your argument.
Redslaw and Bigmark
Lets just say it like it is, hunting is FUN. You sneak up on an animal, a big, powerful, animal half a mile away. You take out your 30-06, you aim, take a deep breath, and BOOM… down goes that monstrous beast. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s a huge rush. It’s like sex, once you’re done, you can’t wait to do it again. That’s why you do it… for the rush, and I respect that.
Of course, there are lessons learned like responsibility, hard work, gun education… but please spare me the “value of life” or “I eat the meat, therefore I’m a real hunter” or “free range, grain fed”.
Hunting is a sport. Like any other sport, baseball, football, boxing, MMA… ask any top professional athlete and he’ll tell you the benefit of his sport, like keeping in shape, learning discipline, team work… but the bottom line is, he does it because it’s freaking fun. That’s basically it. So if your fun is to shoot an animal, so be it. Me, I think it’s cruel.
“And really, you’re quoting a fictional character to bolster your argument”
Think about the above quote a bit, it’s more true to life than just something from a fictional character.
Redslaw and Bigmark
To be clear, if I were sitting at a table have lunch with you guys and you tell you were out last weekend hunting deer, I wouldn’t think any less of you. I might even ask you for more details and I’d share in the excitement.
Just that me personally, would not do it. That’s all.
For the record, if we were having lunch and had to rely on reds law to provide the meat, we would be eating a vegan salad…. I’m just saying….