I know many hunters that find themselves in the pretty odd position
of justifying their decision to bring food home for their families. It
is odd because what we're doing is fundamentally at the heart of our
existence: we're providing for our families - just in a slightly
different fashion than heading down to the local Coles.
One
of the reasons I hunt, and there are quite a number, is that for me it
is a way of assuming total responsibility for the process of sourcing
meat for my family's table. From the outset I am in control of the
process: I chose the beast from which the meat will ultimately come
from, how it is killed and how it is treated and prepared, ready for
consumption. At no point do I outsource a part of this process; I own it wholly.
In
utilising a wild beast, there is the added benefit of the beast having
the least possible chance of suffering at the hand of man. It has lived a
life - ignoring the fact it is exotic - as nature intended and you
can't get much more free-range than that!
I firmly
believe that we, not as hunters but as humans, should have the freedom
of choice when it comes to sourcing our food. We should have the right
to be guided by our own morals and our values and if those morals and
values deliver us to hunting as being our preferred means of sourcing
food, we should have the freedom to pursue that path.
I
can only imagine the hysteria (and justifiably so) if individuals were
robbed of the right to choose whether or not to grow their own
vegetables or harvest their own water. It would be grossly unfair, some
may even say a denial of a basic human right, if that were to occur. Why
is hunting any different?
I don't think for a moment
that we're about "converting" anyone to subscribe to a life philosophy
of providing for one's family on any scale. Far be it for me, or anyone,
to dictate to another how they should live their lives, but I and the
hundreds of thousands of hunters across Australia would certainly
appreciate that same courtesy be returned.
So if you're horrified by hunting, that's ok, just don't try to stop me.
Yep. Nice article. It's great when people write intelligent and thought out arguments for hunting as opposed to the 'fuk teh goverments' response you get from a lot of people. I'd make a strong argument that hunting is a much more humane way of sourcing meat than most mechanical livestock farms too
ReplyDeleteCheers mate! Yes I cringe every time I see one of those comments in the public domain.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that even a hunter of average skill is more humane than modern factory farming.
Good, logical argument, Will, with one flaw....the hardcore, rabid antis who care enough to want to stop hunting altogether (and the vast majority of the Aussie public doesn't give a toss) are not in fact against hunting, but killing period. Nothing you can say, short of "you're right, I was wrong, I've given it up now" will make them see the light. They focus on hunting only because there is scope within its practice to worry the general public about stuff like getting shot in forests and national parks, hence they play on this fear rather than, say, the activities of the beef farmer, which pose no threat to the public at all but kill far more animals. Once hunting is banned they'll focus their efforts on banning all practices that result in animal mortality, but they know it's too soon to push that agenda with gusto because the public still eats meat. The key to winning the 'war' against the anti-hunters lies not in appealing to them to adopt a live and let live attitude, but rather we must focus on ensuring that the people who do not care what we do - the vast majority of the general public - continue not to care what we do. I think the way to do that is to pitch our stuff squarely at the general public, and also in informing them about what's next of the anti's agenda if they sit back and let them have their own way. Just my view of course, and therefore no more worthy than anyone's.
ReplyDeleteThanks Garry. I certainly take on board what you're saying about the rabid antis. There is nothing any of us could ever say or do that would result in them dropping the fight. But they're a very small minority, loud and organised yes, but a small minority nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteI had hoped that this would result in providing some perspective to the general public who currently are generally only fed a diet of media hysteria when it comes to hunting. Already through Facebook a couple of people have seen the light so to speak, with comments like "I've never seen hunting in that context before". There are people out there who are genuinely concerned about taking control of their food - my sister-in-law is one of them - within the larger movement of slow food, urban food forests etc. If people don't associate hunting with food then they won't see it for the legitimate pursuit and viable alternative it is.