During spring break I went camping in the heart of East Texas in Jasper. The state park where I was staying with my family was right on the lake where not only do fish, frogs and algae dwell, but so do alligators. So as I was staring down at this alligator basking in the sun while out on a walk, I got to thinking about man’s relationship with wildlife and animals, especially hunting. Is hunting good or bad? It’s an issue that has conflicted me since junior high that I feel now I have reached my own conclusions about.
Hunting has always been a part of my family life. My two brothers and my dad all hunt. My dad is an avid deer hunter, and one of my earliest memories was going with him in the deer blind when I was 4 years old. We weren’t out for long perched in the blind, maybe ten minutes when my dad got a deer. He drug it back to our camp and while we were approaching my mom saw us and thought I had made too much noise and my dad was sending me back – little did she know I was his lucky charm that day.
I didn’t have a security blanket like Linus in the Peanuts cartoons; I had a fox fur that my dad shot and skinned for me. It was an unfortunate day when I decided to take it in the bathtub and it became three small pieces of fur (I still keep one in my car).
On my sixth birthday, I became the proud owner of a Red Ryder BB gun. It was a beautiful, dark cherry stained wood, and I loved loading it full of those little copper beads and shooting at cans and targets, competing with my older brother for the best shot. I didn’t shoot it much after I hit a tree and it ricocheted and hit me on the forehead. Slightly reminiscent of “A Christmas Story?”
Throughout my childhood and to this day, I don’t much care for the taste of wild game. I dreaded dinner at my house in fear of having venison sausage, baked quail, Thanksgiving wild turkey, or the worst, venison enchiladas. I lived off of grilled cheese those years of my life.
From junior high until recently, I was for the most part, against hunting because I thought that it was just barbaric and unnecessary. I just thought it was an obsession that many men (and some women) have, like being obsessed with sports, video games or shopping.
I’ve never shot any gun other than my BB gun and I have no desire to either. The only hunting activity I’ve ever participated actively is fishing and I plan on keeping that way.
The last time I went out to our deer lease in West Texas was to go and take pictures of the landscape. I ended up documenting my little brother’s first deer he shot with a group picture of all the men on the lease with my brother holding up the deer by its antlers, each guy thinking of their very first. I also took some of them cleaning the deer, which for those of you who haven’t observed it, can be pretty gruesome and not for the weak stomached.
So all of these experiences and observations have led me to where I stand now on the issue. I’m fine with hunting for the purpose of killing for food, but to trophy hunt or hunt in a way that is illegal and/or inhumane aggravates me. Many would agree that the way that cows and chickens are slaughtered is inhumane, as do I, but hunting is something that’s been done from the beginning of man and is more personal than slaughter houses or feed lots.
Without hunting, our ancestors would not have been able to provide food for their families or be able to make clothing or tools. Today it is not a necessity as it was before, but I believe that man is born with the instinct to hunt, to connect with nature, and most importantly, a sense of adventure.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, along with every other state department alike does a lot of research to ensure that limits are set appropriately and laws are enforced so that wildlife is not depleted. This was an area I was concerned, but after learning more and speaking with an animal biologist that works for the commission, it’s not an issue.
So as I was peering down at that alligator, thinking that my dad might come down to that park and shoot that very alligator when it comes alligator season, I think I’m finally okay with that, as long as I don’t have to watch or eat it if I don’t want to.