Dear HCN,
I am offended at the
characterization of hunting as a sport; to me, it is serious
business (HCN, 12/11/95). I have taken 25 large ungulates over the
past 18 years, but I do not have any of their heads displayed on my
wall. I hunt for meat, not for trophies, seeking the animal whose
flesh makes the most tender and tasty meat for my table, not the
one whose antlers or horns would make an object of
pride.
Every time I kill an animal there is a
passage of the spirit of that animal into and through me. I become
responsible to the universe for the safe passage of the spirit of
that elk or deer. I accept that. It is not a hard thing but
requires acknowledgement, the payment of some respect, and trust in
a natural order. The animals are not “resources’ to me; they are
relations.
William
Thompson
Missoula, Montana
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Hunting is no joke.
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