Hunting, more than just killing animals?

The following blog is an opinion from a board member of Project Wilderness. Project Wilderness supports all legal, ethical and safe recreational activities on public land. Enjoy!

Is hunting about more than just killing animals? I decided to find out myself and here’s the story;

I remember the first morning I drug myself out of bed to go hunting. Early doesn’t begin to describe the hour – I think even the birds were still asleep.

Things that crossed my mind: Am I crazy? Please, can I go back to sleep?! Who does this?!

The answer: me. My name is Asha, and I’m the board secretary for Project Wilderness. I was born in India, raised in Southern Oregon, and consider myself a native Oregonian. Being here since two months of age will do that to you! My childhood was spent exploring the Rogue River and the southern Oregon Coast, never understanding that the piece of heaven I call home had been fought for and defended for decades before I first wiggled my toes in the warm sand of Gold Beach. Years and travels later – I understand. I appreciate. And finally, I stepped up to the plate.

Hunting was never a passion of mine – sure, I had friends that did it (I had friends that raised pygmy goats too, but I didn’t do that either) that was always their thing. I never considered how much thought, time and effort it took to hunt; the stalking aside, how careful hunters have to be not to disturb the natural order, how precious they consider the time that mother nature allows us to spend in her world, or even how much work it takes to help protect & restore an area to ensure the land can continue to support annual harvest of deer and elk.

Back to my morning hunt – with the help of my significant other, I was out of bed and ready to go, dressed down in camo, as scent-free as I could get and binoculars in hand. I’d hiked and camped but until this point in my life, had never considered hunting as a past time. I’m a believer that you should always try new things, so here I was, dressed in 3 layers at an ungodly hour, trekking along in the wilderness.

I started to notice things. Things I missed while in the forest for other reasons. The wind was cold, but smelled fresh. The small rodents – chipmunks, squirrels, birds, snakes etc. – were more than willing to announce our presence to the world. All the things you miss when moving at hiking speed seemed to jump out at you. Yes, my tail end was cold, but close to the earth, I saw more tracks and poop from elk, deer and coyote then I’d ever dreamed. The hills were steep – but once we reached the top, the view was so beautiful that even I, a native, was struck speechless. The wildflowers were bright and full, and everything was so very alive – a type of vitality you can only appreciate when you have  nothing else to distract you. I never thought hunting would bring you so close to  the natural environment.

That first day was a slow one – but from then on, I was hooked. I began to learn how to trek through the woods leaving as little trace as possible, and why it’s important to be quiet and as unobtrusive. This point was hammered home the first time we jumped a herd of elk – watching 12-15 elk run away literally 5 feet in front of you gives you a sense of how small you are in the world.

While I haven’t gotten anything harvested an animal, my attitude is a clear 360 from what it used to be. I used to think hunters were in it for the kill and the kill only. I couldn’t have been more wrong. As I’ve learned to hunt, I’ve learned to appreciate every step I take. I have read about and photographed more native plants than I know what to do with. I get a chance to observe wildlife and get just as excited about the elk I get to watch as the one I might get a chance to take home. Coyote prints, salamanders, yellow finches, grouse – it doesn’t matter what I see, I am always excited about something. Suddenly I want to learn about everything around me – how to protect it, how to live with it and what responsible wildlife management entails.

Learning how to hunt hasn’t made me a better hunter – it’s made me a better steward, a better Oregonian, and a better person. We all should be more open and not be quick to judge other recreational users of our (all of ours) forest!

Asha Swem

Project Wilderness Board Secretary

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