Why hunt?

[Cacia]

It is a primal thing and has to do with testosterone.

 

[alcina]

We hunt because once you've had fresh seafood, everything else is just a disappointment. It's a definite challenge, too, and makes a great day out...even when we don't get anything at all!

And I do not eat commercially caught fish or shrimp/prawns here in Australia; depending on where I am overseas I may eat some commericially caught seafood, but it's a rare event...and I go in armed with as much knowledge of the fishery involved (ask my hubby, he hates what I do to figure out if it's reasonably acceptable to eat shrimp or whatever somewhere) and I ask a lot of questions at the restaurant!

So really, if I want it, I have to go get it!

 

[Wayward Son]

So far as the expense goes, I don't even consider it in regards to the fish & bugs. I'm going diving anyway, that money is spent. If I have some luck I'll bring home something to eat, if not I don't. Usually I do & simply regard it as a plus for the trip, but I'm enjoying myself & if I don't get anything I'm not bothered by it. That's why it's called hunting & not shopping.

 

[OE2X]

A few factors at work for me:

1. The actual hunting part and looking for the creature is fun. Yes I have the same effect when I'm taking pictures of the fish.

2. The skill in which it takes to obtain the prey is interesting. A 300 yard, one bullet shot for a mule deer with wind, requires training.

3. The killing part is the most distasteful and least desireable aspect. It is a means to the end though. Testosterone is not part of it at least for me.

4. The most important factor: Because I killed the animal for my table, I honor it in ways that I never think about honoring a chicken, whole fish or steak that is cleanly butchered and antiseptically wrapped up in plastic from the grocery store.

I have meat wrapped up in my refrigerator that was store bought. I don't consider the fact that it was living creature when I prepare it. The deer that I shot a few years ago or fish that I caught or scallops that were gathered recently - I remember where I was when I took that creatures life. I think about how vital and beautiful it was before it came into contact with my rifle, hook or dive knife. With that in mind I not only treat it with special care but because I remember it when it was alive, I treat it with respect and give thanks that it can nourish me.

I cooked professionally for a number of years and I have a very high regard for the freshest and most beautiful ingredients that can be found. When I incorporated hunting and gathering along with my culinary skills, then and only then, was I able to understand the true sense of honor that I needed to have for each and every one of the living creatures that I use to foster life. I love to harvest wild mushrooms, herbs and vegetables. I bring the same sense of honor into my kitchen when using them as well.

Buying fish, beef, chicken and other creatures from the store insulates us from the life that each of these animals gave up to prolong and foster our own.

 

[Cacia]

Beautifully written OE2X. Do you think that testosterone in general facilitates the instincts of the hunt? Women often do not have the drive to hunt.

On another point, recently someone said that Buddhist abhor the taking of every life, (whaling debate) which is not my understanding. My understanding of the Buddhist perspective is more like what you have described.---the consciousness and the ceremonial honor of the life that was taken. Anyway, don't answer that. I slipped.

I think it has been pretty much supported in the biochemistry community that hunting and testosterone are a positive correlation. Is it possible testosterone is more at work than you realize?

 

[OE2X]

Catherine,
I wish I were more versed in Buddhism than I am. Thus I would be able to speak from a point of experience. My neophyte perspective agrees with yours and I would further back that, by asking: If a Buddhist abhores the taking of life, then how can they eat the plants and fruits that sustain their own lives? Again I'm not well learned, so perhaps someone with a deeper understanding than my own can qualify this.

As to testosterone: I have climbed up and down ridges in pursuit of deer and elk. In one case nearly 5,000 feet over the course of a day before I took a kill shot on a mule deer. The shot in itself was anticlimactic and I had passed on two shots earlier in the day on the same animal. Perhaps the only emotion that I really felt was - sadness at taking its life. Adreneline fueled my muscles when I carried this creature out to camp, but even when I was in camp amongst other hunters, testosterone wasn't part of my ceremony.

I ate this particular deer over the course of six months. Each time that I would retrieve a part of it from my freezer I felt gratitude, honor and a rememberance of the hunt and its life. None of the deer was wasted.

With other animals that I have not hunted or vegetables that I have not picked, they have inadvertantly been allowed to spoil in the confines of my refrigerator. While I know that it is irresponsible of me to treat any food less honorably, because I am not part of the life or death process of something store bought, I find myself immune to honor it in the same way as that which I have hunted.

 

[OE2X]

A slight aside and more thoughts on testosterone and hunting:
I think perhaps it's different when there are a group of hunters that are all working for a the same end. Think of a tribe going on a caribou or a seal hunt where the collective effort will asure that all will eat. Where also the future health of the tribe is uncertain. The game may move and not be able to be found. Conditions may well be adverse and extremely dangerous to the hunters themselves.

Now bring it to present day where if we don't hunt, we won't starve. Worst case scenario we will rack up some more debt on our Mastercards when we go to the store. Most of us can also find the market pretty easily.

When I hunt I'm not driven by the afore mentioned concern of starving. My journey is solo and rarely collective. The conditions I hunt in are generally favorable for my safe return home. If I come home with food then it's an extra experience that I took from the day. If I don't - well I still had a great day.

So in this day an age for a westernized man who hunts - I don't think it's testosterone that is the fuel to hunt. Adrenaline at times? Yes.

I think perhaps that testosterone can be mistakenly used in a derogotory fashion to describe an action that can be considered primal at best by some. I don't think that is how it's being used in this thread though...

 

[scubamickey]

Interesting suggestions. Almost every woman I know either hunts for big game or wants to very much. They all at the very least love to fish. What we all have in common is that we all have testosterone, we are all affected by adrenaline, we all love to eat fresh game and fish.

The Salmon or Halibut you catch yourself always tastes better than the frozen stuff at the store. Cheaper too, if you catch a lot.

 

[Snowbear]

Do you think that testosterone in general facilitates the instincts of the hunt? Women often do not have the drive to hunt.

Probably does. But women have very little testosterone, so those of us that DO hunt can't use the testosterone reason. I do think the "drive" to hunt is probably for different reasons than for men, though.

Many of my male co-workers hunt and say they actually like to kill things. The meat or fish they get to eat is just a bonus. For me, I like being in the woods. I hunt (or fish) for the meat that is not fed antibiotics to keep it from getting ill from living it's own and it's herdmates' poo :l:

I don't particularly like killing things, but know that if I'm going to eat meat, whether it's bought from a store or taken from the wild, someone had to kill it.

 

[scubamickey]

Many of my male co-workers hunt and say they actually like to kill things. The meat or fish they get to eat is just a bonus. For me, I like being in the woods. I hunt (or fish) for the meat that is not fed antibiotics to keep it from getting ill from living it's own and it's herdmates' poo :l:

Ok, you just had to go there...just as I'm getting ready to eat some store bought beef.

http://www.womenwhohunt.com/ Just had to add this link.