A few years ago, I was your typical office-worker: stressed out, uneven energy, overweight, and inconsistent complexion. Now I'm just your typical 28-year old urban hunter-gatherer on a quest to be healthy, and having a few adventures along the way. See my full bio.
This weekend I'll be learning how to hunt. I'm really excited.
Nine of us from Eating Paleo in NYC are heading down to Charlottesville, Virginia for a deer hunting seminar. We will learn deer ecology, gun safety, how to shoot, how to field dress a deer, and how to butcher and cook venison. Though we won't be hunting any deer, we will be field dressing a freshly killed deer outdoors, and then cooking it that evening.
Jackson Landers will be leading the seminar. The New York Times featured Jackson in a great piece last year about urban and suburban foodies who wanted to learn to hunt. Many wanted to take the ethical step of being willing to kill the meat they eat. Jackson was raised a vegetarian, and takes ethical considerations seriously -- it's not simply a testosterone-driven exercise in domination. He also tries to hunt invasive, non-local species that could use a little culling.
Check out Jackson's blog.
Did I mention I'm excited? I swear it's not the testosterone talking. (Okay, maybe a little.) Lots more to come this weekend.
Comments
Grew up hunting, lived in NYC
Grew up hunting, lived in NYC for sixteen years.Something about college educated New Yorkers learning how to hunt in some seminar brings out the redneck in me.The idea is to get used to the way deer behave over time in a certain location, their habits, etc. But, I am happy for the attention primal living is getting and I loved the Ted Nugent post.
I grew up hunting every year
I grew up hunting every year since I was 8 years old. It is an absolutely joy to hunt and savor the meat you get from it. To address a point that hasn't been brought up yet, it is absolutely necessary to hunt in most parts of the US. Hunting is used as a population control mechanism on many animals including deer in places that have a built up human presence that has driven the natural predators (bears, mountain lions, coyotes) out. In Pennsylvania alone, it is estimated that a 10% decrease in hunting will result in a 25% increase in traffic accidents (25,000 accidents last year so a 6,250 accident increase) due to deer. I am not saying that is a worthy reason to hunt, but it is what it is and is not going to change any time soon. On an unrelated note, I am curious as to what the perception of hunting is in NYC? Out here in rural PA, the first day of deer season is an unofficial state holiday!
Sounds great, you'll have an
Sounds great, you'll have an awesome time. My family and I have a place upstate in the Red Hook area and go hunting during the season. You're more than welcome to go practice come the colder months!
Hey, that's my hometown.
Hey, that's my hometown. C'ville is a great place. Have fun.
Had some venison heart last
Had some venison heart last night at a Czech place in Queens and it was excellent! Looking forward to the trip this weekend and maybe getting some offal since Jackson doesn't seem to like it.
Hey John, I'm just getting
Hey John, I'm just getting into the Paleo Diet and think it's great. I'm a trainer so I'm always active. In regards to deer hunting, you should try using a bow instead of a gun. I think it's more in tune to the ethics of the diet and takes a lot more skill which equals more fun!
I agree, and I'd love to
I agree, and I'd love to learn bow hunt. I've got that tee'd up for the fall!
When hunting in the fall,
When hunting in the fall, I highly recommend using a climber stand. They provide you with the portability of a ground blind and the range of a ladder stand. However, if you plan on hunting with a partner, I would recommend a ground blind.
To quote from my detailed
To quote from my detailed answer to a venison recipe question over at PaleoHacks ( http://paleohacks.com/questions/2030/whos-got-the-scoop-on-venison/2046#... ):"Deer hunting is not a trivial enterprise. Nor is it easy. A one-day seminar will only show you the beginnings of a number of subjects which you will have to learn in-depth in order to have a chance at success. You will have to invest a lot of time at the range practicing your shooting skills, more time in learning how to track and learning the woods, yet more time in studying deer behaviour and biology, and a fair bit of money in arms, ammo, and equipment. Deer hunting is, however, one of the best ways to spend your short time on this earth and I can't recommend it highly enough. I've been out for three seasons, haven't managed to bag one yet, and loved every second, including the bored, wet, muddy, and freezing cold ones."Enjoy it! Any thoughts on what sort of rifle or shotgun you're planning on buying, or are you going to try the bowhunting thing?
So right. An actual
So right. An actual hunter-gatherer would have spent his whole life learning and honing his skills. Not just shooting, trapping, or the actual act of the skill -- but ecology, animal movements, tracking...everything you mention!
Well, that's why we're not actually going hunting on the seminar. Gotta start somewhere.
Rifles for now, I believe, though not sure what type.
"So right. An actual
"So right. An actual hunter-gatherer would have spent his whole life learning and honing his skills. Not just shooting, trapping, or the actual act of the skill -- but ecology, animal movements, tracking...everything you mention!" Absolutely. Every time I go out I wonder at how much I don't know and how much in the way of subtle clues I'm missing, and think that Grok would find me a sorry pathetic excuse for a hunter. Somewhat less sorry and pathetic than your average couch potato, but still...Glad to hear that you're going with a rifle. While I completely understand the attraction of bowhunting, the reality is that archery tackle is shorter ranged, less accurate, and less immediately lethal than firearms. I'd love to bag a deer with my bow, but I'm not at the point where I'm comfortable enough in my ability with it to take it hunting. Rifles and shotguns, on the other hand, are much easier to get competent with (and they're more affordable; even a Soviet-surplus SKS or Mosin-Nagant M44 will be more than adequate for deer hunting, and for the price of a compound bow you can pick up both rifle and enough ammo to become competent with it). If I can make one recommendation, I'd suggest that you read Jeff Cooper's The Art of the Rifle ( http://www.amazon.com/Art-Rifle-Jeff-Cooper/dp/1581605927/ref=sr_1_1?ie=... ). It's the best guide to rifle shooting I've read to date and while you might not necessarily agree with all of Cooper's opinions on non-shooting topics, its technical content is pure gold and helped me overcome a number of n00bish issues with my shooting.
After almost literally
After almost literally running into some deer a few weeks ago while out hiking in the state forest here, I have become more acquainted with the fact that deer populations can and do get out of control. I suppose once people get their head around the fact that we are the natural predator of deer, they'll understand how important regular hunting is to maintaining a safe population size.
I grew up hunting, but am a
I grew up hunting, but am a ethical hunter. I'm not into the tough guy redneck hunter mentality at all. I hunt for the meat. The best purest meat you can get!Here's a great video from Ted Nugent. LOL
As long as you're not
As long as you're not squeamish, I started putting up some of my hunting stuff last year.Hunting in the Pacific Northwest will make a good hunter out of anyone. Unless you shoot your deer in someones yard standing under an apple tree... our deer (animals in general) are pretty good about staying out of sight. Especially during hunting season. The pressure keeps them on high alert 24/7. I tried to film deer and elk hunting last season, but the camera gear made it that much more difficult.
Nice job wringing that
Nice job wringing that grouse's neck. It looks faster than the two-handed technique I've been using. I've heard that you can dress them simply by standing on the wings and pulling hard on the legs, but I've never tried it...