The pursuit of food

The best hunters know their prey well and have the utmost respect for animals, wether they hunt them or not. In the past, hunters would learn so much from one animal that due to respect they would never hunt that species again.

Hunters who have to take their food from limited areas struggle with a conflict of interests; while relying on hunting for an energy rich diet, they also depended on the well-being of their prey. In some regions of the world, native hunters to this day pass down through the generations the vital knowledge of how many animals of which species and from which territory they may take in which season.

Therefore the hunter would be bound by necessity to be at the same time be a conservationist. Hunters who have learned this ancient respect will tell you that their aim in life is not to impose themselves upon nature but instead to find an understanding of nature, whilst being in harmony with nature, for the long term well-being of nature, family and tribe.

This deep seated philosophy is often overlooked by those who criticise all forms of animal hunting, and by those that seek to gain more than they need. Say if more people were to experience this form of learning, I believe more respect would be accorded to wild creatures and their habitats. (Modern hunting for sport and leisure is however much more controversial)

All this about hunting may seem irrelevant to you, but one day you may find yourself out in the wild without food, when a basic understanding of primitive hunting may save your life.

The hunters way is exemplified by this old Cherokee teaching, from the book; The Education of Little Tree

The quail rose in a rush and sped into the trees - but one was slow. The hawk hit. Feathers flew into the air, and then the birds were on the ground, the hawks head rising and falling with the death blows. In a moment he rose with the dead quail clutched in his claws, back up the side of the mountain and over the rim.

I didn't cry, but I know I looked sad, because granpa said, "Don't feel sad, Little Tree. It is the way. Tal-con eats a thousand ground rats who eat the the eggs of the quail - both the quick and the slow eggs - and so Tal-con lives by the Way. He helps the quail."

Granpa dug a sweet root from the ground with his knife and peeled it so that it dripped with its juicy winter cache of life. He cut it in half and handed me the heavy end.

"It is the way," he said softly. "Take only what Ye need. When Ye take the deer, do not take the best. Take the smaller and the slower and then the deer will grow stronger and always give you meat."

reply to post by Dionisius


Very valid assessment.

I agree especially with the "modern hunting" statement.
Today's hunters make a sport out of something that was meant for sustainance.
Which is ridiculous and totally absurd.

But then again, my personal beliefs are as follows:
Instead of knowing what sports teams members stats are...or anything television related...
One should know their local habitat species and wildlife information.
Or just have an idea of how to be self reliant, in any emergency event.
Especially today, when so many things rely on temporary power grids.


But it must be too boring for average people.
Because everyone I mention that saying around gives me the "look".
And by "look" I mean the dumb, empty head, brainwashed zombie look.
They must not think it's important to know your local habitat.



Good information.

I will be okay i have watched loads of Man vs wild and other survival programs.i know how to set a snare with my shoe lace

I think what a lot of people forget in a total survival situation is that chances are everyone around you is also in the woods hunting and setting traps. Easy food (small game) would go fast when everyone is looking for it. This is why domestication of animals allows our populations to continue to get bigger. You take this away and the numbers will thin rapidly.

I already have chickens and plan to do Aquaponic garden system this spring and raise a lot of fish and vegetables. I like the idea of only visiting my backyard to pursue food.

reply to post by TheLieWeLive


Let's hope that people won't go crazy killing everything off.
But knowing how Americans act with the smallest of power blips, I am worried.


I look at it like this:
People will have gardens, and communities will be helping each other.
The stupid, angry mobs will eventually kill themselves off.
Because smart individuals will work together and dumb individuals will fight for things.

Well, I know what really will happen, I just hope it pans out this way.




I really don't want to see irradication of animals because of humans ignorance.

A buddy of mine used to go to a deer farm every year in Montana to do some deer hunting.
Every year he bagged one, we used to tease him that he only bagged every year as they were tied to a tree and he was taken to them.
I wonder if I was right?
Yeah, sport hunting sucks, it's like having a car and no stereo, real boring.