Last Saturday marked the beginning of rifle season in the Adirondacks, meaning that deer hunting in Northern New York is in full effect. For some this means that their adrenaline-fueled hobby of hiking through the Adirondacks in pursuit of prey is back, while for others it is the season in which fridges are filled for the year.
Hunting is a controversial topic today, but when done in a sportsmanlike fashion, hunting is ethically sound, environmentally friendly, and a form of basic subsistence for many families around the world as well as here in Northern New York. Aside from being all of these things, hunting also happens to be extremely cultural, rooting back to the beginning of civilization when hunters and gatherers were revered for feeding their given people.
Hunting is packed with historical values passed down by antlers and stories of grandparents, uncles, and aunts walking the same trails in pursuit of the same eerily illusive animals you are looking for. It provides a bond with nature that no other sport can mimic, the trails are unmarked, and the outcomes are unpredictable, your actions are dictated by the hand of nature and for me that is where the draw lies.
If you have hunted, you have felt the feelings associated with it that I have referenced above. You have felt the explosive heart beat and burning stomach when leaves crack in front of you, you have felt the feeling of community when the camp elders reference your great grandpa as though they are a spry 20-year-old, and most evidently you have felt the feeling of pride associated with introducing someone to this world that you feel is distinctly your own.
If you have not experienced these things, it does not have to be found through hunting. It can be found through a multitude of other outdoor activities and sports and despite it being my namesake, hunting is not my favorite thing to do. I love it, but going back to the subsistence base; it was just what we did, and now almost a century later, it is just what we do.
If you would like to get into hunting or have any questions about it, we have a Ducks Unlimited club as well as SLU Hunting and Fishing here on campus and they are more than willing to help introduce people to the sport they so love. Follow and message them on Instagram @sluducksunlimited and/or @sluhuntingfishing for more information.