Pride and Prejudice: How My Views of Hunting Changed
- Aubrey Johnson
- Mar 24, 2024
- 15 min read
Please Note: While I have given every effort to write factually but respectfully, the content may be sensitive to some since it involves killing (harvesting) and processing wild animals.
Moving from California to Oklahoma came with its share of culture shocks. In Oklahoma, there was less cultural diversity, less environmental consciousness, and, compared to California, less urban sprawl. Because Oklahoma is less densely populated, there are more green spaces and open land for outdoor activities. One such activity, with advocates who became easy to spot, was hunting. The amount of souped-up, loud, “someone must be overcompensating” types of trucks on the road was a new sight to behold. And it would be surprising to see one without a gun rack, NRA or rifle sticker, or hunting logo proudly displayed on the back.
As one who grew up with liberal, “City By the Bay” parents, who decided against my once-dream of being a veterinarian because I didn’t want to see animals hurt, it should come as no surprise that I, as a young kid and then teenager, didn’t agree with hunting. My parents shared my views (or I shared theirs). If there are animals raised for meat and sold to consumers at the grocery store, why would someone feel the need to kill a defenseless wild animal? Let Bambi and Bambi’s parents live their lives in peace! Most of the hunters we knew or encountered, either due to their logos speeding past us on the highway with their spoils draped across their tailgate or people my dad or I would overhear talking at work or school, didn’t seem like the most athletic of sportsmen. Their personalities screamed, “I like guns, and I know how to use one!” or “I feel powerful because I killed something!” They did not tout the moniker of “provider” or “breadwinner.” Now, I’m ashamed to admit, we thought the nicknames of “Bubba” or a “good ‘ol boy” fit Oklahoma hunters better.
Because it was the thing to do, when my family went on vacation with a Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World nearby, we would stop and wander for a bit. They did carry non-hunting merchandise, and it was also entertaining to check out the fish. Another obvious sight in the stores is the tall deer stands and blinds. It always confused me how people consider hunting a sport when people, including those out-of-shape, can participate by climbing a ladder, sitting, and waiting for a deer to wander into their sights. Sure, you have to have the skill to aim at any great distance, but the athleticism it takes to haul a deer over the front of a four-wheeler is not impressive. I also often wondered how many of those hunters really “needed” the meat, or what the appeal was of killing an animal one’s self vs. getting meat from a store. Lots of people, I think, do it for the trophy – the antlers or mounted head on their wall, a bragging story for their friends. I didn’t yet anticipate how my prejudiced views would change.
When I attended Brightwater Culinary school and took the Food Systems course in 2018 (detailed more here), my view of grocery store meat, what was supposed to be the “lesser of two evils,” quickly went downhill, too. I think I knew the animals destined for mass markets weren’t treated that well. How could they be when high production requires close quarters, and high demand means unnatural sizes for animals that shouldn’t grow as big as hormones and feed lots allow? But like most consumers, I found it easier to ignore those realities. Many consumers, myself included, only care about buying something that’s the most “bang for your buck,” pun not intended. I never had a vegetarian phase, like my younger California cousins. I ate what my mom put on the table, and my dad was used to component meals – grain, veggie, meat – from the way he grew up. But once I became an adult and cooked for myself, price and convenience were a factor for me. As a young teacher, I wasn’t making much money, but it also took time and skill to cook meat well. So, when I did make something with meat protein, my go-to was usually something with chicken or ground beef.
At Brightwater, my Food Systems instructor made me aware of CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations). In these operations, animals face disease and a lack of fresh air, and I started to question how much meat I should be eating. When I did buy meat (or eggs and dairy), I looked more closely at the label. (Many articles and websites cite the harmful effects of these operations, including to the animals themselves, the environment, and people living nearby. A few sites for further reading include the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.) One thing my Food Systems instructor emphasized to her students was that every time we buy something, we are voting. If we purchase meat and dairy that comes from mass-produced sources, we are saying “yes” to all that entails. We are acknowledging that we’re “okay” with the process of raising chickens with larger-than-life breast meat or cows that spend 12-18 months in the grass then the last 4-6 months of their life eating grain in a dry, dusty feedlot, at times walking through their feces (Feedlot Operations, NRDC). (According to Texas Monthly and Montana State University Extension Agent Allison Kosto, most American beef comes from heifers and steers slaughtered between 18 and 24 months old. The last 4-6 months of the young cows’ lives are spent in a finishing grain lot after a diet of grass or hay.) Conversely, consumers can say “no” by buying products with labels such as “Certified Humane” and “American Humane Certified” in addition to “Free Range,” when buying chicken or eggs. According to Certified Humane, “Free Range” chickens can still live in crowded conditions, and there is no stipulation about how much outdoor access they have. “Cage-Free” chickens aren’t in cages, but the term doesn’t guarantee ample room to move or outdoor access. In terms of ethical labels to look for when buying beef, Food Print has some helpful advice. Their top picks include labels that follow the standards of regenerative agriculture I discuss in this previous post. Reiterated on the site is a fact I learned in my Food Systems course. Marketing catchphrases such as “natural,” “pasture-raised,” “humanely-raised,” and “no antibiotics” are not standardized and verified, which leads to disillusioned consumers thinking they’re getting something they are not. Instead of relying on “hopes” or “shoulds,” our instructor also encouraged us to buy locally and get to know the people who raise the animals we eat. Then consumers know how animals are cared for before processing. This, in addition to checking food labels, is a feasible option for people in cities and suburbs, not willing to adopt a vegetarian diet. (Check out your local Farmer’s Market, for example.) However, when I lived in Montana, I saw another option, and I allowed my views of hunting to be changed.
During the three years I lived in Montana and worked for Farm to School of Park County (notable since I was involved in the food system world, touting the benefits of healthy eating to elementary students), I lived with a family. Since my space had a kitchenette including a full-sized refrigerator, but I shared their stove and ovens, I bought and prepared food on my own. Occasionally the family and I would cook together, or I’d be invited to eat with them. Montana is a lot wilder than Oklahoma, which is wilder than California. Because of that, there is more open land on which to hunt. The family whose roof I shared had other family members in town, and they were all hunters. They each came into hunting at different times, with different experiences, but their reasons are very similar.
Bill is the 40-something dad of the family with whom I lived, and he started hunting at 30. His father-in-law, Dave, lives in town and picked up hunting later in life after moving to Montana. Dave’s other son-in-law, Gavin, whose family also lives in town, started hunting when he was 35. Lastly, Dave’s son, Mark, started hunting last year when he moved his family to Livingston, too. Hunting becomes even more of a family affair when the kids get involved. Bill has taken his three kids out before; the youngest he’d carry in his backpack. Gavin’s young boys have been out, and Mark’s two boys have gone out.
Bill said over the last 10 – 15 years, “the family crew figured it out.” They don’t always go out together, but when they do, they teach the kids about the animals, the land, and where their food comes from. It’s much easier to feel connected to one’s food if they have to work so hard for it.
Bill says, “Harvesting meat is very human. Taking something’s life, eating it, and bringing the healthiest food home to your family … is very spiritual and cool to be doing it with your kids and relatives.” (It is important to note that any hunter, or person who legally “got/ harvested/ or downed” an animal, the terms Dave prefers over “killed,” has to have a hunting license. This is the case for Bill’s oldest and Mark’s oldest, who are the youngest hunters in the family. An apprentice can be 10 years old, but to go through gun safety and receive a license, the minimum age is 12. Safety is an important concern and teaching point for the kids, both in terms of gun safety and animal safety.)
A major difference between hunting in Oklahoma and Montana is the environment.
Oklahomans don’t have to contend with environmental hazards in terms of the terrain, wild animals, and weather that Montanans do. Dave told me that I missed a big season this past year. There were “epic foot miles up and down mountains and in deep snow…. [They ran] into grizzly tracks and turned around before [encountering] a hungry bear getting ready to hibernate. While that is scary enough, having three kids with [them took the adventure] to another level!” That season they downed four antelope and eight deer. Occasionally they’re able to get an elk, too, but they are not as prevalent as deer, and since it’s a bigger animal, an elk is a lot more work. In Montana, the hunt is out in the field on foot, stalking and walking. No sitting in a deer blind waiting for meat to come to their doorstep.
Bill admits, “It can be very hard if you shoot an elk or deer.” If a hunter downs (shoots) an animal close to the road, the animal can be dragged back to the vehicle. But if an animal is tracked for miles, the hunter would cut up the animal in the field and pack it out. This includes removing the limbs, along with the guts and intestines which are left for other wildlife such as coyotes, bears, and ravens on which to feast. Bill said that depending on how far out they hike, it can take up to two days to get the meat back to the truck. That includes carrying 60-80 pounds of meat from a full-grown elk filling a backpack. On one trip, Bill and his friend had to leave some of the meat out in the field and come back the next day. They were a couple of miles from the vehicle, but they were diverted by helping a fellow hunter - a 60-year-old man who cut his hand butchering an elk he shot. They had to go back the next morning, hoping the meat was there, after hanging the covered meat in a tree away from hungry wildlife. Thankfully, it was.
Harvesting an animal in the field is only half the work. My respect for hunters grows when I know they don’t leave the “dirty work” for others. After packing out the whole animal, or what’s left after field-butchering, the rest of the meat still has to be processed. There is one butcher in town (Matt’s Meats, which is the shortened colloquial name) whom hunters use for processing. However, the demand for his services increased with the Covid shutdown. Fewer people were shopping in grocery stores and more turned to hunting as an outdoor activity plus a means to support their family. With limited staff and high demand, Dave and his family decided it was easier to learn how to process the meat on their own. They used YouTube videos and the local butcher’s help for guidance, and with multiple garages among the family of hunters, and cold Montana temperatures, their set-up worked well for them.
The family purchased a meat grinder, sausage press, vacuum sealer, new butcher knives, scale, butcher paper wrap and tape, and sausage skins. Dave said, “It takes a few beers and a lot of evenings to process the meat for your family and friends,” and all men, the young sons as well, agree it’s a good bonding activity and a great way to learn about your food. From one animal there is a lot of meat to be had. Bill says that it’s typical to eat the best cuts of meat, which includes the backstrap, tenderloin, and heart, the day that the animal is killed. Other meat processed from the animal includes steaks, roasts, sausage, ground meat, and meat processed into jerky or seasoned meat sticks. Much better than Slim Jims! The first antelope I ate was meat from one of Gavin’s hunts. Prepared the right way, those nicer cuts of meat can taste like butter - rich, savory, and better than a meal at the finest steakhouse in the state.
Hunting is a multi-generational activity. Dave says, “At 73, I feel really good about hiking, stalking, and shooting my own deer, [which includes] field dressing them and dragging them back to the truck, mostly by myself.” While Dave hunted in Idaho as a teenager and into college, he didn’t hunt once he married. He said his kids were “worried about the little animals.” Thirty-five years later after moving to Montana to be closer to his family, he picked up the sport again. “Sport” is the wrong word, though. Hunting has helped these men stay connected to their food and the outdoors which is not possible in other parts of the country.
Hunting is more than a sport for people who make Montana their home. It’s a lifestyle that allows them to connect with nature and the land they get to explore. It allows them to feed their family cost-effectively, and it’s a bonding experience for families. When hunting with their dad, Gavin’s boys conduct a thankfulness ceremony as part of the harvesting process. One of the boys told me it’s a way to “respect the animal’s life.” They use tobacco, sage, and grass in the animal’s mouth to send its spirit to its next life, and they share some words of gratitude for every animal that gave their life to them. Teaching the next generation of hunters to be grateful for the food they are harvesting can be just as important as gun safety.
While hunting does not come naturally to all, especially not those from Montana, a little understanding goes a long way. I liked how Gavin summarized his experience. “I grew up with a vegetarian father who was not exposed to hunting as a child. As such, I did not begin hunting until my mid-30s when we moved to Montana. As an adult, late-onset hunter, my perspective on food has totally changed. To me, hunting means providing for my family in a way I could have never imagined. Watching my kids [grow stronger while eating] the meat I harvest is one of the greatest pleasures in my life. As a family, and thanks to hunting, we are much more deeply connected to the land and our food systems. For that, I will always be grateful. I love everything about harvesting my own food, except for the death. However, I know as a meat eater, death is a part of food. It always has been. I feel it is more human to be a part of the death and honor that animal’s life in ways America's industrial food system has lost.”
While I learned a lot about hunting, and enjoyed the spoils of others’ labor, from my Montana family, I had another friend in Montana who is also a hunter. Jordan and I discussed hunting on a few COVID-times, fresh-air walks, and he was happy to share some of his thoughts. Not being a hunter myself, I appreciate the clear picture he presents of his internal thought process.
“Bill Hamilton, a renowned surfer and writer, once said, ‘Sliding a wave removes our brains out of the ordinary and slips us into the extraordinary of being there now. No more worries about mortgages or strife or being poor or rich. When you enter the domain of an ocean cylinder, that moment, those split seconds belong to the Zen part of just being. Period.’
“I hadn't previously considered that there may be a fundamental similarity between surfing and hunting. In my experience, hunting, much like Mr. Hamilton’s experience in the hydro-cylinder, brings you to the present moment and mutes the inane distractions of life. When I am on a ridge, overlooking a series of draws, or a sage flat, or a timber hillside, I am thinking about wind direction, I’m thinking about food-to-bed patterns, I’m thinking about the most silent and undetectable way to move from one spot to another, I’m thinking about why the deer several hundred yards away keeps looking back behind her. I don’t see anything back behind her. But she’s aware of something I’m not.
“I’m thinking of all of these things and more. I’m not thinking about mortgages, issues at work, or the car that needs to be fixed. Hunting done well, just like surfing done well, requires a person to be acutely present. Yet, for how acutely present I find myself while out in the field, I’ve also found the act of going afield to be one of the more effective mind-clearing strategies. The mind focuses, the distractions of life drop away, and you're left with a clear mind akin to having deep cleaned the house after having hosted a dozen relatives for the holidays. I’ve found similar experiences with running and cooking. When a person is surfing, hunting, running, or cooking, and achieves an even temper ‘flow state,’ it is better than medicine.”
When needing to clear one’s mind, hunting may not be your go-to medicine. However, from personal experience, as a way to clear one’s mind, I can get behind running or cooking … and baking. Ken has several savory recipes in The Harvest Baker that include beef, but game meat, if available, is an interchangeable, delicious option. Three recipes are Shepherd's Pie with Collards and Beef, Spiced Beef Pot Pie with Winter Veggies, and Vegetable and Beef Hand Pies. The Shepherd’s Pie I just made for my MT family when visiting over my Spring Break. I used ground antelope, and everyone was a fan of something - the seasoned ground meat with the savory gravy of au jus, barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire; the root “whipped cream” topping - as their 10-year-old called it - with mashed potatoes, rutabaga, and parsnips; or the flaky pie crust. The spiced beef pot pie and beef hand pies are also delicious and worth trying with game meat, although I used the recommended beef. Regardless of your views on hunting, I hope you’re able to appreciate our food system much more and recognize there is no one right answer. People find ways of feeding their families that work best for them. My prejudice against hunting diminished. And my pride in my food choices is limited to doing what works for me while respecting others for their choices that work for them.
I enjoyed this installment so much, and have more stories to tell, that you can look forward to more hunting perspectives and savory recipes in the future. In the meantime, try Ken’s Spiced Beef Pot Pie with Winter Veggies - with the meat of your choice.
Spiced Beef Pot Pie with Winter Veggies
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
Good Basic Pie Dough (recipe here)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1- 1¼ pounds beef stew meat
1 large onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 carrots, thickly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 small baking potato, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon crushed fennel seed
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¾ cup dry red wine
2½ cups beef broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup diced canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, or a spoonful of tomato paste
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for glaze
Directions:
Prepare the pie dough, and refrigerate it for at least 1½ to 2 hours before rolling.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot. Add the meat and brown for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Do this in two batches if you think it will be crowded; the meat needs some room to brown properly.) Transfer the meat to a bowl.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot, and stir in the onion, celery, and carrots; salt and pepper lightly. Cook for 5 minutes over moderate heat, partially covered, stirring several times. Stir in the sweet potato, potato, garlic, curry powder, paprika, cumin, fennel seed, and allspice. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the browned beef, wine, beef broth, rosemary, and bay leaf. Add ¼ teaspoon salt; you’ll probably need more as it simmers, depending on the saltiness of the broth. Add plenty of pepper. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, taste the broth and see how it’s doing. Add more salt and pepper as needed. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Taste again, and simmer a few minutes more.
Transfer a half ladleful of the stew liquid to a small bowl. Add the flour, and whisk well to smooth. Stir this slurry back into the stew. Simmer gently for several minutes, until the stew develops some body. Taste again, and correct the seasoning as needed. Stir the diced tomatoes into the stew. Simmer for 5 minutes more, then remove from the heat and let cool. You can assemble the dish when the stew is lukewarm or transfer the stew to a shallow casserole and refrigerate overnight before using. (I prefer the latter, if there’s time; stews always taste better the next day. Either way, do be sure to completely cool it.)
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 9½-inch deep-dish pie pan or a medium shallow casserole dish with the same approximate capacity. (You don’t want to use a deep casserole dish, because if the pastry sits too low in the dish, it won’t turn golden brown the way it should.) Spoon the filling into the dish, to within ¼ inch of the top edge. Roll the pastry slightly larger and to the same shape as the pan; drape it over the filling, tucking the pastry down next to the filling. Using a toothpick or the tip of a paring knife, poke several holes in the top so steam can escape. Brush sparingly with the egg glaze.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place the pie on the sheet and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the filling is bubbly hot and the crust is golden brown. Transfer the pie to a rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
The Harvest Baker (c) by Ken Haedrich, recipe excerpted with permission from Storey Publishing.
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