Wild meat is the healthiest meat on the planet. Healthy for you, healthy for the planet. Deer and other animals largely subsist on resources that we cannot eat ourselves. Well, deer are famous for raiding gardens–hence, the 8′ high fences. They also love roses and other plants that people in the suburbs have planted all around their houses. In fact, many deer have abandoned the mountains and their old haunts in favor of the tasty green belt around towns. Consequently, their numbers have grown quite a bit.

Now that humans have eliminated most of the top predators, some animal populations have wolfgrown so much that they have outstripped their niche. The famous example is of the numerous elk in Yellowstone whose overgrazing killed willow and aspen forests. Once wolves were re-introduced, elk numbers declined, but are also more on the move, so they graze less relentlessly. Consequently, the trees grew again. Also, beaver and red fox returned.

The moral of this story is that predators are essential to a healthy ecology. (I know–Nature isn’t very pretty.) Human hunters can help out with the population curbing and reap food as well. The carbon emissions are much lower than raising and slaughtering livestock.

Going out into the woods to stalk a deer or a rabbit will transform your relationship to nature. You may assume that negatively, but by many accounts it is a positive thing.

Not that I’ve tried it. But I just read an interesting fun-to-read book written by a young east coast liberal who moved to Oregon to pursue her career as a journalist. Much to her own surprise she decided to learn how to hunt.

Stretch your mind and read Call of the Mild by Lily Raff McCaulou

Yes, it's kind of awful, and I can't help but wish they wouldn't pose with their prey afterwards. Wolves don't do that.
Yes, it’s kind of awful, and I can’t help but wish they wouldn’t pose with their prey afterwards. Wolves don’t do that.





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