Hunting is a Blood Sport. This means that things die when hunters are successful at harvesting their prey. Humans are Predators. Our eyes are positioned on the front of our face, we have good vision, hearing, and sense of smell. We can learn, remember, and master weapons. Yes, we are Hunters and Gatherers. We needed to be to survive.
The future of hunting is in question because so many people hate the idea of killing things. Ironically the most popular movies and video games about hunting involve Zombies, aliens, beasts, and hunting other humans. Many movies make hunters look BAD! Just watch Bambi and most cartoon or wildlife films. Ironically, the reason why we have public lands and so many critters is thanks to hunters. They pay the bill for management and conservation. Their license fees and a tax on all hunting gear guarantee public lands that everyone, even non hunters, can enjoy.
Real hunting is a wonderful sport that involves family, friends, food, and yes fun. To understand hunting, you need to become a hunter. Most people would rather buy their Styrofoam trays, covered in saran wrap, meat at the store. It has no eyes, fur, faces, and requires no skills to hunt. It’s simply in the meat section.
Hunters were the meat providers of the community, back in the day. There were no grocery stores. Fresh meat was shared by the tribe or village. Everyone was provided with food. Since meat could not be refrigerated, it needed to be jerked and smoked. This resource could last for months. Members of the Lewis and Clark expedition ate 25 lbs. of meat a day, when hunters were successful.
There are no guarantees when hunting or fishing. Some days you are successful and some days you are not. That’s why they are not called “killing” or “catching”.
Its hard to find great movies that promote hunting that is sporting and ethical. Here are some that you may want to hunt for.
- The American Sportsman TV series. This series was hosted by Curt Gowdy. I can remember watching him along with many guests like Grits Gresham, Phil Harris, and Bing Crosby. These hunters portrayed hunters in a positive and ethical way.
- Jeremiah Johnson What a great movie. Hunting was part of survival. Will Geer taught Robert Redford how to hunt. Nothing went to waste.
- The Bear This movie is about a cub grizzly bear. Needless to say, there is not a lot of talking. The cub learns to survive even in the midst of hunters.
- TEMBO Howard Hill may have been the greatest archer ever. He takes a trip to Africa and goes on a safari. Worth the watch.
- Fred Bear videos If you are an archer and do not know who Fred Bear is, you need to check his videos out. His skills are only surpassed by his ethical hunting attitude.
- The Ghost and the Darkness This true story reverses the role of predator and prey. Lions hunt people and hunters need to deal with them. Val Kilmer and Mike Douglas are the hunters that come to the rescue.
- Night Of the Grizzly Clint Walker becomes the hunter that needs to protect his family when a grizzly bear invades his space.
- The Last Safari Stewart Granger is the hunter that guides others into deep, dark Africa. The scenes are dangerous and realistic.
There are a few other movies that have some hunting in them like Deliverance, The Mountain Men, and Hatari, but it’s hard to show the good side of hunting. The best parts of hunting relate to friendship, camping, and feasting. The Blood Sport part is the least liked part, even by hunters.
Hunt ethically and as a good sport!
Montana Grant
