Southern Trophy Hunter

 A good friend of mine, Jay Everett, is the Show Director for Southern Trophy Hunters and also owns DK Flatwoods - a camoflauge company.  The second issue of his trade magazine, Southern Trophy Hunter, will be out soon and he invited me to contribute an article.  I am placing a copy here and if you are interested in the magazine you can contact him through the above weblinks.

 

I wonder if beginning an article with a disclaimer is appropriate. Truth be told; I am not the sharpest arrow in the quiver. Case in point. A couple of years ago I bagged my biggest deer ever – a 9-point that weighed in at 195 lbs. My hunting partner, Marty, suggested that I should try dragging the deer the other direction so the antlers wouldn’t keep snagging on every other root on the forest floor. My reply? “But the truck is this way.”

Seriously, I rarely leave the woods headed for the nearest processor and if this were to be an article on my champion tracking tips it would concern how I sniff out the prizewinning BBQ joint after the hunt. So if you are looking for another article on how to bag the big buck seek elsewhere. But if you are interested in some thoughts about how you can be a great hunter read on because I believe I have something to contribute. I hope you will receive these words favorably from a less than average hunter who has a more than average passion for the outdoors.

The publisher's commitment to blend the distinct Southern flavors of “faith, family, country, tradition, and hunting” grabbed me right away in the first issue and Al Stone's article, Precious Life, demonstrated this commitment was not mere platitude. As a family therapist and a minister I was captivated by Stone's description of the Christian hunter becoming the hunted. As a history buff my interest was sparked as well. Just how many allusions to hunting are found in the Bible? What has been the historical attitude regarding hunters and hunting among these peoples?

One of the things that struck me was borne out in Stone's article. The Bible seems to place God's people in the cross hairs not behind the gun. A couple of illustrations of this point will suffice. “A noose is hidden for him on the ground; a trap lies in his path” (Job 18:10). “Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch men” (Jer. 5:26). The point seems clear enough – as a man of faith I cannot rely on my own ingenuity to navigate the badlands. I am the game; I am the hunted.

In fact the only men to have been designated specifically as hunters or archers in the Bible were Nimrod (Gen. 10:9), Ishmael (Gen. 21:20), and Esau (Gen. 25:27). Concerning their character, none of the three had a stellar reputation. Nimrod for instance was probably not the proper name of this Bible character. More likely this was a derisive name given by the author of Genesis to the man the Bible identifies as the founder of one of the most formidable empires in Near East. This name Nimrod literally means “rebel”. Though our English translations say of Nimrod that he was a, “mighty hunter before the LORD,” the Hebrew text could be literally read to say that he was a, “mighty hunter in the face of the LORD.” The author seems to be saying that Nimrod was facing off with God. Nimrod was going to be who he wanted to be. This appears to be borne out by Nimrod's descendants – the Canaanites, Assyrians, and Babylonians. An examination of the lives of Ishmael and Esau suggests the same sort of character problems.

“What does all of this have to do with my hunt?” you ask. If you read the newspaper or watch television newscasts it doesn't take long to notice that the coverage is not favorably disposed towards hunters. Historical records indicate this attitude has been around for some time. The Encyclopedia Judaica reports that the “rabbinical attitude toward hunting is entirely negative.” Harsh things are said by ancient rabbis even about those who engaged in hunting for a living. Rabbinical attitudes towards hunters seemed to have been shaped mostly by the examples of the three men listed in Scripture.

Among early Christians some of the church fathers had an unfavorable impression of hunting. Certain Bishops forbade their flocks from engaging in the sport. Another notable group that showed a disdain for hunting is the Puritan movement in early American history. The, “idleness, drinking, and profanity” associated with hunting as well as missing Sunday gatherings with the church provoked sermons on the evils of hunting.

With the public opinion of hunters seeming to match these historical low points, let's take a look at the rest of the terrain on this matter. For those of you concerned that I'm saying the Bible is laying down some sort of prohibition on hunting, think again. Here is what the author of Deuteronomy says, “These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep” (14:4-5). You will notice that most of the animals in this particular list are not domesticated. Its crystal clear that God reveals no prejudice against the taking and eating of wild game. I might add that the rabbis conveniently overlooked the daily provisions on the table of King Solomon (1 Ki. 4:23) that included hart (Red Deer) and roebuck (Asian Roe Deer) – both game animals. King Solomon must have had some able hunters to bring home that sort of game on a daily basis.

What I'm getting at is that the opinion regarding a whole class of people has been unfairly formed based upon the bad character of a few. I don't believe the tired ol' argument that hunters are staunch supporters of wildlife conservation and that our sport benefits local economies, creates jobs, and actually improves the health and habitat of game animals resonates with the public. It just takes one hunter who decides to show up on Farmer Brown's land uninvited; one weekend warrior highlighted in the police report for spotlighting deer; one trigger happy bird hunter with a couple of beers on board who shoots his buddy in the caboose to ruin the image of the thousands who love the sport. Don't think our kids aren't watching. And I'm not just talking about the kids of the unethical hunter. Our own kids – the ones who get self-conscious about being involved in things that aren't cool – will turn their backs on this wonderful sport if we don't set the bar high and encourage others to do the same.

So remember how far downwind, historically speaking, we are from hunters like Nimrod, Ishmael, and Esau. Their stink has messed up a lot of hunts. Don't add to it. A great hunter isn't the guy who can dab mud on his face, crawl in the bush with an Arkansas Toothpick, and bring home a Grizzly Bear that weighs in at 1500 lbs. A great hunter respects the creation, follows the rules, and passes on a legacy for generations to come.

Eric Greer, MS LMFT