As a vegetarian/vegan of over a decade, taking a hunting safety education course and trying deer meat were not things I saw myself doing.
Yet here I am.
For background, you should know that I have not eaten land animals in any capacity since 1996. Oh, except an episode of pepperoni under pizza cheese at my friend Mary’s 21st birthday. One bite into the slice and vomiting shortly commenced.
I largely gave up seafood, the love of my life, in 2003 upon reading Howard Lyman’s Mad Cowboy. This book propelled me into strict veganism for two years until I ate a cheese cube at a baby shower. I have struggled to return to strict veganism since.
I also have to let you know, as background, that Marc comes from a hunting family. The woods have always been Marc’s Dad’s sanctuary, and his connection with the food he feeds his family is one of deep understanding and respect. Marc announced two years ago that he wanted to join his father in the woods and give hunting a shot (pun possibly intended). This, you may have guessed, horrified me, concerned me, and best put, simply baffled me.
Fast forward to now. I see how much Marc, who has always adored nature and wildlife, feels more connected with the natural environment. I see how much more Marc connects with nature now. From the trees and soil that nourish the land, to the deer that navigate the land to raise their fawns, to the way the sunlight falls through the leaves onto the forest floor, Marc has become a nature detective. I also see how deeply bejiggity he gets when he is not regularly able to spend time on the land.
He also profoundly appreciates food more now than he ever had before. He knows how food gets to his plate, as he is a part of that process. From studying life, to deciding whether to “harvest” the animal (standard lingo, not his words), to actively dressing and preparing the animal and its meat for consumption, Marc sees, and is, the process.
Do I understand any of this? No. I do see, however, that hunting is not the barbaric, ignorant, cruel, animal-hating, big-man-with-a-big-gun act of uneducated backwoods folk I once regarded it as. Granted, a few hunters certainly fit that stereotype, but a few vigilante veganazis (my word choice) disgrace us all and leave people like myself to fight stereotypes of the paint-throwing, screaming, sometimes-hypocritical, always-self righteous, animals-mean-more-to-me-than-any-humans freak. Does every label not have a few extremists?
A couple weeks ago, Marc cooked some of his deer for a couple of our dear friends, a married couple. In actuality, being that one of those friends is a land-animal vegetarian of 16 years, Marc cooked the deer for the husband and himself. I made made roasted bell peppers, wild rice, and asparagus for all of us.
The wife had always been curious of Marc’s deer meat, however, and decided to try it. I had never been curious, but decided I would try it as well. Why would I also not try Marc’s deer? I consider deer hunting to be a sustainable food source, I know how and where the meat comes from, and I am embarking on a “project” regarding the sustainability perspectives of hunters.
The deer was good, I am sure. To me, it was simply odd.
Not bad. Meaty. Warm — not in actual heat but in some otherwise indescribable this-is-an-organ kind of warmth. For someone who does not desire meat, the one bite sufficed. If you enjoy that warm, soft, meaty taste in a shredded barbecue texture, you will probably love it. It reminded me, as someone who has only vague memories of most meats, of my mother’s pot roast from childhood. I was never a fan of pot roast.
On the contrary, one bite did not suffice the wife, as she broke away from her 16-year-abstinence and had a plate full of deer. She had loved pot roast as a child.
Anyhow, keep updated. The point of this background story and recent anecdote is:
- Unlike what some “friends” have claimed, I am honest about what I do, and do not, eat. What I choose to eat or not, and when I choose to or not, is my decision. I have zero to hide.
- I was inspired in Spring for a research project… After 13 years studying why to “go veg”, I am taking in all the information about hunting I can, and I will be sharing my findings with you along the way. This includes taking an upcoming hunting safety education course with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
This, I have a feeling, is going to be an interesting winter for me…
Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue
More women hunting resources:
A Wake County Wildlife Officer joined the class to discuss the regulations of inland fishing, hunting and trapping in North Carolina. He offered an interesting framework as someone who has seen all the bad hunters and the damage caused by unethical hunting.
