Dear people against hunting:
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry that you’ve probably never witnessed a chorus of yipping coyotes, ruffling grouse, and bugling elk as you ghosted through the woods.
While I have nothing against you or anyone else who chooses to follow a meat-free diet, I am sorry that you’re missing out on the rich satisfaction that comes with eating something that is not only incredibly nutritious, but also the result of fair chase and physical prowess.
I’m sorry that you often seem to have more regard for animals than for humans, even though the lives of both would be negatively affected in the absence of hunting.
I’m sorry if you’ve experienced rude or irresponsible behavior by the hunting population. It’s not OK.
I’m sorry for what poachers do in the name of “hunting”. Their actions disgust me, and hunters they are absolutely not.
I’m sorry that you don’t understand the true heart of a hunter—the connection we have to the animals we harvest. We have admired them from afar, observed their goings-in and goings-out, crept close enough to become awestruck by their magnificence, and had actual conversations with elk and turkeys. We honor our quarry whether we choose to pull the trigger or not.
I’m sorry that I most likely won’t convince you to experience the conservation-minded, adventure-filled, no-guarantees world of hunting for yourself; but I’m not sorry that I’m a hunter.
Hunting brings a wealth of goodness and I can’t make you see it. I’m just sorry that you don’t.
Sincerely,
A Hunting Mom
“I know I hunt without regret, without apology and without the ability to really know why. Let’s say I get a satisfaction out of it that stretches back to the beginning of man’s mind. I hunt because I am a man.” – Gene Hill, A Hunter’s Fireside Handbook