“The
(deer) hunt now takes on a totally new significance in our urbanized society;
it has become primarily a much-needed recreation for a large sector of our
outdoor-minded population.” —
George Mattis
As I stepped onstage, the applause from the
capacity crowd was deafening. The introduction given for and about me by the
host was beyond flattering — it was downright epic. And to think all of this
fanfare for a guy that grew up in a small mill town in a rural state, who, for
his own personal satisfaction, developed the necessary skillset to hunt down
and kill large-bodied wilderness whitetails. Facing that audience, like so many
before, with the spotlight shining directly on me, was indeed an honor and a
real privilege. To think that all those folks took time out of their life and
money out of their pocket to come and listen to me. Although exhilarating on a
personal level, on a much larger scale it demands real responsibility on my
part. You see, where aggrandizing becomes problematic is when we start
believing the press at the expense of reality. There are really only two ways
we can go when attention is paid to us, inflate our ego or practice humility. For me, deer hunting has always been an adventure where I eagerly take
up the challenge to place my boots into the unknown and embark upon a journey
through a darkened forest, starting prior to the golden rays of morning’s first
light, tramping endlessly in search of a mere vision.
My uninhibited spirit soars to meet the next
mysterious bend in the trail and I delight in the sweat, toil and struggles
that ultimately lead me to both satisfaction and success. Hyperbole? Perhaps,
but certainly valid. After all, it is these adventurous traits that helped me
set the bar high and seek exceptionalism. Because of my accomplishments and the
attention they have gained me, I feel a genuine sense of gratitude and live by
the Biblical principal, “To whom much was given, of him much will be required.”
With that being stated, questions arise. Does the fact that I have been
successful in my deer hunting endeavors and recognized for those
accomplishments place me in the mold of a hero? Have we as a whole unwittingly
classified deer hunting celebrities as heroes? Are celebrity and hero
synonymous with each other? I can still remember Saturday mornings as a kid.
With excitement, I’d sit spellbound before the television for hours watching my
favorite animated super heroes. Weekly, they would perform acts of bravery, heroism
and feats that no human could. They were able to leap tall buildings in a
single bound, were faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a locomotive,
and transformed into instant crime fighters with the mere utterance of, “To the
bat pole Robin.”
Although cartoons, they portrayed a wholesome
character and performed acts of justice before impressionable young minds. The
focus wasn’t just on them but moreso on what they did to make things right,
even if it meant putting their seemingly indestructible selves at risk. Although
the days when I was entertained by those fictional characters have long since
passed, the message they personified is no less heroic today. When I think of
heroes, beyond my boyhood cartoon caricatures, the images that resonate with me
are certainly not what are currently portrayed as today’s heros, especially
when it comes to deer hunters. After all, just because I or anyone else has the
ability to kill something, it doesn’t put any of us in the mold of a hero.
Standard University psychology professor, Phil Zimbardo retorts, “We assume heroes
are demigods. But they're not. A hero is just an ordinary person who does
something extraordinary.” So that brings us back to deer hunting. The quarry, a
whitetail, is a defenseless animal. Yes, I will agree that a deer has
incredibly elusive qualities and can run extremely fast when necessary, but not
fast enough to elude bullets or dodge arrows. With all due respect, even though
a whitetail can humble even the most proficient of us with uncanny regularity,
it does not have near the capabilities the hunter has. We can make numerous
mistakes during our seasonal quests but the animal can't make one without
risking its life. Yet within the deer hunting ranks, much akin to how Hollywood
turns actors and actresses with the biggest following into stars, we have found
a way to elevate those who possess a prowess in killing the biggest male
specimens with consistency into larger-than-life figures. Why is that? Because every
industry needs leaders and spokespersons. But we need the right ones, whose
character is never in question. We need celebrities who do the right thing,
every time, under any circumstance, even if it hurts.
Right vs Wrong
Often the line is crossed when the purity of
the sport is compromised as a trade-off to further one’s success. And that
folks is a trail leading to certain demise. It may start off innocent enough,
but the demand and craving for achievement sometimes causes one to do things
illegally, or at best, unethically. This behavior only leads to a conceited ego
along with a superiority complex, which also plays a role in one’s eagerness to
attain and continue under the focus of fame. Once the limelight shines
brightly, the slippery process of self-aggrandizement begins. This requires the
effort to seek more and more attention, which ultimately becomes similar to any
other kind of addiction. And hunter beware, once you fail in your integrity,
the rest is essentially over. Audiences can and do forgive, but they don’t
necessarily forget. Folks in the media are even less likely to be
understanding.
The Quest for the Best
Hunting for trophy quality deer is not new.
There have always been those who thirst to test their mettle and skill against “no
mean antagonist” as both a challenge and adventure. Most do not. They are equally
satisfied to take what comes their way with little discrimination, all the
while enjoying to the fullest their favorite autumn pastime. But for those who
cannot be satisfied with anything less than a legitimate wall hanger, who are
willing to abide within the stringent limitations this decision requires, who
will work much harder and consequently face many more obstacles and
disappointments, the challenges and satisfactions of a path they themselves
have chosen await. And it should be as a direct result of self-satisfaction, as
Dennis Dunn, the eloquent author of Barebow
points out, “They hunt only for themselves.
They set their own standards as to what they consider a trophy, and — as they
go through the various stages of life — their definition of a trophy animal
usually undergoes periodic “upgrading” or revision. Trophy hunting is all about
a competition with yourself, and with a quarry whose much keener senses and
greater knowledge of home habitat give it all the advantages. All, save one.
Man’s only advantage is the possession of rational intelligence, and sometimes
we even wonder about that — so refined are the self-preservation instincts of
the older, more mature animals we seek. As a trophy hunter, you are trying to
find — and then outsmart — a particular animal, or a particular quality of
animal. Far more often than not, you return from the hunt empty-handed, not
having taken a single shot. You have usually passed up opportunities at several
(or perhaps many) lesser animals that don’t meet the standard you’ve set for
yourself.” — Dennis Dunn, Barebow If this is indeed the case as it rightfully should be, then why
the fascination with another hunter’s success beyond simple sincere
congratulations and perhaps some inspiration?
Identity
Everyone in all walks of life wants to be
recognized in some form or fashion for their accomplishments. It’s just human
nature. From a pat on the back to a “like” on a Facebook post or even receiving
an award, it's all commensurate with the difficulty involved in reaching that
achievement. Each autumn I see hundreds, if not thousands, of hero shots
depicting happy hunters showing off their fallen prize. Within the hunting
culture this triumphant gesture is both acceptable and expected. If you’re a
deer hunter it’s within our common interest and curiosity to look upon someone's
conquest and learn of the details. With that said, where, and better yet, why
does the line get crossed that causes hunters to go from simple admiration to
an all-out fascination with another man’s accomplishments? Mark Twain opined in
his autobiography that: “Unconsciously we all have a standard by which we
measure other men, and if we examine closely we find that this standard is a
very simple one, and is this: we admire them, we envy them, for great qualities
we ourselves lack. Hero worship consists in just that. Our heroes are men who
do things which we recognize, with regret, and sometimes with a secret shame,
that we cannot do. We find not much in ourselves to admire, we are always
privately wanting to be like somebody else. If everybody was satisfied with
himself, there would be no heroes.” To take that a step further, Tony Evans
writes in Kingdom Man, “Men fantasize about greatness. We crave significance, influence,
and impact… we want to feel the rush of the chase. Not only do we long to be
great, but we also desire to be recognized as great.” And when that doesn’t
materialize for one reason or another, the default mode immediately reverts to
either envy of what another has accomplished or living vicariously through
someone else. What many who watch hunting programs fail to realize is what they
are seeing being played out in a 30-minute show might well have taken days,
weeks, months and in some instances years to accomplish. We cannot base our own
experiences on what we see on TV. Nor should we become frustrated or feel
inferior to the hunting celebrities.
Conclusion
Deer hunting is, at this point in history,
primarily a recreational sport. To some it would undoubtedly be classified a
sport of the finest kind. Like any other activity there will always be those
that excel beyond the norm due chiefly to desire, talent and perseverance. And when
they do, rest assured, despite the hype and marketing, they are not superior
nor are they super heroes; after all there is nothing heroic about killing a
deer and certainly nothing heroic in whatever the manner the hunt was
undertaken. Keep in mind, we’re not slaying dragons here. But we do indeed need
celebrities that go the extra mile to ensure they are above reproach. These
ambassadors of the sport will be the ones that don’t have to kill something on
film at any cost to make the program worth watching — those are the iconic
figures that are worth following. The endearing part about deer hunting is that
it’s parlayed on an equal playing field. While some may have distinct
advantages derived from the region they hunt, privilege or wealth, the animal
is still wild and free ranging, offering opportunity for whomever the bell
tolls. Hunting whitetails has been and continues to be a game of predator vs.
prey, where the outcome is always questionable and has no guarantees — may it
always be so. Let’s leave the “super heroes” to Saturday morning television. We
still need the uncertainty.
