When it comes to an alternative food system, many people gravitate towards farming, homesteading, fishing, and gardening. They fall in love with working the soil, caring for livestock, preserving food, canning, cooking, and more. They find the hard work involved in producing one's own food tremendously therapeutic and rewarding. Gardening and raising chickens are often the "gateway drugs" that get us hooked on better food and a better life.
One aspect of this lifestyle that often gets overlooked is hunting. If a person did not grow up in a hunting family or has had little exposure to it, the very prospect can seem intimitdating and daunting. Many people don't even know where to start. I would recommend starting with a personal evaluation. Why do you want to hunt? What is it about hunting that interests you? What positive impact will it have on your life and your family? What impact will it have on wildlife, conservation, and ecology in your local region? How will it help you on your journey to food independence?
It is necessary to begin with your "why," to first understand what Joel Salatin calls your "personal anchoring." As you progress on your journey to become a hunter, you will face many challenges from within and from without. 96% of this country is not involved in hunting, and many people do not understand the motivation you feel and what you are seeking. Like so many aspects of our society, they have only been exposed to one type of hunting--the "hook-and-bullet" style where trophy animals, technology, and competition abound.
This blog is not an indictment of that style of hunting, and I do not see a problem with those who want to hunt that way as long as they are doing it legally and ethically. However, I think most of the people reading this blog are primarly interesting in hunting for two main reasons: 1. Procuring high-quality protein from the wild in a low-impact, low-cabon emitting way that reinforces one's agency and independence. 2. Obtaining a spiritual connection with the natural world where one is not merely a spectator, but an active participant in the cycle of nature, wild systems, and life and death.
Hunting is remarkable in that a person can procure 50 lbs or more of high-quality and nutritious protein in less than a day. Often, I have taken a deer in the morning, hauled it back to the house, processed it, and cooked venison steaks for dinner that evening. This is food that wasn't manufactured in a lab, sent to a fulfillment center, packaged with a tracking number and a bar code, and delivered by UPS. I didn't have to push a button and wait for Big Tech and Big Ag to feed me. And you can do it too. You won't have to worry about a so-called "black swan event" disrupting your food supply. Hunting is pandemic-proof, and I have yet to see a Russian hacker in the deer woods.
For those who are interested in learning more about hunting, a good place to start is your state conservation agency. Most states reguarly conduct hunting education and training classes as well as guided hunts with mentors during their respective hunting seasons. Many states also have R3 (Recruit, Retain, Reactivate) and BOW (Becoming an Outdoors Woman) programs. Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA) is a great organization that provides one with a community of hunters and anglers dedicated to fair-chase, protecting our public lands, and procuring food from the wild for American families. Hunting is an integral part of a robust alternative food system, and we must ensure that the rights of every American citizen to hunt, fish, farm, and garden are protected for generations to come.