How hunters are "meating" in the middle

If you exercise your right to operate a firearm, you are contributing to a greener tomorrow. Hunting wild game is a sustainable activity, yet only 5% of the US population takes part in this age-old tradition. Lets explore the forgotten aspect of harvesting your own meat and how it aids in healthy people and a healthy planet.

In today’s issue:

• Health: Get your macros right

• Feature Story: Holistic hunting

• Early Adopters: The carnivore’s compromise

HEALTH

Get your macros right

Choosing wild game over domesticated meats like beef, chicken and pork can bring significant health benefits. Wild game provides lean protein, is full of antioxidants & is free from the many additives commonly found in commercial meats.

This is largely because wild game are naturally more active and have a varied diets of grasses, seeds, insects & other organic matter. This isn’t the case with livestock where their food and activities are tightly controlled. This allows farmers to manage hundreds of animals at the lowest cost. However that doesn’t mean its healthy for you or for the animals, its just means someone can make a profit.

This is a dramatic contrast to the zero-effort-needed feeding system of wild game which requires no external input. All while eating meat that came from your local wilderness.

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FEATURE STORY

Holistic hunting

Hunting wild game is the most primal activity you can participate in. Indigenous Americans were masters of this craft and showed an incredible respect for wildlife. That respect for nature did a 180 with the arrival of European settlers where 10 keystone species saw their populations decline by 50%:

1. Beavers by the 1780s

2. Bison by the 1830s

3. Otters by the 1840s

4. Elk by the 1860s

5. Passenger Pigeons by the 1870s

6. Grizzly Bears by the 1900s

7. Gray Wolves by the 1900s

8. Bald Eagles by the 1950s

9. Prairie Dogs by the 1950s

10. Alligators by the 1950s

Luckily the conservation movement, driven by Theodore Roosevelt (1901 - 1909) inspired a policy approach for the hunting industry. This made it illegal to trade in wild game and continues to be strengthened with additional amendments. Today the hunting industry is regulated to maintain a balanced ecosystem, protect agriculture production & limit dangerous human interaction. If left unchecked we could expected:

• More predatory animals in urban areas

• More deer-related vehicle collisions

• More diseased livestock

• More damaged crops

What are the most hunted wild game?

Over 90% of all hunted game species are from white-tailed deer (65%), turkey (16%) and duck (10%). The most popular, white-tailed deer, can be found in 45 states in a variety of landscapes.

Deer also produce an average of 60 pounds of meat per animal, lasting the average American 4 months. Today, this is how 3 million Americans get a portion of their meat each year. Turkey and duck are also popular target species but only yield 25 pounds and 4 pounds of meat respectively.

There are a variety of other animals that are commonly hunted. One target species is the wild hog representing 4% of the hunted game. Originally brought to Florida purely to hunt, this invasive species lacks natural predators, adapts to different climates & reproduces quickly. As a result their populations have grown and spread despite minimal hunting regulations.

In addition, there are a variety of other birds that are commonly hunted. This includes quail, dove, pheasant, grouse & goose. In addition, families that rely heavily on hunting to provide food for the year, may lean towards hunting larger game. Popular target species are black bear, elk and in some regions moose and caribou.

So how do you hunt?

Hunting wild game to feed yourself and your family isn’t for everyone. It requires physical conditioning, thorough preparation and the time and knowledge to know what to do in potentially dangerous situations. That being said it can be an incredibly rewarding experience, taking place in some of the most beautiful landscapes Earth has to offer.

For those that find the benefits outweigh the risks, this is what you could expect. First and most important is operating a weapon, bow or firearm, safely. It is a dangerous tool and everything from here on out needs to done with the highest level of safety.

Your next task is to prepare. This means getting the proper licenses, permits & gear in addition to the physical conditioning and knowledge of what is needed to harvest your target wild game species. Hunters that set themselves up for success, deeply understand the animals behavior and adjust their behavior accordingly. That may mean setting up duck decoys to attract a flock of ducks or covering your scent to hide from a herd of grazing deer.

Next is the actual hunt. This is where all your preparation will come into play in a matter of hours. Once you find your target species that’s in range and in position for a safe, ethical and accurate shot, you take it. Then you are able to track the animal to ensure it has expired. The moments after a kill, many hunters feel an flood of emotions filled with a somber acknowledgment of death’s role in the natural cycle of life as well as gratitude for providing meat for their family. This reflection brings hunters closer to the reality of where meat comes from, a sharp contrast from the detachment of store-bought meat.

The hunt isn’t done yet, in fact much of the work hasn’t started. To ensure the meat doesn’t spoil, hunters will “field dress” the animal by removing the internal organs. Only then can the carcass be brought to a safe location.

To finish out the hunting process, many hunters elect to hire their local butcher for the final steps. The animal is skinned and butchered into different cuts of meat. They are safely sealed and frozen to preserve for the months ahead. The remains are disposed of in designated areas and the harvest is registered with the proper authorities.

EARLY ADOPTERS

While this may be the hunting post, early adopters are primarily plant-based. Mainly to cut down on the negative environmental impacts of the animal agriculture industry. However, hunted wild game avoids the environmental impact and harsh animal treatment of industrial meat production.

How is wild game better than meat from domesticated animals?

Venison, the meat from white-tailed deer is unmatched when compared to commonly consumed meats. This is largely because it doesn’t require any external resources to manage their lifestyle. There is no need to deforest land for grazing, use water for their consumption or carbon-intensive farming practices to grow their food.

Instead, deer get water from natural waterways like rivers and lakes & land from natural habitats like forests and grasslands. All without needing any additives, hormones, supplements, or vet-visits that are needed in domestic-meat production.

While this study focuses on residents of a critical habitat (Amazon Rainforest), the sentiment applies to all habitats.

If hunting doesn’t seem like an activity you’d enjoy there are still a number of options. Early adopters are being included in social circles that encourage sharing in their harvest. That may look like enjoying your aunts Thanksgiving turkey that she hunted herself or your friends Christmas Duck that he hunted himself.

For those not imbedded in such social circles, a plant-based diet is still the prominent force in making the world a greener place. Smaller steps towards this lifestyle are to significantly reducing your domestic meat consumption either through hunted wild-game or plant-based alternatives.

TIGHT 5

• $2K: How much a new hunter spends on their first hunting season.

• 25%: Of turkey hunters are women.

• Opening Day: Brings 5 million hunters to the woods for deer, gun season.

• 60%: The pheasant hunting success rate, which is the highest of similar game birds; goose (30%), grouse (20%), dove (15%) and quail (12%).

• 1 Million: deer-related car accidents in 2023 causing $4 billion in damages.