A LITTLE MAN’S TAKE ON A BIG SPORTS WORLD
By Jim Biery
The Beauty of Hunting
M
an, do I miss watching
cartoons on Saturday mornings
and Elmer Fudd’s neverending
quest to catch Bugs Bunny! It’s
the classic tale of man in the wild trying to find
food to provide for his family. Now, this classic
cartoon did not come close to portraying such
a life or death scenario that faced early settlers
in America, but it did highlight that “wasically
wabbit” and his ability to constantly out
smart and completely frustrate a somewhat
dimwitted hunter.
argument about animal rights you don’t hear
much about fish – weird.
The real focus I feel that should be looked at
is the unbelievable damage and cost that these
wild critters can cause. It would be hard to find
anyone driving in the area that hasn’t seen a deer
A little closer to home, last year 15,924 acres
were damaged in soybean fields in Indiana.
Corn fields had 13,930 acres destroyed. That
is a staggering amount of damage caused by
various animals. Could you imagine how much
more damage would be done if hunting wasn’t
allowed, or how many vehicles would be wrecked
if deer were allowed to breed out of control and
constantly run onto roads and highways?
Modern day hunters enjoy much more success.
Hunting for sport provides outdoor splendor and
beauty that is unsurpassed and also provides for
some very necessary population control that even
the most animal-loving person has got to know
and understand the importance of.
I’ll start by exposing a little known fact about
myself: I have NEVER owned a gun in my life. I
have never shot and killed anything. The closest I
came was shooting at a squirrel with my brother’s
Red Rider BB gun to get him (the squirrel, not
my brother) out of the bird feeder. This was more
of a warning shot than anything else. That soul-
baring moment, however, does not mask my
love for fresh game birds and rabbits, or deer
to be grilled, smoked, roasted, or even made
into a stew. When your choice of protein comes
straight from the environment it lives in, you
cannot have a healthier way to eat. Pure protein
without chemicals, preservatives or steroids is
wonderfully delicious.
I will also divulge that my first love is, and
will always be, fishing. If you’ve ever had the
chance to eat fresh caught crappie or bluegill
lightly battered then fried in a cast iron skillet…
people I am here to tell you, it is the best fish you
will taste anywhere! That also includes salt water
fish, salmon and trout from streams and rivers.
It’s funny how when there is a very passionate
36 EXTOL SPORTS / JANUARY 2018
$147 million in losses of fruit and nuts each year.
The Kentucky State Police report the Insurance
Institute estimates there are 1.6 million deer vs.
vehicle collisions per year in the United States.
That produces about $3.6 billion in vehicle
damage cost.
Travis Jamison
that has been hit by a vehicle. What is a sad end to
such a beautiful animal’s life unfortunately can’t
begin to equal the loss of money spent on vehicle
repairs, insurance claims and even human life.
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics
Service notes that nationally wildlife cause $619
million in field crop damages and an additional
The non-monetary effects of hunting, though,
are what I value the most. If you’ve never hunted
before, one the best reasons for doing it is the
sheer beauty that the fields and mountains can
produce. Picture this in your mind: Sunlight
reflects off the spider web-like grass that is
wrapped in a thin layer of frost and light snow.
The peacefulness and quiet is deafening as you
slowly walk to your stand. Small song birds are
darting around. You can see your breath with
every exhale. The fallen leaves and grass that has
become frozen crackle and crunch with every step.
OK, sorry, I got a little deep there, but to be out
in the woods, sitting and watching and listening
to everything you see before you as the sun rises
over the hills and trees is simply spectacular.
As the loyal Extol Sports readers know, I am
big on traditions. For many hunters, that is also
true. Their fathers were probably the first to take
them out in the woods and teach them how to
hunt and respect the land. Even though I don’t
own a gun, one of the biggest traditions I share
with my Dad and brother, and now my nephew,
is hunting on Thanksgiving morning. You can’t
put a price on that type of experience.
That is the pleasant and rewarding side of