ltello's blog

Last Wednesday Dan Rzicznek visited and taught our class about hunting water fowl and how his eating habits are influenced by hunting.  Aside from having an Uncle who likes to hunt deer, I have never had much interaction with hunting as a subject and I thought it was really exciting to learn about.  After hearing Mr. Rzicznek speak, I have a much higher appreciation for hunting and the skill required to do so.  I’m also proud to say that I tasted some wild goose!  I never thought I’d have the guts to try game, and I’m really proud of myself for having the courage to try this new food, since it was really delicious!

I never realized that hunting had so many restrictions and guidelines placed on it by the government.  Mr. Rzicznek explained to my class that each hunter needs to purchase a hunting license or a hunting card in order to hunt certain types of animals.  Also, there are restrictions on what breeds and species one can hunt and how many kills one can make per day.  These regulations helped me realize that hunting is strictly governed in order to protect the animals, to prevent species collapse and habitat destruction. 

Hunting takes a lot of skill.  Mr. Rzicznek showed us the decoys and the calls he uses when hunting.  He explained how hunting can take great patience, and how the weather conditions and weight of the gear can make it a painful and gruesome experience.  Hunters need to study the different species they’re hunting, in order to tell whether the prey is a male or female and in order to determine whether or not the animal is restricted, since guidelines can prohibit hunting a certain gender or species to provide for population control. 

I also appreciate Mr. Rzicznek’s philosophy on hunting and the connection he feels with the animals he hunts.  Mr. Rzicznek explained to us how he feels grateful to the animal after making a kill and that hunting has spiritual significance for him.  I think this is really special and that more people should engage in this type of connection to their meals more often.  I’m not saying I’m going to just run off and take up hunting, but I do appreciate the idea behind hunting as it was presented to our class, and I can see why people enjoy hunting now, whereas I had seen hunting as a disgusting sport before.  I had always seen hunting as a method for men to try and prove their self worth by killing the biggest animal they could find.  I now understand this is the standard practice for some, but not for all hunters, and that one can’t just group all hunters into a large category of animal-hating macho men.