Hunting is often seen as a one-sided activity, especially from a non-hunter’s perspective. It’s all take and no give. A greedy, shallow plunder of nature’s most precious gift: life. If you are a hunter, however, you know this couldn’t be further from the truth. We believe in giving back more than we take. When we take the life of a deer, or duck, or turkey, we know the full extent of what it means. We know what went into forming that life, the daily struggle for survival, the delicate balance of nature that each and every life helps sustain. We know what it took to grow each acorn and mouthful of clover. We know the journey taken by each sip of water. The essence of conservation is about the wise use of resources, and no one has a deeper connection to those resources than a hunter. No one has a more intimate understanding of the circle of life.
The relationship between predator and prey is sacred. We are driven by instinct, not only to engage in the act of pursuing animals for our own sustenance, but to care for the animals we hunt. Nurturing wildlife and their habitat is a responsibility we feel profoundly and carry proudly. Through hunting we become active participants in nature. We are drawn into a lifestyle that extends beyond the three months of deer season. We burn our fields and pine stands to regenerate native browse; we plant trees; we install nest boxes for wood ducks and bluebirds; we plant warm season food plots. This is our offering to nature; a commitment to restore, replenish, and sustain life on an ecosystem level. From this perspective, we ask for very little in return.
The sustainability of hunting is entirely dependent on upholding this philosophy. Hunting is conservation. We give more than we take. We take only what we need.
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