I'll go out and kill some critters, er...I mean harvest some critters and that will make me feel better.Peace.
LOL That's the spirit! You're a better man than I am, Gunga-Din! :thumbup:
Seriously though, PM, I was razzin on you a little bit simply because I felt that, in the midst of an otherwise interesting, friendly and informative discussion, your post came across as unnecessarily, well, . . . like you had an axe to grind - and that rubbed me the wrong way. Silly on my part, really, so I apologize for making a mountain out of a mole hill.
I actually do understand where your coming from on this because I know others who feel the same way about the use of "emotionally-charged" language. I guess it's just that, sometimes, the "politically correct" terminology stuff seems to cut both ways and suddenly people are pigeon-holing one another based on the choice of a word as opposed to anything substantive.
After all, aren't we talking about words that refer to essentially the same thing? For instance, when you're going out hunting do you say to your friends, "I'm going killing tomorrow, wanna come?" Do you describe yourself as a "hunter" or as a "killer?" Why don't the words "hunter" or "hunting" hold the same slippery-slope threat you disdain about the word "harvest?" I mean (my South Jersey jab notwithstanding
) we're both hunters and we both understand the nature of that activity. It involves killing, yes, but there's an important distinction I'd like to attempt to make.
I learned to hunt at the hand of hunters who pounded into my head the important role I was playing in the game management scheme of things. Ideals involving fair-chase, shot placement, gun safety, respect for landowners and a host of other values were instilled in me along with a healthy respect for the hardiness and beauty of the animals I was preying on. The act of killing, is, for me, often the least memorable part of any year's hunting highlights. It's an exciting, adrenaline-filled rush to be sure but, once the animal is down and before the "harvesting" begins, there's a somewhat subtle but palpably anti-climactic moment that is difficult to describe or explain. Deep down, I guess I just hope that I have and will honor the life of the beautiful creature whose life I've just taken.
So, all that to say, I guess the term "harvest" in a way implies all the values and ideals I take for granted and that Ive internalized when I'm out hunting for food. The very word itself seems to imply that I am involved in an activity that will feed and nurture myself, my family and my friends. That's why I like the word and that's why I use it interchangeably with "kill."
Now when it comes to non-game animals, I wouldn't use the word "harvest" to describe killing things I don't intend to eat. So, in that respect, I actually agree with you completely. (I do, however, very much respect and even admire those who choose to refrain from unnecessary or non-food related killing for whatever reason.) I've certainly done my fair share of target practice on critters over the years to be sure but I just don't get the same kick out of it that I used to. As I've gotten older, I now tend to confine the improvement of my shooting skills to paper targets at the range.
Again, sorry about the nasty tone I started in on you with. I've read other posts of yours and have always respected and appreciated your insight/input. I'll go back to my usual role as casual observer now and let the real experts in the area of wilderness ways take the floor. Best to you.
