I apologize for literally falling off the face of the
earth. The last few months have been exceedingly busy. I’ve been to 4 more
weddings (believe it or not!), added a few more animals to our household, hosted
a baby shower, played some hockey and run over 1000km.
The one topic I wanted to talk about actually leads to
another. One of the new additions to our family is Beetle. She is a common
duiker whose mother was unfortunately run over and a friend turned her over to
us. (We have a reputation it seems, for harbouring furry friends). She is the
cutest little thing who spends her days outside, and her nights inside with us.
You may think its strange for a pair of hunters to take in a little nyamazane, but we’re not savages. She’s
not going to be biltong one day.
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| Beetle in the car - "Are we there yet?" |
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| Disco & Beetle having a nap |
Why I said this topic actually leads on to the other, is
the reaction I received whilst posting some pictures of our recent hunt on
facebook. Cruelty was the majority of the claims. What I wanted to “get out
there” is that the people who are commenting on our photos and claiming we are
cruel, disgusting individuals, who prey on the innocent, are in fact ignorant. Ignorant
of the fact that hunting supports conservation, and without it, conservation of
wildlife would not in fact exist. Lands have certain carrying capacities and
once these are exceeded, culling needs to take place. Now either the farm owner can
do it, or a hunter can pay to do it thereby pumping money into the industry and
ultimately sustaining tourism.
Some people had the audacity to call us inhumane for shooting
animals. The animals we take down, don’t know what is happening and the pass
quickly. Its a pity its all the close-minded people that don't actually
understand the dynamics of conservation that have something to say. Don't judge
before you can say you know where every bite of meat you buy off the shelf
comes from - and then you will realise that hunting has its place and those
animals have a better life (and death) than those animals that have to stand
outside an abattoir for hours, inhaling the smell of death. Humane you say? I
beg to differ!
I’m not saying everyone needs to go out and hunt their
own food. I understand that for many buying off the shelf at the butchery is
the only option. But then you don’t get to judge. I live my life in my own way.
I like to keep it as natural as possible. We grow our own vegetables, we keep chickens to lay eggs and we raise livestock. I love my life and there’s nothing
more primally satisfying than sitting down to a meal and knowing it all came
from our little piece of heaven.
