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The Ritual: After Death, Before Venison
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December 01, 2009
The Ritual: After Death, Before Venison
Thoughts on eating venison from author and F&S contributor Rick Bass.
It’s not my place at all to suggest a right way or a wrong way. My own view is that if a post-kill ritual comes naturally, fine. But if it doesn’t, it’s as disrespectful to fake as it is to not even consider one in the first place. I don’t much like hearing other hunters whoop and shout and high-five following the occasions when they are fortunate enough to find an animal—I don’t care for that at all. But I usually hunt far enough into the backcountry that that curious aversion of mine generally takes care of itself—self-selected against such intrusion by distance and terrain.
I should hasten to say that post-kill rituals can take quite a long time to develop—years, or decades—and it’s possible also that as we age and become more attuned to our own mortality, we gain a greater interest in such matters: an increased empathy, curiosity, awareness. The ritual is partly for the animal but also partly for ourselves.
The first part of my ritual is easy; it’s what our parents told us a long time ago, the please and thank you rule. I say thank you—very quietly, under my breath really—to the mountain I’m on and to the animal. Then I set about cleaning the animal. It’s often too far from a road or trail to drag, so I quarter it for packing out. I like to leave the meat on the bone for aging—hams and shoulders—but I make sure the carcass that remains—head, vertebrae, ribs—is positioned on its side, with each part as it was, back in the brief assembly of life. I place each foreleg and shin in its appropriate pairing, so that the animal is positioned as if in midflight, reminding me of the great Edward Hoagland line about a leopard poised to jump as if in “an extra-emphatic leap into the hereafter.”
Lastly, I place my brass bullet casing against the trunk of the tree where I was sitting and position a rock over it. It’s unlikely that I’ll ever be back to that tree—there’s too much new country to hunt and too few years. But I like to think that someday, maybe a century or more from now, a hunter might be sitting against that same tree in the fall and, should he or she dislodge that oddly tilted stone—which would be lichen-covered by then and gripped with a webbing of kinnikinnick—might notice the brass and understand that once upon a time there was another hunter like him or her.
Will hunters still be pursuing deer with .270-calibers, or will that traditional rifle seem by that point as quaint as stone arrowheads? I have no idea. But I like to imagine that such a hunter will stop to wonder and realize and remember that each of us is part of an ancient equation and relationship, one worthy of respect for our quarry, the landscape we hunt, and for ourselves—the manner in which we pursue our desire and our meals. Life is a privilege; the moments are almost always washing past.
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Comments (26)
Great article. We should never forget an animal gave its life to sustain ours. As my hunting years became decades I found myself killing on a more selective basis and found a real satisfaction in lowering my gun and letting an animal live for another day. It also seems my opportunities to kill are more frequent or easier, not sure if experience or time but usually have several opportunities before filling a tag. This year I was happy to be part of a group hunt with first timers and coach them along to their first animal in a safe manner and passed on several deer I could have shot myself. The whooping and hollering of a 12 year old who just tagged his first deer was more excitement then many of us aged guys show on a Booner but most within hearing distance would have thot the yearling was the next record buck. Although he really wanted a buck with a decent rack as the last hours of the season wound down and several still had nothing he was more then satisfied that he took the deer he had and closed his first year successfully. Just gets them more anxious for next year.
After I take fish and game, my little ritual is to say a prayer, not too loud. It makes me feel good to think the animal got to heaven okay.
This is truly a beautiful article. I am young, and I have not yet developed a post-kill ritual. I do, however, thank the lord before I go to bed that same evening. I don't know if that accounts for one.
Also, do you hang the deer from a tree? Because the article almost makes it sound like you leave it on the ground, making me wonder why the coyotes wouldn't eat it.
But I have never thought about the brass against the tree idea. I love it, and it really opened my eyes.
Nate
In some cases what you do in the woods should stay in the woods. Hiding the lethal brass under a rock is a playful game, creating a little bit of immortality, if only in the imagination. Placing the quartered parts of a dead animal in the positon of life: a bit pointless, and not particularly playful. When does ritual become OCD?
To me hunting is kind of my connection to my Dad who passed away when I was 3. I'm 29 now. It is a very emotional thing and alot of thoughts cross your mind.
Although I know he is with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ there is always that thought that comes into my mind that maybe he was pushing bush for me.
I guess if these are my thoughts I had better "shoot straight" both literally and figuratively to make him proud.
I always consider a benediction to Lord Herne the Hunter most appropriate.
I always thank God, and my dad and brother(they are both gone on now,silly I know but I feel as if they are with me).
I take my brass and mark it with the "harvest" and date and but it in my "office" so on those "nasty",no hunt/fish days I can remember the hunt !
I also give my thanks to the great One, in my own way,as I did last week.
Big O, a point for you.
Don
My wife is Native American (Shawnee) and she taught me to respect the animals I kill in her traditional way. This includes a short prayer of thanks to the animal and the Creator and leaving sacred tobacco at the kill site. We do this after a day of fishing too. This ceremony makes the kill more meaningful to us. Of course, no part of the animal is wasted. We eat everything possible, tan the skin, and preserve the skull and forelegs. We raised our children and grandchildren in this way and they are all avid hunters and fishermen who respect the outdoors. My wife recently went on her final journey to be with the Creator and I know she is watching over us all as we cary on these traditions.
I have not killed a single animal where i did not feel conflicted emotions of elation, regret and thanks. The excitement of the hunt, and ultimately, success brings elation. Nobody likes to fail. I will likely catch a bag for this, but i always feel a hint of regret that the great animal laying at my feet had to give his or her life both for my enjoyment(seems selfish) and for my dinner table. I have enormous respect for the creature which did not prevail this time. Finally i am thankful for the privlidge of being able to hunt, harvest this deer, feed my family, and for my family and life itself. It does not take me but a minute or less to reflect on all of this. I do not have a ritual. Sometimes if hunting with others a hug or two or a pat on the back occurs, rarely high-fives or anything like that. I take great care dressing the animal. Often i will pet its hide as if to comb it neatly before taking a tasteful photo to remember the occasion, though i remember them all vividly with little needed to jog my memory. Lastly i reflect with each forkful how fortunate i am to be able to hunt, to have the skills to slip that arrow behind the shoulder, to butcher it, to cook this great meat well for my family (med-rare usually) and for the miracle it all represents. It's really pretty deep when you take the time to reflect on it. Good post.
I agree. I think if you have a ritual it should develope organically. I've been puuting in for deer and elk in Northern Arizona units for several years and have lots of bonus points, only been drawn once and didnt tag out. However that same year was the first year hunting with my father, he and I started late in life, and he got a really nice cow on the third day of the hunt. With only one successful hunt under our belts we haven't developed an after kill ritual but I think its something I would like to do. A short prayer of thanks for a successful hunt and to the animal for what it gives us, maybe a moment of silence to ponder the gift of being in the woods that day and of course the ability to spend time with my father, brothers or a friend that day. All things I am thankful for and hope to experience alot more. Thanks for the great article. I'm glad someone said it.
I've been mobbed!
I quietly thank the animal for sacrificing it's life to feed me and my family and I thank the creator for allowing me to take the animal. This brief ritual is personal to me but it was inspired by native american culture.
I will admit i do high five and shake hands. But I dont get crazy with it. Just a congratulations to a friend for taking a great animal. I do how ever say a little prayer and thank you when I get a deer. Hat off, knelt beside the animal, and head down. Then look up and say thanks.
How I hate born-again neopagan politically-correct moral relativism...but I do love the benighted sinners who practice this particular form of synthetic spiritualism.
The dominant religion in America promotes the view that man is to "...have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." The human spirit is fashioned in the likeness of the Creator: it is improper to abase that spirit to some other component of the Creation.
Unless you are a genuine pagan idolator, isn't thanking the mountain and the animal just sentimental anthropomorphism?
Mr. Bass, do you genuinely fear retribution from Cernunnos, Artemis, or some other Animal Master if you fail to lay out the remains just so?
Even if we have "dominion over" these animals, does that mean that we should take the act of killing them as a "right" ? It is a privilege that each of us should be thankful for. The Native Americans (First Nation in Canada)believe that all life is sacred, not just human life. Therefore taking a life should be treated with reverance and respect. If a person thanks the spirit of that animal it is out of respect for the Creator for allowing that animal to become a meal for him or her. If that hunter chooses to place the remains in a certain way or perform some other ritual it is also out of respect for the Creator. You will notice that all of these rituals include a prayer to the Creator. Simply because some people do not believe these rituals conform to the religion of the majority does not make them wrong.
Quite an interesting story on the ritual. I just say grace before my meal, maybe I better learn something. They say an old dog can learn new tricks!
Good distinction, Ray Cummings. And I do think there is some relevance to what Native Americans believed, since it enabled 2000+ cultures to flourish on this continent. But suggesting those beliefs were universal perpetuates misunderstanding.
Whether a right or a priveledge, thanking the animal after killing it suggests it was a willing party to its death, which is simply not true. The animals we harvest are going about their business, staying alive, up to the moment we intervene. They no more lay down their lives for our use than a potato.
Thanking the animal seems more a way of diffusing or shrugging off some of the weight of responsibility for the act of killing. I would rather work through that burdon than shift it onto the animal's "spirit."
No, wait...hunting IS a right. As I have been born into life, I will eat to maintain that life.
To suggest we do not have a right to kill animals is to join the ranks of PETA.
Hunting is not a right. It is a privilege we take for granted in this country as we do many others. In many countries we coud not hunt, own a weapon or even disagree with the government or each other. This forum would not be allowed in many countries. As far as agreeing with PETA that is totally off base. I have hunted since I was 6 and have raised my family to hunt and fish. PETA would take that privilege away if it could. Hunting is one privilege we must fight every day to protect.
No, it is a right. I do not accept "not allowed" from peers.
Our forefathers fought and gave their lives, and our soldiers and civil police forces continue to fight and give their lives to protect our rights, and I will not dishonor them or our blessed democratic government by by calling them priveleges.
If bipedal herd beasts in other countries (and I include European countries where hunting is restricted to elite landowners) prefer to have decisions made for them and beg for crumbs, they have my pity - not respect - but I will not have my rights at someone's arbitrary disgression.
Dang it--was enjoying these threads and then a hunter claims hunting is a privilege? This kind of soft speak goes too far.
Hunting is a Right! As an example it is enshrined in the WI & MN state constitutions. Probably other states have similiar amendments to theirs, if not those hunters had better get on the stick and get her done.
LesserSon, disagree with your other posts but we are shoulder to shoulder on hunting is a right as all hunters should be.
Below is an article I wrote after taking my first buck a few years ago. It is not exactly about "ritual" but addresses the same sensibilities. It's longer than a regular post but I hope you appreciate it:
I'm 47 years old. I got a late start at hunting... I killed my very first buck this past Monday. I have killed animals before because "it had to be done": putting dogs down; ending the suffering of injured animals; slaughtering and butchering chickens...
I've been a "gun nut" since I was a kid but negative stereotyping of "hunters" in my family of origin biased me against considering hunting until I moved to the Pacific Northwest and got more exposure to people who hunt and to the hunting sports. The Gifford Pinchot Forest has been a rough place to start. Rugged mountains, impenetrable forests, regular if not constant rain all make for the toughening of a man seeking to take an animal in that habitat, (especially when he is learning as he goes!). After 5 years of trying I took a young three point (one sided western counting).
I was sorry that the deer struggled to live in the last moments. I was the only one to see it die and while I was delighted with the accomplishment and the benefits of the successful hunt, it was for me, a surprisingly "sobering" moment.
Having moved from "hunter" to "killer" I can say that there is an honesty in killing an animal to use its body for one's benefit (food, trophy, etc.) that the typical American does not possess. We eat them and wear them; use them for medicines and cosmetics. Yet we don't "kill" them to get these benefits -- we leave the "sobering" part to others. In a very real way I now feel like it's cheating to get the benefits without paying “the sobering price”.
I can't expect everyone to arrive at this same philosophical destination that I did on Monday, especially when they are not even on the same path; yet my "kill" experience on Monday really taught me a lot about our society and it's detachment from the "sobering realities", to say nothing of what it taught me about anti-hunters.
Hunting goes deeper than rights or privilege. It is in our blood. It is what we do. Just like breathing, a man must eat. And he has the right to choose what he eats.
Very good post GreatWhiteBuffalo;
Hunting is not a hobby.
It is not a sport.
Hunting is a way of life.
Post a Comment
Great article. We should never forget an animal gave its life to sustain ours. As my hunting years became decades I found myself killing on a more selective basis and found a real satisfaction in lowering my gun and letting an animal live for another day. It also seems my opportunities to kill are more frequent or easier, not sure if experience or time but usually have several opportunities before filling a tag. This year I was happy to be part of a group hunt with first timers and coach them along to their first animal in a safe manner and passed on several deer I could have shot myself. The whooping and hollering of a 12 year old who just tagged his first deer was more excitement then many of us aged guys show on a Booner but most within hearing distance would have thot the yearling was the next record buck. Although he really wanted a buck with a decent rack as the last hours of the season wound down and several still had nothing he was more then satisfied that he took the deer he had and closed his first year successfully. Just gets them more anxious for next year.
To me hunting is kind of my connection to my Dad who passed away when I was 3. I'm 29 now. It is a very emotional thing and alot of thoughts cross your mind.
Although I know he is with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ there is always that thought that comes into my mind that maybe he was pushing bush for me.
I guess if these are my thoughts I had better "shoot straight" both literally and figuratively to make him proud.
I always thank God, and my dad and brother(they are both gone on now,silly I know but I feel as if they are with me).
I take my brass and mark it with the "harvest" and date and but it in my "office" so on those "nasty",no hunt/fish days I can remember the hunt !
My wife is Native American (Shawnee) and she taught me to respect the animals I kill in her traditional way. This includes a short prayer of thanks to the animal and the Creator and leaving sacred tobacco at the kill site. We do this after a day of fishing too. This ceremony makes the kill more meaningful to us. Of course, no part of the animal is wasted. We eat everything possible, tan the skin, and preserve the skull and forelegs. We raised our children and grandchildren in this way and they are all avid hunters and fishermen who respect the outdoors. My wife recently went on her final journey to be with the Creator and I know she is watching over us all as we cary on these traditions.
I have not killed a single animal where i did not feel conflicted emotions of elation, regret and thanks. The excitement of the hunt, and ultimately, success brings elation. Nobody likes to fail. I will likely catch a bag for this, but i always feel a hint of regret that the great animal laying at my feet had to give his or her life both for my enjoyment(seems selfish) and for my dinner table. I have enormous respect for the creature which did not prevail this time. Finally i am thankful for the privlidge of being able to hunt, harvest this deer, feed my family, and for my family and life itself. It does not take me but a minute or less to reflect on all of this. I do not have a ritual. Sometimes if hunting with others a hug or two or a pat on the back occurs, rarely high-fives or anything like that. I take great care dressing the animal. Often i will pet its hide as if to comb it neatly before taking a tasteful photo to remember the occasion, though i remember them all vividly with little needed to jog my memory. Lastly i reflect with each forkful how fortunate i am to be able to hunt, to have the skills to slip that arrow behind the shoulder, to butcher it, to cook this great meat well for my family (med-rare usually) and for the miracle it all represents. It's really pretty deep when you take the time to reflect on it. Good post.
I quietly thank the animal for sacrificing it's life to feed me and my family and I thank the creator for allowing me to take the animal. This brief ritual is personal to me but it was inspired by native american culture.
Hunting goes deeper than rights or privilege. It is in our blood. It is what we do. Just like breathing, a man must eat. And he has the right to choose what he eats.
After I take fish and game, my little ritual is to say a prayer, not too loud. It makes me feel good to think the animal got to heaven okay.
This is truly a beautiful article. I am young, and I have not yet developed a post-kill ritual. I do, however, thank the lord before I go to bed that same evening. I don't know if that accounts for one.
Also, do you hang the deer from a tree? Because the article almost makes it sound like you leave it on the ground, making me wonder why the coyotes wouldn't eat it.
But I have never thought about the brass against the tree idea. I love it, and it really opened my eyes.
Nate
I agree. I think if you have a ritual it should develope organically. I've been puuting in for deer and elk in Northern Arizona units for several years and have lots of bonus points, only been drawn once and didnt tag out. However that same year was the first year hunting with my father, he and I started late in life, and he got a really nice cow on the third day of the hunt. With only one successful hunt under our belts we haven't developed an after kill ritual but I think its something I would like to do. A short prayer of thanks for a successful hunt and to the animal for what it gives us, maybe a moment of silence to ponder the gift of being in the woods that day and of course the ability to spend time with my father, brothers or a friend that day. All things I am thankful for and hope to experience alot more. Thanks for the great article. I'm glad someone said it.
Even if we have "dominion over" these animals, does that mean that we should take the act of killing them as a "right" ? It is a privilege that each of us should be thankful for. The Native Americans (First Nation in Canada)believe that all life is sacred, not just human life. Therefore taking a life should be treated with reverance and respect. If a person thanks the spirit of that animal it is out of respect for the Creator for allowing that animal to become a meal for him or her. If that hunter chooses to place the remains in a certain way or perform some other ritual it is also out of respect for the Creator. You will notice that all of these rituals include a prayer to the Creator. Simply because some people do not believe these rituals conform to the religion of the majority does not make them wrong.
I will admit i do high five and shake hands. But I dont get crazy with it. Just a congratulations to a friend for taking a great animal. I do how ever say a little prayer and thank you when I get a deer. Hat off, knelt beside the animal, and head down. Then look up and say thanks.
Below is an article I wrote after taking my first buck a few years ago. It is not exactly about "ritual" but addresses the same sensibilities. It's longer than a regular post but I hope you appreciate it:
I'm 47 years old. I got a late start at hunting... I killed my very first buck this past Monday. I have killed animals before because "it had to be done": putting dogs down; ending the suffering of injured animals; slaughtering and butchering chickens...
I've been a "gun nut" since I was a kid but negative stereotyping of "hunters" in my family of origin biased me against considering hunting until I moved to the Pacific Northwest and got more exposure to people who hunt and to the hunting sports. The Gifford Pinchot Forest has been a rough place to start. Rugged mountains, impenetrable forests, regular if not constant rain all make for the toughening of a man seeking to take an animal in that habitat, (especially when he is learning as he goes!). After 5 years of trying I took a young three point (one sided western counting).
I was sorry that the deer struggled to live in the last moments. I was the only one to see it die and while I was delighted with the accomplishment and the benefits of the successful hunt, it was for me, a surprisingly "sobering" moment.
Having moved from "hunter" to "killer" I can say that there is an honesty in killing an animal to use its body for one's benefit (food, trophy, etc.) that the typical American does not possess. We eat them and wear them; use them for medicines and cosmetics. Yet we don't "kill" them to get these benefits -- we leave the "sobering" part to others. In a very real way I now feel like it's cheating to get the benefits without paying “the sobering price”.
I can't expect everyone to arrive at this same philosophical destination that I did on Monday, especially when they are not even on the same path; yet my "kill" experience on Monday really taught me a lot about our society and it's detachment from the "sobering realities", to say nothing of what it taught me about anti-hunters.
I also give my thanks to the great One, in my own way,as I did last week.
Big O, a point for you.
Don
I've been mobbed!
Quite an interesting story on the ritual. I just say grace before my meal, maybe I better learn something. They say an old dog can learn new tricks!
I always consider a benediction to Lord Herne the Hunter most appropriate.
Good distinction, Ray Cummings. And I do think there is some relevance to what Native Americans believed, since it enabled 2000+ cultures to flourish on this continent. But suggesting those beliefs were universal perpetuates misunderstanding.
Whether a right or a priveledge, thanking the animal after killing it suggests it was a willing party to its death, which is simply not true. The animals we harvest are going about their business, staying alive, up to the moment we intervene. They no more lay down their lives for our use than a potato.
Thanking the animal seems more a way of diffusing or shrugging off some of the weight of responsibility for the act of killing. I would rather work through that burdon than shift it onto the animal's "spirit."
No, wait...hunting IS a right. As I have been born into life, I will eat to maintain that life.
To suggest we do not have a right to kill animals is to join the ranks of PETA.
Hunting is not a right. It is a privilege we take for granted in this country as we do many others. In many countries we coud not hunt, own a weapon or even disagree with the government or each other. This forum would not be allowed in many countries. As far as agreeing with PETA that is totally off base. I have hunted since I was 6 and have raised my family to hunt and fish. PETA would take that privilege away if it could. Hunting is one privilege we must fight every day to protect.
Dang it--was enjoying these threads and then a hunter claims hunting is a privilege? This kind of soft speak goes too far.
Hunting is a Right! As an example it is enshrined in the WI & MN state constitutions. Probably other states have similiar amendments to theirs, if not those hunters had better get on the stick and get her done.
LesserSon, disagree with your other posts but we are shoulder to shoulder on hunting is a right as all hunters should be.
Very good post GreatWhiteBuffalo;
Hunting is not a hobby.
It is not a sport.
Hunting is a way of life.
No, it is a right. I do not accept "not allowed" from peers.
Our forefathers fought and gave their lives, and our soldiers and civil police forces continue to fight and give their lives to protect our rights, and I will not dishonor them or our blessed democratic government by by calling them priveleges.
If bipedal herd beasts in other countries (and I include European countries where hunting is restricted to elite landowners) prefer to have decisions made for them and beg for crumbs, they have my pity - not respect - but I will not have my rights at someone's arbitrary disgression.
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Hunting is not a right. It is a privilege we take for granted in this country as we do many others. In many countries we coud not hunt, own a weapon or even disagree with the government or each other. This forum would not be allowed in many countries. As far as agreeing with PETA that is totally off base. I have hunted since I was 6 and have raised my family to hunt and fish. PETA would take that privilege away if it could. Hunting is one privilege we must fight every day to protect.
How I hate born-again neopagan politically-correct moral relativism...but I do love the benighted sinners who practice this particular form of synthetic spiritualism.
The dominant religion in America promotes the view that man is to "...have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." The human spirit is fashioned in the likeness of the Creator: it is improper to abase that spirit to some other component of the Creation.
Unless you are a genuine pagan idolator, isn't thanking the mountain and the animal just sentimental anthropomorphism?
Mr. Bass, do you genuinely fear retribution from Cernunnos, Artemis, or some other Animal Master if you fail to lay out the remains just so?
In some cases what you do in the woods should stay in the woods. Hiding the lethal brass under a rock is a playful game, creating a little bit of immortality, if only in the imagination. Placing the quartered parts of a dead animal in the positon of life: a bit pointless, and not particularly playful. When does ritual become OCD?
Post a Comment