Why are American deer hunters so infatuated with the past?
What is it about looking at old pictures from yesteryear that stirs our very being? Hunting touches the soul. When we go back in time and see how our grandfathers and great grandfathers took to the woods and chased after the same elusive animal we chase today, in the same woods they hunted 100 years ago, the spiritual connection is all powerful. It nourishes and feeds the modern soul. It really is who we are.
John Wootters is quoted in Chapter 14 as saying, “In the breast of almost every meat hunter there beats the heart of a secret, frustrated trophy hunter . . .”
Antler Haven: With a nice whitetail rack adorning the roof of one of the ramshackle sheds, these hunters don’t seem to mind the rather primitive accommodations at their camp. It appears as though they are preparing to head for the woods with shotguns in hand. This scene could well be somewhere in the Adirondacks and these citified hunters are likely paying customers. As long as the food simmering on the fire is good and the hunting is productive, and as long as their pallets are warm and dry, the
less-than-luxurious living conditions may be the least of their worries. Photo circa 1895.
Of course, the trophy is always in the eye of the beholder, but in truth, our passion for deer and deer hunting goes way beyond that. It goes beyond our American Indian forefathers who were the most spiritual hunters on Earth. It goes back to the dawn of time.
Although much of our connection with nature has been lost in the modern world, whitetails truly help us anchor our ties to the past so that we have a better understanding of who we are today, where we came from and what we aspire to be in the future. The past is important for many reasons, yet at times it is so easy to forget.
Because our deer hunting heritage has become ingrained in our American psyche for many generations, it’s sometimes hard to believe that the first European-Americans who came to the New World didn’t have a clue about how to hunt these clever animals. The immigrants had to be taught how to live off the land, and during that learning curve, a considerable number of them perished. But once they learned how to shoot a gun and develop the same woods skills and stealth used by their Indian teachers to track down a crafty and elusive prey, the love affair began, and venison became a staple across the Northeast. That love affair has continued right up to the present time.
A Mixed Bag: These hunters must have a golden horseshoe. Not only have they collected some outstanding bucks, but they’ve managed to bring down a bull moose and a wolf. The young sharpshooter sitting next to the dogs is holding a .22 rifle he’s used to pick off some ruffed grouse and one or two snowshoe hares. Several lever-action Winchesters can be seen in the mix. This photo was probably taken in northern Minnesota or Wisconsin, circa 1895.
It wasn’t long before a unique breed of American pioneer was making his living hunting these New World deer for their delicious and nourishing flesh. Settlers, constantly pushing westward, also hunted this amazing animal because it provided a staple food supply and long-wearing buckskin duds. Later on, when hard money was scarce, its valuable skin provided a means of income to thousands of courageous traders up and down the Eastern Seaboard.
Today we may hunt for a different reason, but every time we set foot in the snow-filled woods and pick up the track of a woods-wise old buck, it’s hard to follow that track without thinking about the incredible heritage our forefathers bequeathed us to cherish. These days, we are extremely fortunate to be able to take a glimpse back to the good old days through the many incredible photographs that were taken in the late 1800s and early 1900s and preserved. Hopefully, by occasionally taking a trip back to yesteryear, we will always recognize these treasures as the true gift they are.
In Volume II, you’ll join iconic hunting heroes like Theodore Roosevelt, Fred Bear and Larry Benoit, and you’ll savor the handiwork of men like firearms genius John Browning who contributed so much to our hunting heritage through his amazing inventions. Buy Now
