My First Hunt
Some thoughts and gratitude statements regarding hunting and harvest:
My first big game harvest was an antelope. I crawled over cactus to get a closer, clean angle. He never noticed my presence and dropped instantly with a single shot. My heart was racing. I was 12 years old.
Some hunters say antelope don’t taste good - too tough.
Well, that’s because antelope are very very hard to get close to... they see you coming and next thing you know they’re miles away... (always in the opposite direction from the one you expected 😂)
So, sommmee people chase them on ATVs, ultimately spiking the animal’s adrenaline and stress, draining it of lactic acid, and resulting in tough and tasteless meat.
This isn’t how we hunt.
This isn’t how we harvest.
We try to impact the animal as little as possible, even if it means walking extra miles- extra days, even- to get a good position. We shoot for one clean shot. (Injuring is literally the worst case scenario.)
We then quarter the animal on-site to cool down the meat as quickly as possible so we don’t waste any to poor taste etc. We take the hide (which is inedible just decomposes over time), and we leave the insides for other creatures. We thank the animal and we eat a piece of the fresh liver as ceremony - thought to encourage the being to merge and live on through us, in a way.
And then we leave... gently and with gratitude.
The result is clean meat in my family’s freezer, an ecosystem that is monitored/funded/and supported by the conservation efforts put in place for & by hunters, and an experience that connects my soul with this earth.
My DMs are always open if ever you have questions.
love,
Magenta
Huge humble thank yous to @rainbowroadstudios and @danniedark0 for capturing incredible photos of the Anza Borrego sunset magick falling on this beautiful and powerful woman as she holds my first antelope blessing.
Another big thank you to @moonboiii_ and @krowned.clothing krew for making this epic custom-fit elk leather jacket from my first ever elk harvest.
Wow. What insane amounts of universe juice captured in this photo. ✨🤍🙏
