For the Wild Things...

Last week I received a message from one of my peers asking me how I could possibly label my process and materials as ‘sustainable’ when using leather. He offered that the leather tanning takes “a crazy large amount of water and other resources.”  I deeply appreciate his interest, and I told him that he’d inspired me to write a blog post with the intention of offering a full and detailed explanation. If there are still questions (and that goes for any of you) by the end of this article, please feel free and welcomed to ask. 

For starters, our leather tanning process actually doesn’t take that much water… When tanning hides, the skins just need enough water for full submersion. For perspective: to tan 4 large animal skins, we use approximately 8 gallons of water. If you google “How to tan a deer hide,” I’m sure you’ll find information that echoes this. So, 8 gallons of water for 4 hides. That’s less than 10% of the water you use in your average day. Yeah, you. Yeah, all of us. And the best part is, I can make hundreds of NeckLeathers out of one hide. The use of water in the production of NeckLeathers is less than insignificant. 

Secondly, and more importantly, if hunting didn’t exist then neither would our preserved land. 

We are a family of four that buys tags every year from the Montana Fish and Wildlife for a deer tag, elk tag, and the general license that goes with it. We also donate annually to The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The RMEF partners with Montana Fish and Wildlife to fund restoration projects. Their projects range throughout 28 states, from elevations of 4 feet to 14 thousand. 

RMEF is buying and preserving private land, then opening it up to the public. Their strategy is unlike private hunting clubs that buy big chunks of wilderness and hold it as reserved for big game trophy hunting. In “December 2016, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation conserved its 7 millionth acre, and notched to 1 millionth acre where they have created or improved access to public land. Those are magnificent achievements indeed for wild things and all of us who cannot live without them” (Crockett 53). Yeah— you read that right. 7,000,000 acres of land. Their method isn't to hold protests or start Facebook groups. They actually make it happen… they actually do. 

Without the RMEF and their active engagement in habitat restoration and land conservation, these elk and this nature would not exist. A private entity would purchase those acres— build homes or flatten it out for farming. Instead, the RMEF is working to strengthen the natural state of the land. The elk habitat is maintained “using prescribed fire, thinning, weed treatments, fence removal, reseeding, water guzzlers, wildlife-friendly fences, highway crossings and more” (Crockett 54). That is to say, the RMEF is pumping money and resources into ensuring that millions of acres across the West are clean, bountiful, and safe. Nature lovers obviously benefit—but so do the animals, as all of these strategies lead to “enhanced forage, water, cover, travel corridors and open space for elk and other wildlife” (Crockett). In a specific example, RMEF conducts controlled burns so that the Montana wildfires don't take out hundreds of acres at a time and a huge percentage of the wildlife within it. So, sure… the RMEF is opening up land for human access and potential disruption; however, they are simultaneously taking care of that land and ensuring a perfect balance between man and nature holds strong. Hunting and conservation is an interdependent cycle, and a cycle that is sustainable. 

Not only is hunting allowing for this massive amount of land conservation, but hunting itself is more environmentally friendly than that saran wrapped beef you bought at your local market last night. I’m just going to quote this excerpt I read as a whole, because the full and clear picture matters (and I couldn’t have said it better):

“Industrial meat production is riddled with environmental ills, from high levels of carbon emissions to air and water pollution. By contrast, no extra energy is used to raise wild animals. We don’t have to grow grains with pesticides to feed and fatten them. Forests and sagebrush do not need to be cleared. Their waste nourishes, rather than taints, the earth and water. Wild game isn’t treated with antibiotics and comes fully unprocessed. As long as wild animals haven’t been eating from a contaminated environment, they are truly ‘organic’ meat. Compared to their industrially raised counterparts, elk have a relatively small environmental footprint” (Robyn).  

All my life, my family has avoided buying beef. All the meat they eat is directly sourced from the animals we harvest. We work our asses off for days on end, hiking and hunting for groups of deer and elk. We use the leather, meat, liver, and ivories from every animal we harvest. We work together as a family (and team) to hunt, process, and package all of our own animals. We pay for the tags and donate to the RMEF. We do not support the large farms or their use of high energy/resources and production of greenhouse gases; we support the conservation of wilderness, and we eat clean and stay active while doing it. 

To throw a nice plump cherry on top, hunting is sustaining Montana’s economy and bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars annually (most of which is pumped directly back into the land and those supporting it’s continual conservation).  Even just walking through Montana towns during hunting season, it’s easy to understand that the economy leans heavily on this income: “From the ‘Welcome Hunter’ banners hanging on the front of local taverns, gas stations and restaurants, to the “No Vacancy” signs at local motels, big game hunters (both resident and non-resident) are key to Montana’s economy. Studies show that elk, deer and antelope hunters combined spent an estimated $324 million in Montana in 2016. That money supports more than 3,300 jobs” (Economic). A strong Montana economy is a strong agricultural industry, an effective land conservation movement, and a preserved natural home for elk and humans alike. 

When the RMEF puts aside this land, they're conserving wilderness. Therefore, hunting is conservation. The economic benefits motivate the range management, and without this conservation and range management we wouldn’t have this wilderness. Think about it… tax dollars don’t go into range management, especially right now under our current government. We need hunters to bring in the money to maintain these resources. 

I’ve asked the questions, and I’ve done my research. I believe in this product and the energy behind its creation. I would never want to invest my time and livelihood into developing something that is damaging or draining, and I genuinely feel that the hunting my family and I participate in is a sustainable, positive, and honorable impact on both the land and lifestyle we love so much. 

If you have questions, please please just ask… 

With love and sincere humility, 

Magenta 

Owner and Designer 

Leather Sage Co

leathersageco@gmail.com

www.leathersage.com

“Hunting, fishing, and trapping are now professionally managed. Wildlife biologists monitor populations and set quotas for the number of animals to be harvested in a given season. The money paid for hunting licenses, tags, and stamps is fed back into the conservation system. Taxes on firearms and ammunition provide hundreds of millions of dollars for wild lands each year… the regulatory system seems to be working. Hunting can sustain itself. And assuming the number of hunters remains stable and current trends of land protection, habitat restoration, and population management continue, hunting will be sustainable into the future” (Robyn). 

Crockett, Dan. “The Magnificent 7,000,000.” Bugle Magazine, Apr. 2017, 52-58.

“The Economic Impacts of Big Game Hunting in Montana.” Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, 6 Feb. 2017. 

Robyn. “Is Hunting Sustainable?” Modern Hunters, 20 March, 2015.