Huntin' Season Side-Effect

I usedta like lookin' out this window.

Hiya, Friends!  How's your Wednesday going for you? I've gotta be honest with ya.  I'm a little disturbed this midweek.

You see, in my town, it's been Hunting Season.  I suppose it is, all over the state.  But I'm really only concerned for what happens here in my town.  Or more specifically, across my street, where there's a hunting camp fulla outta state hunters. 

Evidently three of 'em have gotten deer, because those deer are now hanging up by their back feet on a swingset-looking thing that isn't a swingset, but appears to have been erected for just such a purpose as this.  And I can see it very plainly from my favorite window.

I don't mean to be a whiny baby about this, Friends.  I'm a country-kid when you get right down to it.  I mean, I live in a really rural area.  Not rural by Alaskan standards or anything, as I've learned by watching television shows about Alaska, but I'm pretty sure that if you live in a place with street lights and regular garbage pickup, you'd find the level of ruralness where I live rather disturbing. 

Anyway, I understand about hunting.  I really do.  The deer need to be harvested so they don't overpopulate and get sick, or get in the road.  And I know that meat has to come from somewhere.  I don't eat a lot of meat, because it's still pretty difficult for me to chew, I'm put off a bit by the texture sometimes, and also because I'm on a string cheese and fruit kick right now. 

I really have a soft spot in my heart for all animals.  Deer, too, so long as they aren't jumping in front of Mommy and Daddy when we're out driving.  I think deer are pretty.  They're so gentle and graceful.  They remind me of Rozzie, my best pal, a little bit.  I think it's their brown eyes, and the shape of their heads and necks.  I really do.  Because Rozzie is definitely a German shepherd and not a deer, but you know what I mean.  At least I hope you do. 

I just hope those deer aren't wasted.

What it is that really bothers me about seeing those deer hanging up from their heels like they are, a few dozen yards away from my formerly favorite window, is that I feel like they're being put up as display.  Like those fellas who drive up here every year for hunting season in their Cadillac Escalades, with their four-wheelers and fluorescent orange safety gear are saying "Hey, look at me, locals!  Big suburban hunter-guy ME has managed to outwit, outsmart, and outlive this creature of the forest!  I'm so awesome!  I am an awesome outdoorsman!  Look at these dead deer I hung up!  Look at 'em and tell me I'm the greatest for shooting them with my rifle with the high-powered telescopes!  Admire my physical fitness- do you know how DIFFICULT and GRUELING it is to ride around your woods on a quad all day? ... Oh, hold on, I've got a speck of mud on my shiny black Escalade.  Lemme go buff that off..."

I understand about the venison, Friends.  I don't begrudge anybody of having a freezerfull of meat.  And if I go back to the Native Americans, I understand that they had to kill deer and bisons and such for their meat, for their own survival, but they would thank the animal, and not waste any part of it.   I sure hope these hunter fellows across the street plan on using the meat, or selling it, or giving it to someone who will use it.  I hope they sell the hides, or use the hides to make a warm coat and that they're not just up here in my necka the woods, killing off deer for the sake of hunting down and killing an animal that doesn't have any way to fight back, really, except for jumping out in front of passing automobiles, and really, that's mostly an ineffective way of fighting back against the hunters, because most of the time, it doesn't end well for the deer, and I doubt that they run into the very hunter's shiny black Cadillac Escalades that are hunting them down from the backs of their four-wheelers.

Also, I don't like to see dead things hanging around, all out in the open like that.  There's nothing the deer can do to hide themselves.  They can't kick or bite or gore anybody until they're let down.  All they can do is hang there.  All helpless like that. 

I s'pose 'Tooth and I can just watch Sesame Street 'til hunting season's over!

In conclusion, I'd rather see the deer "harvested," if that's what we're calling it, instead of run over in the road, or sick, or just dead outside because they got overpopulated and starved or something.  I just can't help but think of the deer, Friends.  Or the bears.  If they hafta die, I wish they'd be honored and used, like the Native Americans would do.  Have venison.  Have bear-meat.  Make warm coats out of the hides.  Just don't think of the deer as trophies and cut off their heads and hang 'em up on your wall and forget about the rest. Don't figure on making a bear-skin rug and then letting the bear meat go to spoil.  Really, Friends.  Aren't we better than that? 

In the meantime, I guess I'm gonna be staying away from the western-facing windows until those shiny black Escalades are packed up and heading back down the ol' ding-dang to their own state.  You can point and laugh and ridicule me for being a softie when it comes to those deer, and that's fine.  I AM a softie when it comes to animals.  I can't help it.  Just keep in mind that I'm simply telling you how I feel.  Reporting what I see.  I'm not judging hunters or people who get a deer and hang it up outside for days.  I'm just saying I wish they would just take care of it.  Do what they gotta do and be done with it, instead of having it hung up for days and days.  That's all. 

That's all, Friends.  No need to get all ugly.  Come down off that high-horse you were about to climb up on, and let's go have some hot cocoa, mmmkay?