War paint. War paint made of buck blood... I guess I should be shocked, but I was anything but. The man who slayed the big buck painted his face with his buck's blood... I believe it was done out of respect for the animal who gave his spirit...I admit that I viewed the buck as the beautiful slain spirit that he was. In his own way, the hunter is the buck as I know of his marriage problems, and of his own beautiful spirit. I have nothing but respect for the hunter who was the slayer in this case.I responded to the hunter/visitors with my utmost honesty. I was not appaulded by the face painting--I viewed it as respect for the slain spirit of the buck (Native Americans did the same). I guess I'm just not a normal "American" woman--I don't get icked-out easily, especially when the harvest is done with much thoughtful energy (rare where I live as it's usually all about the slaughter). This hunter is a good guy who has done right by poor me without making his valuable work overpriced so I could not use him. Plus, he respected my home when he did work for me, and he respected the deer that he harvested.It is a long season this year, and we are not done yet--not by a long shot. I must face each thoughtful hunter with the same respect and grace as it is my way to do so... Any good earth-mother would recognize the respect the hunter granted and should extend the same...
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wow, so hard to read that. i\'m a vegetarian. thank you for sharing anyways. i can\'t imagine what it must be like for you.
Just the other day girl friend was telling me how her family ate deer, wild turkey, rabitts, and squirrels. Like the indians they only killed enough to feed their family. They bought 40 ac with a barn on it. They converted the barn into a house. Pretty rustic living until it was done!
the spirit of the slain aminal should be honored for giving its life for people to eat and life throughout the hard winter months.
You and I Cj, well....I don\'t have to tell you.
I know you know. Love you.
i love reading your hunting journals,and that you do it in such a respectful way. another thing the indians did was any part of the animal they didn\'t use was put back to the earth so that the nature could use it as if the animal died not at the hand of man.