Hunt

Rabbit Hunt, 4x5 Camera with Kerry, Tim and Dave, B'ville, IN, 2007

I met Kerry Wire at "The First and Last Chance" a few nights ago. It's the oldest bar in Boonville, located just across from where the old train depot existed, and was the first and last chance for people to get food or drink as they got on and off the train. Yesterday I woke at 5:30 to meet Kerry and two Kentuckians at the hunting fields in Boonville. Otherwise known as the reclaimed coal mines.

"The largest grasslands in Indiana and Illinois are on reclaimed surface coal mines, which are numerous in the Illinois Coal Basin. The reclamation goal of establishing a vegetation cover with inexpensive, hardy exotic grass species inadvertently created persistent, large grassland bird refuges."

We (they) were hunting rabbit. Laura and I had a pet bunny (Eddie-Bunny) up until her death a year ago, so it wasn't the easiest thing for me to watch, at first. I went deer hunting in New York, and have been around coon, turkey, bird, bear, and other sorts of hunters on this trip. But this was the first time I had been out in the field with rabbit hunters, which use dogs to run out the prey. It was one of the funnest things I've taken pictures of on this journey, once I separated myself from the whole rabbit business. Deer hunting is often boring, or relaxing, whichever you want to call it, but hunting with dogs and running around all over the place, while having good conversations and laughs, is a lot more fun and entertaining. I spent all day hunting with them, and then Kerry and I headed over to the Last Chance. After a few beers there, we headed to Kerry's to skin, clean and cook our dinner.


Rabbit Hunt, Dave, Boonville, In, Dec. 26, 2007

I don't come from a hunting family, and although I don't think I could ever do it myself (still in debate), I do have great respect for the people I have met along the way that do. I met a hunter in NY a few years ago that was very passionate about the process, and had a sort of love for the animals he killed. We were drinking when debating this, but his description of the process, which was very detailed and kind of inspiring, actually brought him to tears. Since that day I have wondered: why am I so hesitant to track and kill something? I eat meat almost everyday and I can't always eat organic or local, and that often means that I don't know where the animal came from. So in turn, I am often condoning the traveling of my meat, giving money to the large conglomerate food corporations, all while never knowing what happens to the quality or cleanliness of this animal as it criss-crosses the country and changes hands a dozen times. Not to mention supporting the horrible conditions in which many of those slaughtered animals are forced to live their lives.

So I ask myself this: if I can kill an animal, know it will all be eaten, know it was wild and local, and know that I have cut down on the pollution that would result in my buying a name brand. Then why not?