THE TOUCHSTONE BUCK
Opening day of the bow season. For me, it's just like Christmas, only warmer. This year found me in the small red pine stand near the family camp. As usual, I had put my treestand up a week before to give the deer used to seeing it. This morning though would not be like past seasons and it took ME some time to get used to it. Just as the light became useable for my purpose, a movement from the timbers edge at the road bank caught my eye. Since I had expected the deer to come from that direction, my movements were kept to a minimum. When this deer (which was a respectably sized four point) first became visible I noticed that he had a doe with him. They were standing facing each other and in my active mind, it looked like they were even having a conversation. After about three minutes, I began to wonder if my imagination was NOT at work, and they WERE having a conversation. The buck was moving his mouth and looking at the doe, he then glanced at me quickly (what was wrong with those eyes?) and then back to the doe. She in turn would seem to harshly whisper something to him, then look down, and then back to him. This was very odd behavior for deer! After a few minutes the buck stomped his foot and motioned across the road with a quick jerk of his head. The doe left in that direction and the buck watched her. He then looked at me and with a lowered head and half-closed eyes proceeded towards the stand, (what kind of eyes are those!?). Since I had never practiced the front facing shot, I would have to wait until he was almost under the stand. What happened next is the reason for this writing and why I mentioned that this season was to be different. The buck did not pass the treestand but walked directly up to it, raised those eyes to mine and sat back on his haunches. This is a sight I have never seen before! Have you ever heard of anybody being so startled that they almost jumped out of their skin? It happened to me that morning. "Good morning Bob". I had already drawn the bow back and now the arrow went clattering up through the woods. As I looked into those deep eyes, the only response I could come up with was "Huh?" "I said good morning". "Uh!? Good morning?" "You've thought about this happening someday haven't you?" I had to admit that I had indeed thought about my game fish or my deer having a conversation with me and answering questions that had idled in my mind for many years. "Well here we are Bob. Shall we talk?" What was I to do? I hung the bow on a limb reached for my thermos and sat down allowing my legs to dangle over the side of the treestand. "Ok, Let's talk." "I suppose you would like to know why this is happening and why I've been granted this special dispensation. Would you like to ask about it?" I thought for about one and � seconds before saying "No, I believe I'll just accept it without questioning". "I suppose we should talk then about why you and I are both here this morning. That is the meat of your ponderings during this season isn't it?" I said "Yes, but let's start with you first. You know my name, what should I call you?" "That's good. You can just call me Buck". (No imagination I thought.) " Well Buck let's get right down to the main question then. I have often questioned, as have many others, about the right and wrong of hunting. I have of course come to conclusions in my own mind but there is always that little question mark, seems to be a permanent fixture in my consciousness. I know how I feel about the hunt, killing wild animals and using animal products, but tell me how you feel about it". "Whoa, not so fast Bob. Before I can say how I feel about it let's discuss your reasoning on it. You like Socrates don't you?" This one is well informed, I thought. "Yes I like Socrates. His method of logic and uncovering the truth is precise and orderly, allowing the listener to find the answers within themselves. Why do you ask?" "Good, we will use his methodology then. Tell me first, why do you hunt?" "Ok, I come from a hunting heritage and culture. My forefathers were hunters and I grew up, partially, with people that hunted and whose ancestors hunted. Part of my raising was in the country and in the wild where I was exposed to all wildlife and, to those who "used" wild game. I use the term used in the best sense because for us the wild game we killed was important to our survival. The pheasant, rabbits, grouse, woodchucks, squirrels and, uh, deer, were what fed us through the lean times of unemployment and under employment. I guess today that isn't so prevalent but in the 50's, around here, if you were poor you hunted for the larder. I remember that game as well as working in the garden and raising chickens in a little pen in the back, all for food. "Well that sounds like legitimate reasoning to me. Anything else?" Yeah. When I went to college for a degree in Fish and Wildlife Management, it was revealed to us that hunting was very necessary for the health of the Eco-system today. Since people have spread across the landscape and removed most of the wild predators that kept wildlife populations in balance, the threat of disease and starvation is very real. This indicates that people must take the place of those predators and perform the function. Buck reached around to nibble on his left side and said, "So you and your education are saying that hunting is necessary for the health and survival of the wild game?" "Yeah, that is what the reasoning is according to science." "I couldn't argue that point. I've never went hungry and as far as I can see we all seem pretty healthy." At this, he reached around to nibble his side again and I said "deer lice?" "Yeah, they're a nuisance." "I know. I've had them on me to. In fact one time I was trying to get a date with..." "Hold it Bob. Our time isn't long so lets stick to the subject, ok?" "Ok." (But it was a good story). "Now, is there any other reason why you hunt?" "Well, there is always the excuse I've heard people use. They say it gives them the opportunity to get out in the woods, enjoy nature, fellowship with their family and friends and just enjoy the creation." "You say that like you have a problem with it." "No, I don't really have a problem with it. It's just that I never needed an excuse to do that. It's just a normal and natural thing to do for me. Hey, maybe it's one of those deep psychological, troubled childhood things! Maybe I do it to avoid people hide from the world. Maybe it's..." "If you're done babbling now I'd like to get on with the discussion." "WELL! OK! Golly!" Now, so far we've discussed Why you hunt, but that isn't the question we're here to discuss is it? We want to explore the right and wrong of the thing". " I bet you have strong opinions on that Buck". "Actually I have no opinion on it. That is not my function nor right. But we'll discuss that in a minute." "I'm surprised," I said. Buck bent around to bite another itch. " I guess I would be to in your position. Speaking of which..." At this Buck leaned to his left and assumed a laying down position that looked to be more comfortable. "Right and wrong. That's a debate that has been going on ever since Adam and Eve." "And it will probably continue as long as the earth and people exist. Fortunately for us animals the terms right and wrong only refer to our actions around vehicles, hunters and major predators". " I have an opinion on that", I said. "Wait a minute Bob. We're getting ahead of ourselves. What would Socrates say right here?" "I guess he would say, "Define your terms." "Ok. You and I both know what the terms mean but we had better state the obvious and say what we, or rather, you, use as a base to determine what is right or wrong". "You're right Buck. That is stating the obvious. Since you are here talking to me, and since I don't believe in magic, and I don't use hallucinogenic drugs, we both know that the answer is, the Word of God, the Holy Bible." "Fine. Whatever decisions you make in life then, you use God and His written Word as the guide?" "Yes, that's right." "And what does the Bible say about wild animals and your relationship with them?' I had to smile at the irony of this question because the first verse that came to mind was Job 12:7-9. "Well Buck, there are many instructions and references to man and beasts in the bible but the first one is an instructional guide. God has told us "But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea will declare unto thee. Who knoweth not that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?" Buck lowered his head and with half closed eyes asked, "Those are some strange words. What kind of language is that?" I suspected he already knew the answer but said the words anyway. "That's the language of the King James Version of the Bible, my preferred translation, Buck". "That's some fairly pleasant wording. What is that saying to you then?" Sitting there in that treestand with my coffee cup, and talking to Buck, I again had the feeling that the whole creation was a wonderful mystery. Some of it known to me, some of it beyond my ability to even ponder intelligently. Sometimes it is better not know, for when I discover answers in the creation I lose some of my awe. Though I think that the search for knowledge is one of our primary jobs here in this life, many times the question must be asked, "what have I lost in the trade." Regaining awareness of the surroundings and Buck, I shook my head and said "Sorry Buck. What was the question?" He had a bemused look on his face. (It is a strange and almost weird thing to see a bemused look on the face of a four point whitetail deer}. "I asked, what does that say to you?" "Oh yeah. That tells me that the earth and all of its inhabitants are a divine creation. Most are created for different purposes from each other, but the Lord God made them all, that is, the original inhabitants. As divine creations, all wildlife is due a certain consideration for its life, habitat, and future." "What's that you are saying? Have people been put here to serve me and the rest of the animals? That's wonderful! When are you going to start?" (There was that bemused look again). "Hold on Buck, not so fast. God plainly said that man is to have dominion over the animals and the earth. That means we are in charge of you and not your servants. When I talk about the consideration of you I am referring to Proverbs 12:10 that says "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." This means to me that I am in charge, to a certain extent, of the ability of the creation to thrive. In order to do that I should study the life cycles, the habits and the needs of all creation to manage (have dominion) it in accordance with the stewardship principals God has ordained. For example, there is a Proverb that says "If a birds nest chance to be before you in the way in any tree or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or on the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young: But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days." This is the basis for all wildlife management, that is; protect the reproductive unit." "Are all animal just for food for people then, do we have no other reason to exist" (Another odd facial expression)? Well actually Buck, animals were not originally created for food, but for companionship for people, and maybe-other reasons, that are not often thought about. In the book of Genesis God told Adam, that he had "...given every green herb for meat" for people and all of the created animals. Animals were not ordained as food for men until after the great flood of Noah's time. Genesis 9:3-4 says "Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things." The reason for this is not known by me though I do have some intelligent suspicions. Buck slowly got his feet and idly gazed around. He walked over to a group of tree seedlings and started to browse with, what I would call a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well, we are getting down to the heart of the matter it seems. Let's see what we've decided so far. God created all things. One of people's jobs is to manage the animals and the earth for the benefit of all. One of the earth's and animals jobs is to support people through food and other ways that we have not discussed. Animals have the right to thrive, which means to us, sufficient food, water, shelter and living space. People have the right to kill animals for food and other responsible reasons that do not go against God's will. Hunting then ... Wait a minute! It just occurred to me that animals are killed for other reasons that may not fall into "the plan". What about sport hunting, trophy hunting, varmint hunting and things like that? Are they all ordained by God?" "Well, I'll be honest with you Buck. I don't engage in those things, even though I do enjoy the sport of hunting while I'm getting food, and I do not oppose some varmint hunting because their are financial and safety reasons for killing some animals. These activities are not in my field of experience and I don't have a lot of wisdom about them. I just know what's right and wrong for me to do." "Fair enough. Hunting then is ordained by God, so to speak. If a person says that they think it's wrong to kill animals, does that mean they are disagreeing with the Creator?" "If they mean it would be wrong for them to kill an animal then no, that is not a disagreement. On the other hand, if they mean that it is wrong for anybody to kill an animal then they are saying that God is wrong and that of course is called sin. People are not the measure of all things nor are they wise enough to determine right and wrong for all people. In the Bible, Jesus ate meat as well as giving it to other people. We know that Jesus never sinned and would not cause others to sin either. This question has implications of the "latter times", as they are called. God warned us about this attitude in 1 Timothy 4:1-5. In fact, because of that verse and others like it..." "Yeah, I know, you pray over your deer after the kill. How about your fish and squirrels and other small game though?" I had to sheepishly admit that I did not offer up thanks for them, hadn't thought about why not. Now Buck started to move around a little more animated. Well Bob, I think we've answered all the major questions here. I hope that you have answered your own doubts and since you seem firm in your relationship with the Creator and are knowledgeable about his Word, I shouldn't have to come back and do this again." "Wait Buck, there are still other questions about animals that I..." It was over. As I looked into those deep eyes, they filled from the inner to the outer in a deliberate manner. In about three seconds, Buck was gone. In his place stood a four point white tail that jerked left, then right. It spotted me and with a loud snort, jerked that white flag tail up and ran for all it was worth up the hill, disappearing into the forest. The day was about gone now and so, rising up from the sitting position I slowly gathered up the equipment. After a slow and leisurely drive home, I walked into the house and heard the usual question from Lyn. "See anything today?" Yeah, I said. I saw a very atypical four point. The next and last thing the day held for me was to sit down and write out the story of all that had happened at the treestand. Is it OK for me to hunt?
