Sustainable Harvest Sit-Along

About this event

Food for Thought

Wolves were once a top predator in the Midwest, filling an important niche that kept deer populations at healthy levels, benefitting the habitat for other species, reducing the spread of ticks and disease, and maintaining the health of the deer population themselves. This vital role has historically been shared by only a handful of other species, and one of those species is . . . . humans ! That's right, humans and especially indigenous people have been part of this natural ecosystem since the Midwest was under glaciers more than 10,000 years ago. But wolves have been all but extirpated from the region, and the numbers of human hunters are declining even as we artificially inflate deer populations to dangerous levels by providing easy foraging through commercial agriculture. Habitats and hundreds of other species are suffering from deer over-browsing, ticks are exploding in numbers, and deer are becoming increasingly disease-prone from overpopulation. While wolves will probably never be reintroduced in numbers sufficient to control Michigan's deer populations, we're still here - both humans in general and indigenous people as well.

For more reading: "Thinking Like a Mountain" by Aldo Leopold (Attached)

What to Expect

This free event is for anyone who is curious about rediscovering one of our oldest ecological niches. If you eat meat or are interested in sustainable alternatives to commercial factory farming, we invite you to join us on a deer hunt to see what the experience is like and whether you think it might be for you. No experience necessary.

We'll meet on location early in the morning, make our way through the woods to a blind, sit for a few hours as the woods wakes up, and maybe we'll end up harvesting a deer or two. If we do, you are also welcome to accompany us as we break it down and fill the freezer, so you can see the whole process from start to finish. If we don't, you are also welcome to accompany us to brunch at a local breakfast diner where we can discuss the day and socialize.

Not a gun nut? Neither are we. It's just the tool that's most accurate, quick, and humane, so that's what we use.

Don't want to handle a gun? That's fine - this experience is just to accompany us on a hunt and learn what it's like without all the stereotypes.

Don't glorify killing or trophy hunting? Good. You shouldn't, and neither do we. All life is sacred. Most of the time we'll just be appreciating the hundreds of species around us waking up with the sunrise. If we see any deer, it's not the kill that thrills us - it's peacefully observing the natural world, reflecting on our place in our ecological community, and thanking an animal for providing us with the resources we need to live.

Want to actually learn to hunt? If you want to learn hunter's ecology, safety, and ethics, we have a workshop that covers all of that and ends with a community hunt, processing, and cook out at one of our local land preserves. Keep an eye out for upcoming registration!