Hunting and Fishing… Vegan Style

By Duncan Myers

We’re all curious about animals. They are fun to watch.
A recent front-page of The Grand Rapids Press Sunday comics was (as usual) all about animal antics. A human appears only in one frame (Jon scolding Garfield) out of 31. The other 30 frames include birds, cats, dogs, and even an armadillo, going about their daily lives.

How could we hunt any of these fun-filled creatures? I really don’t know. I agree with 90% of what I hear about the hunting experience – getting out in the country, leaving work and the city behind, sharing time with family and friends, searching for wildlife and observing their movements. But that last 10% – the killing – wrecks it all!

My dog Callie and I enjoy the 90% every day. We hike in the woods, always on the lookout for critters. We chase squirrels up trees (I always hold onto her 10-foot leash…those wind sprints are good for me too). Even a crow feeding on the ground gets Callie into a crouch…and we stalk it…and one more mad dash. It is always special when we come upon deer, although they’ve become habituated…and let us get within 50 yards before running off. It’s great fun for all, a good workout, and nobody gets hurt.

One can also do some great hunting with a camera…shoot pictures, not bullets. For those few remaining folks that must have a more intense hunt, they might consider what some Native Americans used to do when hunting an enemy from another tribe. They would hide in a hole or behind shrubs, wait for the enemy to come up the trail, jump out, touch them, and run off. This act was considered more clever and honorable than killing.

I recently asked my brother if he would like to shoot 18 holes of golf. He responded, “If I can’t eat it, I’m not gonna shoot it.” Well, one of my “best” shots is into a water hazard. This gives me the opportunity to go fishing with my 12-foot telescopic ball grabber. Sometimes a curious fish will swim over to see what I’m trying to snag on the bottom of their pond. Again, fun for all and no one got hurt. And I’m eight or ten golf balls ahead every round. I remember snorkeling. What an experience, sliding into their watery world, all slow motion, and such a variety of colors those fish show off! Maybe next time, I’ll touch one.

Duncan Myers is the founder of the Vegetarian Society of West Michigan and one super dooper pooper scooper at Great Lakes Hooved Animal Rescue.