Syracuse.com - Local hunters who give thanks, pray after harvesting a deer

[HuntingNY-News]

"My practice is when the game is in my sights so to speak. I ask my maker and my father and grandfathers to guide that arrow or bullet to its intended destination. To do its job swiftly and to minimize the animal's pain," said one hunter.

I've done it. I've seen others do. Others have told me about it.

I'm talking about hunters who pause to give thanks or say a prayer after shooting a deer with their bow or firearm. I recently asked for comments from readers about this topic and the following were among those received:

"I have always taken a moment to pray after harvesting a deer. I view it as a solemn moment, a moment that further binds my soul to the spirit of the earth and the creature I have killed. Excepting photosynthesis, it is the natural cycle that one dies so that another one eats. I take a moment to appreciate that cycle, the beauty of the natural world and my place in it, and the strange, wonderful connection that all living creatures share. Then I take care to dress and process the deer as efficiently as possible. Careless handling and processing of the meat is wasteful, inefficient, and dishonors the deer."

-William Morey, of Solvay

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"My practice is when the game is in my sights so to speak. I ask my maker and my father and grandfathers to guide that arrow or bullet to its intended destination. To do its job swiftly and to minimize the animal's pain. When the animal is retrieved, during the clean out process I always thank God for the healthy animal he has enabled me to harvest to feed my family, and my forefathers for their teaching me the love and respect for the outdoors."

-Curtiss Hey, of Baldwinsville

"I am definitely one who takes a few moments after each harvest to thank and pay respect to the animal. This is a very spiritual and meaningful experience for me and I do not take this loss of life lightly. I am thankful for the deer's life and the nourishment it will provide for my family. I am thankful for the opportunity and the experience. I am thankful to be more directly connected to the reality of life and death as an omnivore. Most non-vegetarians, especially, non-hunters, are so deliberately disconnected from this concept. They want to believe, or at the very least, choose not to think about and definitely don't want to be reminded of the fact that the meat they consume was indeed alive. And when it comes to conventional commercial meat production it is a particularly horrible existence for that animal, from start to finish....anyway, I digress."

-Matt DeRin, of Marcellus

"Yes, I always stop a moment, say a prayer and give thanks to God for the opportunity to harvest a deer. Sometimes I go off the beaten path where no one will see me and pray. I see the foliage as living in a beautiful garden with all the colors. My prayer goes like this:

'Merciful father I humbly thank you for the opportunity to be outdoors and enjoy your wonderful creation.

'I thank you for this deer

'I always ask your blessings and guidance in everything I do

"This I ask in Jesus name."

-Migell Wedderburn, of Pennellville

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog