debating the hunt with Greg (part 2): the ethical hunter

I've been speaking to my brother-in-law, Greg, about his avid hunting for years, and I've written about it before. Although I'm now aiming at a vegan lifestyle, I've eaten his kills in the past with delight, as long as I didn't have to see their faces. Yes, I was that kind of meat eater. A crispy, tender breast is not nearly as lovable as the duck from which it comes.

That is becoming more difficult for me to swallow. I had a conversation with Greg about the hunter and the hunt. Since Greg most often hunts water fowl and upland game birds, we focused on that.

WM: Greg, I know that you are an "ethical hunter." That will sound like an oxymoron to a lot of our readers.

Greg: Well, first off, let me say that a good ethical hunter does not take game for the sake or thrill of the kill, and they only take what they need or will use. I think that water fowl and upland game birds are delicious–a delicacy–so I always eat what I kill.

WM: So the meat doesn't go to waste for the sake of a studly picture, and you're not hanging them on your wall. How much do the animals suffer?

Greg: Not every shot is a good clean kill. There are times when you might only break a wing or create an injury that renders the bird flightless. When a bird is recovered that is not dead, a quick ring of the neck is usually what is done to kill the bird.

WM: Ugh.

Greg: With that said, practicing good ethical hunting can greatly decrease the amount of crippled birds. A good ethical hunter knows the distance and range that is lethal and will only take shots within that range, which results in more clean kills.

WM: So less suffering?

Greg: Yes, and the use of a well-trained dog greatly increases the amount of game recovered.

WM: So a crippled bird isn't left to suffer in a bush?

Greg: Exactly. There is no doubt that you are killing an animal, and some people will never be able to look past that. For me, it is something I have been able to look past, as a hunter.

WM: You often talk about how hunters benefit the population of animals they kill, as a whole. Will you please explain that?

Greg: Hunters do more for wildlife conservation, preservation, and habitat restoration than any other group. It is the revenue, donations, and volunteer hours from hunters that have attributed to the success of organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever, as well as state and federal game regulatory agencies.

WM: So how does this help the animals?

Greg: Simply put, if you were to remove hunters out of the equation, you would see a rapid decline in wildlife populations, habitat, and funding. It is the revenue generated from hunting that allows many of the wildlife organizations to exist. Many manufactures of hunting equipment direct percentages of revenues to support various wildlife organizations. In some instances, 100% of state and federal funding comes from the sale of hunting licenses of species specific tags.

WM: Isn't this all a bit self-serving in the name of conservation? I mean, the greater the population of animals, the more there is to hunt, right?

Greg: We, as hunters, are advocates for the well-being and long term health of the species we hunt. We do not do this with the hopes of killing more animals. It is to ensure the animals' survival and the protection of the habitat needed to support a healthy population.

WM: So there is thought given to the natural balance of things?

Greg: As humans, we have corrupted the natural ecosystem and destroyed millions of acres of habitat through development, farming, and pollution. It is our responsibility as hunters to restore the habitats needed to support healthy populations of wildlife, and it is our role as hunters to keep populations at a level that the available habitat will support. Different states and regions will set game limits accordingly. If it were not for hunters, some species would literally overpopulate and destroy their own habitat and run the risk of spreading diseases that could threaten the long term survival of the species.

WM: So hunters are actually helping maintain a balance between habitat and population.

Greg: Ducks Unlimited explains it well:

Ducks Unlimited is the world's leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation.

DU got its start in 1837 during the Dust Bowl when North America's drought-plagued waterfowl populations had plunged to unprecedented lows. Determined not to sit idly by as the continents waterfowl dwindled beyond recovery, a small group of sportsmen joined together to form an organization that became known as Ducks Unlimited. Its mission: habitat conservation.

WM: Thank you for speaking about this, Greg.

Greg is able to take what I tend to see simply as an lighthearted, thoughtless slaughtering of innocent animals and raise in me a greater appreciation for the ethical hunter. I may not be able to accept it, but at least I can better understand it.

It does raise other questions for me, however. Though the "ethical hunter" seems to be doing his part to give back, what percentage of hunters are ethical? And if you're not an "ethical hunter," what category do you fall into, and what does that look like?

Do you have any questions for Greg?

reptile adventures at the library

When you think "library," do giant reptiles and squealing children come to mind? If not, then you have not been fortunate enough to witness Rich Ihle's Reptile Adventures this summer. The Phoenix Public Library hosts a fantastic kids summer program, where nearly every weekday there is someone cool presenting something awesome at various libraries across the city–and it's free to attend! We go to our local Ironwood branch every Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. to catch the fun. Yesterday's presentation was our favorite! Rich Ihle, the creator of Reptile Adventures brought his friends, small and large, for families to oooh and ahhh at. The kids were all pumped, and Rich delivered. His funny, friendly attitude, coupled with the confidence and sternness to keep the kids' energy from getting out of control made for an incredible experience.

Rich began his presentation by telling everyone a bit about himself and how he came to be the "reptile guy." It seems he had a deep love for these creatures from an early age and would spend all of his money on reptiles. He encouraged the kids to find their passion and open books to learn all they can about it, as he did, which I thought was a wonderful message. He also expressed the importance of caring for pets properly, and how much work they can be. The guy kept it real.

Like all good entertainers, Rich brought out the little guys first. We met Sunset the Bearded Dragon, Slim the Blue-tongued Skink, and Freckles, the Leopard Gecko, among other friends.

I was totally impressed with them, but had no idea that the big guns were waiting in the wings.

Enter T-Bo the Rhinoceros Iguana.

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He was incredible! And incredibly huge! Rich's interactions with him were nothing short of a headliner at The Comedy Spot. The kids (and adults) were squealing and shaking with excitement. Rich took him for a ride on his cooler, a giant-iguana RV, of sorts.

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Just when we thought we'd seen the grand finale, out came Sunshine, who we got to touch.

What an experience! You can still catch Rich and "The Ultimate Reptile Experience" at libraries around the valley during this week and next, the last week of the program. I would highly recommend it, even if you don't have kids! Rich and his friends are also available for birthday parties, school presentations, and special events.

companion animals at the Children's Museum of Phoenix

The littles and I were eagerly anticipating our recent visit to The Children's Museum of Phoenix because May is Companion Animal Month (sponsored by Banfield Pet Hospital) at the museum. Since we're all animal lovers and we love the museum, it couldn't get much better! Of course, we first had to dive into...er...climb into the Schuff-Perini Climber, quite possibly the coolest climbing apparatus ever created. The littles spent about 30 minutes exploring and trying to lose and find each other. I went up, too. Unlike the bacteria-laden hamster maze passed off as a play place by the dining establishment with the golden arches, this climber is clean and most spaces are large enough for adults, who are encouraged to climb with their little ones.

The littles really enjoyed the pet-themed art projects in the art studio.

They started by creating "Pet Crayon Rubbings," which Porter really took to. The museum provided all necessary supplies and instructions. It was pretty amazing how many different animals could be made with the simple rubbing outline.

Next, they moved on to make "Pet Stick Puppets," which was a lot of fun. They traced from templates, added details with markers and cut paper, and then glued their creature onto craft sticks. They did a show in the puppet theater with their finished products right there in the art studio.

We came away with some really special handmade treasures.

We set off to explore the museum some more, and in addition to the amazing regular exhibits, we discovered that the hallway leading to the reading nook was full of whimsical animal art by Carolyn Schmitz.

The paintings were hung low enough for the children to view comfortably, and my littles had a ball just spotting the different animals and intricate details in each painting. The juxtaposition of classic realism with a child-like subject matter would please art-goers of any age.

The highlight of our visit to the Children's Museum of Phoenix's Companion Animal Month was the "Ask the Vet" session. Banfield Veterinarian and Chief of Staff at the Tempe Marketplace office, Dr. Ryan Pearce, was on hand to chat with children and answer questions about pets and veterinary medicine.

Dr. Pearce was knowledgeable and great with kids. Not to mention, he brought tattoos and other giveaways so he was "in."

The kids asked about what kind of animals Banfield and Dr. Pearce take care of and learned that they see mostly cats and dogs, but also snakes, lizards, mice, birds, rabbits, hamsters, and other companion animals.

Porter asked, "How does it make you feel when you save an animal's life?"

Dr. Pearce got a big smile on his face and said, "it's really rewarding because we get to see the pets happy and healthy, and especially make the pet's parents happy because they are usually really worried and scared when something happens to their pet. It makes me feel really good to help someone, you know? You should take every opportunity to help someone when you can. It makes you feel really good–sometimes better than the person you helped."

What a great message.

Dr. Pearce and the staff at the Children's Museum of Phoenix also told us about their "Future Vet Camp" program held once every three months for one day. The program, geared for children of elementary school age is a "career discovery program that teaches children about veterinary medicine." Future vets get to interact and learn about procedures from a veterinarian and a therapy dog, and they even earn a stethoscope upon "graduation." I think I know two future vets.

In June, SRP is sponsoring "Safety Month," and the museum has some really fun activities planned, including programming on bike safety and safety around water and electricity.

The museum is celebrating its 5th Birthday with a "Big Birthday Bash" on Friday, June 14th. Marion Wiener, Director of Marketing & Communications, informed me that "general admission gets you all that you love about the more than 300 hands-on, learning experiences at the museum, plus face painting, magic, balloons, birthday crafts, cupcakes, giveaways, and more!"

Our Companion Animal Month experience at the Children's Museum of Phoenix was educational and lots of fun, and I didn't even touch on the regular exhibits, which make up the majority of the museum. It's a place worth coming back to again and again to discover new things, and even the old things become new experiences as the children grow and rediscover.

Disclaimer: I was provided admission to the museum in exchange for my honest opinion.

for the birds: nesting kindergartners

Have I mentioned how much I love my kids' school? Horizon Community Learning Center is a pre-K-12 charter school here in Ahwatukee (Phoenix) that we discovered for our eldest five years ago when he was entering the sixth grade. Porter started there this year for kindergarten. We love it in every way, and the project I witnessed today is a perfect example of why we feel that way.

Each quarter, the K-8th grade classes do in-depth studies on specific subjects or themes. They work on their studies every day of that quarter. This is called "project group." At the end of the quarter, the students present to family and friends what they have learned. It's always impressive, but to see these five- and six- year olds speak in front of a large group of mostly adults, sometimes with self-created props or a PowerPoint presentation goes beyond my comprehension. The kids are truly awesome and are that way because the team of teachers is phenomenal and the parents support the effort. As advertised, the school really is a community.

This quarter, the kindergartners are studying animal habitats with a special focus on birds, a subject I shared about several weeks ago. They have studied real bird skeletons and labeled all of the parts, then compared them to human skeletons. They dissected bird feathers. They used beak models created by the teachers so they could learn what types of beaks are beneficial (or not) in a given situation. They analyzed body coverings. Today, they built nests. In trees. Have I mentioned how much I love my kids' school?

The kindergarten teachers assembled a "forest" of trees (large tree branches propped up on their ends and supported in some way incomprehensible to me). Porter's teacher (who we love beyond words) told me that the teachers were reported by someone for suspicious activity for poaching branches off city trees at 6:00 a.m....oh, what they do for the kids! Containers of nesting materials were placed nearby, and the students were divided up into groups, presumably bird families.

Oh, but it wasn't that simple. Since birds only have one beak, the students could only use one hand to pick up, transport, and build with each piece of material they chose. Even if they knew how to tie their shoes, they couldn't use those skills. It would be an unfair advantage! The teacher caught them cheating a few times and made them remove what they'd done with two hands. Fantastic! I totally caught Porter cheating–not keeping his extra hand behind his back or in his pocket as suggested–but I kept my beak out of the bird business, not wanting to be a nagging hen.

As if that wasn't enough, the teacher simulated wind by shaking the tree ever so slightly. Would the nest hold up? If not, it was back to the start.

I just happened upon this scene when I was at the school volunteering for another kindergarten program. It was lucky and timely, considering I just posted yesterday about the importance of exposing your children to animals at an early age.

There is just so much that this activity teaches the children: first-hand bird knowledge, engineering, teamwork, self control...the list goes on. Not to mention that it gets them up out of their chairs and in the real (protected kindergarten playground) world. And what I love most is that it teaches them empathy for birds. It really illustrates for them in a hands-on way how hard it is to build a nest and how much work goes into it. I'll bet they think twice next time they have an opportunity to nail a bird nest with a baseball.

Original content by well minded word.