As the founder of Hunting University and a man actively following my calling to teach others how to hunt, I feel compelled to address what I see as modern society’s spiritual disconnection with the process of death. Today’s modern conveniences and a human need to always be comfortable has gotten us so far from our roots that the subject of death is now less understood by the masses than ever before. Death happens now, to our loved ones, behind closed white doors. Similarly, the animals that provide our food, are killed, across state and national lines and it is an impersonal procedure, lacking reverence and respect. This disconnect leads to a lack of understanding of the WHOLE process, and a skewed perception of the entire subject of death.
As little as 150 years ago, if we were 25 years old, we would have likely buried one of our parents, very likely both our grandparents, and it was a good possibility that one of our siblings would have also died. Not only would we have attended their funerals, we would have participated in the washing of their bodies and had dug the hole ourselves. We would also have seen animals die for our food, firsthand, on a weekly basis, or you wouldn’t be here to read this. **Pregnant Pause to Allow That to Sink In**……………….We no longer have firsthand knowledge of these very natural events.
Here is a prime example. All of us have heard the story of the “Chicken running with its head cut off.” That story tells us so much about modern society’s lack of understanding about the death process of a meat source we eat all the time. So, here is what really happens when you cut a chicken’s head off: its nerves still fire for about 60 seconds, the legs kick and his wings flap. This results in a flopping, bouncing and flapping experience…not a “running” one….EVER. Yet, I still hear that story told by honest people who just don’t know. They have never seen it for themselves.
Death must occur for there to be life, and we have forgotten this because we no longer are participants in the harvesting of our food, especially animal food.
The last place we are forced to learn about death is with our loved ones, and luckily through our rituals, it is something we humans keep sacred. That said, we are still less involved and kept “comfortable;” and encouraged to have others to do the “work” of helping our loved ones die. In terms of human evolution, this is a very new thing, and I’m not so sure it’s a positive move.
There is a simple fact you must understand…If you eat meat, you are either the hit man or the one who hires him. No one is “innocent” in the natural act of consuming meat. I invite you to participate in the process of gathering your meat, to lay your hands on a food animal, and to learn to hunt. I INVITE YOU TO BE A PARTICIPANT IN YOUR NATURAL ROLE AS AN OMNIVORE!!!
I started Hunting University to show new people this very natural, respectful and healthy way of acquiring your meat. There are 10’s of thousands of pounds of delicious, naturally fed, protein available in deer and hogs in every state in America and it’s available to everyone. The issue is only 7% of America hunts, and many don’t have a friend to teach them. That is where we come in.
Hunting University is a safe and loving place where you can come to understand the whole process. This is not a “tough guy” environment. That said, it is a celebratory environment. Death is worthy of celebration, what a concept and certainly opposed to modern thought. I believe your animal picks you. All living things (even us) help others through our deaths in some way. All animals will be eaten someday by something. We definitively dole out a more merciful death than a wolf, cougar or starvation. It’s natural to celebrate, with reverence and respect, the end of the process. I support that, and I encourage your heart to be present for the experience. I can’t wait to support this element in you; it’s likely been there from the beginning. Now you have a way to express it, and learn how to do it well, as is your responsibility to your prey.
Blessings, Marc