I had a discussion with my teenage daughter today as we drove towards our home in Down East Maine this sunny winter Sunday.  We were having a philosophical conversation regarding happiness in the world vs suffering and how our own personal life experiences may or may not affect the happiness or suffering of others.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

I brought up that some Buddhists believe, based upon certain spiritual beliefs that are rooted in scientifically established laws of nature, that if they take on suffering in their personal lives that they increase the happiness that the rest of the world can enjoy.  The basis of this is the belief that all things in nature and in this world are maintained in balance.  If happiness and suffering are, like all other things, maintained in balance with one another then the Buddhist believes that by taking on suffering in his/her life they both keep another from having to be burdened with that portion of the suffering in the world and at the same time also allows the equal but opposite happiness to the suffering they themselves have taken on to be enjoyed by others.
My daughter and I discussed and agreed that this practice displays both a humble but honorable and noble act of self sacrifice by the practitioner even if one happens to disagree with the belief itself.
Many others of different beliefs or faiths believe that happiness and joy is spread by charitable or kind acts of giving.  Other may feel that something as simple as a smile shared with a stranger may cause a spark of good will that can ignite a much greater wildfire of happiness as it spreads from person to person to person.
Those of us who enjoy the great outdoors and the many activities available to us with such a vast playground know the great excitement and fun, the feeling of camaraderie and fellowship with our friends and family who we share the natural experiences with us and for those of us who are parents or grandparents the incredible joy of passing along that joy to our children or grandchildren.
We are generally speaking a good fun loving group of folks who know the importance of family, community, freedom and faith.  There are always exceptions but we outdoors people, men and women, are a good group of people representing the best of America, it’s strength, it’s diversity, it’s passion, it’s pride and it’s defense of all we hold dear.

On a lighter note,  if the Buddhists have it right, perhaps those of us who hunt and don’t tag out in a given season may actually be helping those who do!

Jeff Cash

There are lots of opinions out in the world as to what actually makes a wilderness  a wilderness.  Does a New England pine forest make a wilderness?  Does the untamed expanse of Alaskan woodlands, mountains and rivers make it a wilderness?  How about a Mid-west desert or the Rocky Mountains?  A Louisiana swamp?  Central Park in New York City?  Los Angeles?

Photo from fOTOGLIF

I’m sure the answers and assessments of each of these as to whether or not each qualifies to be a wilderness would differ from one individual to the next.  But is the true definition subjective or objective?

A very wise mentor once told me that the key to a wilderness was the inherent wildness of it.  He explained that in order for a wilderness to truly be wild it must contain within or upon it some aspects or forces which bring fear, awe or a sense of danger to the human heart whenever it treads upon or through that land.  Some examples shared with me were an area known to be inhabitted by predators such as bear or wolves or terrain that is difficult or at least challenging to traverse.  That knowledge of the risk of being in such a  place, an ever present primordial sense of potential danger that touches your core, the effect upon the human heart and mind while there and the feeling of achievement and the conquering of a significant challenge being a part of you after you leave there, these are the things which he felt made an area a true wilderness.  It is believed in fact that this sense of wildness played a key factor in keeping our species alive for many thousands of years as we developed to be what we are today carving our various civilizations out of the wilderness that was at one point the entire world.

Thinking about your own favorite hunting location …. using the guidelines as set out by this wise man, do you find that you hunt in a wilderness?  Do you feel that subtle warning alarm or a sense of some potential lurking danger or controlled fear or urgency when you are there?  An inner recognition that keeps your senses energized and alert?  Do you feel a sense of accomplishment or that you have conquered some feat or met some challenge to you when you survive the adventure at the end of the day?  Or do you feel like you are strolling through some municipal park with groomed walkways with nothing more than a rabid squirrel or meandering skunk to worry about for dangerous wildlife?

I find the whole concept of a wilderness to be a somewhat fascinating example of how we humans can get so caught up in words and the meanings that we attach to them and yet I also know firsthand the personal growth, power and understanding that can come from giving an experience or a feeling a name when you have never been able to identify it before.

In the end wilderness is just a word, a word that may have one meaning for me, a different meaning for you and yet another meaning entirely to some scientist or professor.  For me I draw strength, and great personal, physical, mental and spiritual growth from my experiences and my exposure to my  wilderness.  I am a stronger and more complete being as a result of connecting to my own wild nature by being exposed to a wilderness environment.  Perhaps that trigger is what makes hunting such a blending of both intense basic and complex dynamics within me simultaneously.  Perhaps the triggering of ancient instincts that helped our ancestors survive the threats that exist in the world cause us to use our whole being rather than the part of us that is occupied by our normal “safe” day to day existence.  An interesting hypothesis to ponder this weekend.

Have a thought provoking and wild weekend my friends!

Jeff Cash

Photo from fOTOGLIF

In my youth I was taught what is commonly known as The Golden Rule.  That rule is quite simply,  do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  I have unfortunately noticed in my work in public service what I would describe as a continual erosion of common decency, respect and the personal integrity and character which is demonstrated when individuals show respect and decency towards others.  I see this decline on all levels of our society.  It would seem that rudeness and disrespect are at least not discriminatory in their labors.   It would seem today’s society is more concerned about gold than the golden rule.

As a hunter, as someone who has served my country, my state, my county, someone that has represented various religious groups and faiths, as a father, a grandfather, a husband, a son and as a brother, I have known for the majority of my life the importance of focusing on the positive aspects of life, the necessity of a good sense of humor, the value of giving, earning and receiving respect and the power of a kind act, the ring of truth vs the painful clang of untruth.  In a world that seems bent upon crime, horrific wars, hatred of one people for another, of corporate greed and a society focused less upon good will and more upon the acceptance and fulfillment of corruption and tyranny and perhaps even more disturbing, the never ending argument and fighting amongst ourselves over what is often trivial foolishness or contrived and misrepresented beliefs.

If you or I were out hunting and we encountered another hunter I expect that more than likely a smile and a attempt to wave or acknowledge one another would occur both to ensure the safety of each of us but also as a show of respect and courtesy.  Not every hunter would do this and many others would actually make direct contact and have a verbal exchange of good wishes and a sharing of observations and knowledge of the animal and hunter activity in the area.

Often times on a public street however it seems that most people are more likely to ignore one another unless they have some previous familiarity.

In the arena of public service I see almost daily people who treat one another with not just simple indifference but outright offensive behavior seemingly unable to control themselves without a barrage of foul and offensive language, acts of intimidation or in some instances physical aggression.  What has happened to our society?

I find more and more when going through any of the several drive through services that I frequent that I’m the only one saying “thank you” in the exchange.  I’m even seeing this sort of “customer disservice” in face to face exchanges with cashiers in retail environments.

Maybe I’m more of a dinosaur than I thought.  Maybe I’m turning into one of those grumpy old men who complain about the younger generations all the time.  I certainly don’t mean to and recognize as much rude behavior from the old as from the young.  Maybe my observations are not due to any increased sensitivity on my part.  Maybe my concerns are right on the money and reflect a terrible decline in our societal standards of courtesy.

It makes me sad to think of our society declining in this way.  It makes me wonder what possible efforts can or would make a difference to stop this seemingly unnatural change in the tide of reason.

In the end I have come to the conclusion that we are all, each of us, free to be kind or to be cruel, to be respectful or to be rude, to seek freedom and liberty or tyranny and oppression.  All I can do is live my life as best I can being as true to myself as I can be.  I remain hopeful that kindness, respect and honor are not ready to give up the ghost quite yet but I see a trend that causes me great concern.

In the end there is always hope and free will.

Ironically, there is also the wilderness which for me provides something of an oasis or a safe haven where the woes of society have no power, where a hunter can disappear into the natural world around them and become one at peace with that natural world as much a part of it as any tree, deer, river or bear, where the wind carries an invigorating energy, a raw and inspiring connection to the earth and to whatever higher power you may know in your life.  It is in this place that the negativity of our world is washed away and I am refreshed and empowered once again to be the man that I strive to be, a natural man, a kind and respectful man, finding my balance as an honorable man of the woods.

May your own path lead you to a kind, respectful and honorable place of peace.

Jeff Cash

Another famed firearm of great historical importance both in the military history of this country as well as the commercial world is the Thompson .45 submachine gun, often referred to simply as the tommy gun.  From their outstanding service in WWII in the hands of our soldiers to their attraction to gangsters and those who lived their wild lives by way of the gun, there are few firearms that can equate to the mystique and legendary performance of this one.  Civilian semi-auto versions are still available and would take an honorary place in my personal collection.

Moving into the arena of handguns I have to start with the very first handgun I ever fired.  That is the Smith & Wesson M-15 .38 Special revolver, the sidearm issued at the start of my military service.  This was a great handgun to learn with as I qualified with it time and again.  The only drawback in my mind at the time was the inherent weakness of the .38 Special round in a tactical environment.

The next logical choice for me is the 1911 .45 ACP pistol, another legendary and ingenious design of the great John Moses Browning.  The many, many variations of this design available commercially are often the top choice of professional shooters the world over.  In fact while I carried the M-15 revolver in the Air Force overseas, our neighbors on the same base over in Para-Rescue carried the 1911’s.  As an armorer at the time overseeing their weaponry as well as ours, I was one very jealous airman.

Next I have to nominate my very first privately owned handgun which I carried on duty when I first became a certified law enforcement officer.  Than handgun was the Colt Lawman Mk. III .357 Magnum revolver.  This was perhaps the most reliable and accurate revolver I ever fired and I carried it with exceptional confidence.  Part of the Mk. III lineup from Colt it is an example of a heavy duty revolver that Colt has not made since to my knowledge.  A shame as it is in my opinion one of the best examples of a quality working man’s duty pistol.

Another pistol that played a sweet role in my firearm dreams was the Desert Eagle by Magnum Research.  I always wanted one of these in .357 Magnum which has always been one of my favorite handgun rounds.  I had the opportunity to fire one chambered in .357 a few years ago and I loved it.  These pistols have been featured in films for the last few decades perhaps for their powerful look and menacing ability to fill the screen with a big bore and heavy slide.  I found the pistol to be way too heavy in fact for practical carry purposes but it sure was a dream to shoot and I’m glad I had the opportunity to do so.

One of the most comfortable pistols I’ve owned, carried and fired regularly was the Springfield Armory XD in .45 ACP.  I owned the Tactical model with the 5 inch barrel desiring the greater accuracy and ballistics that come with the longer barrel.  A great package and what would have been a top choice duty pistol for me I found it to be way too cumbersome as an off duty pistol and certainly too much gun for comfortable concealed carry purposes.  This pistol is however an ideal tactical or duty pistol and one that I have a great deal of respect for.

To wrap up my 21 gun lineup I’m going to lift up the Ruger P-345 in .45 ACP.  This is my current pistol of choice for daily concealed carry with big bore man stopping power.  I find it  very comfortable all around and reliable without a single failure to fire.  Ruger is a legendary gun maker that somehow manages to keep their retail costs low enough that make this my favorite all around combination of great features, price and performance for a concealed carry firearm.

This has been a fun little exercise to pick 21 guns of importance or personal meaning to me and I find myself wishing I had allotted myself a greater number to select.  There are so many other firearms of importance that I have not included here, many of which may arguably be “better” than those I have listed.  These are however 21 firearms that have had great personal importance to me through the years of my life and I am proud and grateful to have had the opportunity to share them here on The Sacred Hunt Blog with all of you.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Jeff  Cash

Continuing with my Twenty-One Gun Salute I must give due credit to the M-16/AR-15 rifles.  During my service with the U.S. Air Force I carried one of the old Vietnam era M16A1’s with the three prong flash suppressor.  I carried that rifle nearly every day of my service and the old girl was a sweet firing, accurate and reliable friend that I relied upon with confidence.  The various modified versions of the A1 all came out subsequent to my military service and while I am sure they all came to be for very good cause, I love and miss my old A1.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

The tactical rifle of my dreams has always been the Springfield Armory M1A in .308 Winchester.  I had the pleasure of firing one several years ago and the experience was one I won’t soon forget.  Another rifle that is far more accurate than I am a shooter, I watched it’s owner take out an 8 inch round balloon flopping around in a strong wind at 400 yards with iron sites.  A rifle with a brilliant military history that is seeing renewed service with our modern military demonstrating the quality and effectiveness of this amazing firearm.

The first semi-auto rifle I ever purchased was a Chinese SKS rifle in 7.62 x 39.  These rifles were dirt cheap at the time but also had a reputation for reliability.  In fact, the gun shop owner at the time I purchased it described it in this way … “If you were to drag this rifle behind your truck for half a mile down an old woods road and then pick it up, it’s going to fire every time”.  While I strongly recommend no one ever try to do that I was impressed by his confidence and took it home with me that same day.  I always found it a little clunky as a shooter but it definitely functioned every time I pulled the trigger and even took down a small buck one deer season with some soft point ammo I picked up especially for hunting season.

For years I resisted buying an AK-47 or any of the many variants out there.  Nowadays I don’t even remember why I resisted them for so long.  Maybe I felt it unpatriotic or something along those lines to buy one.  Who knows.  A few years ago I did finally break down and buy an inexpensive Romanian AK.  It certainly performed with all the historical reliability that the AK’s are famous for though I found the stock to be a little short for me.  Perhaps it had more to do with the positioning of the trigger assembly.  More recently I acquired a Saiga rifle in .223.  With the base AK design but in a modern sporterized and slightly modified presentation I found this rifle much more to my liking in both comfort and accuracy.  The combining of the old and the new make this one of my favorites.

A few years ago I received from my father a family heirloom and treasure.  I was presented with an old Remington Model 8 chambered in .35 Remington.  This rifle was manufactured in 1907 and represents what was the first successful commercially available semi-automatic rifle.  This particular rifle was also purchased by my great-grandfather and had been handed down through the family until it reached my hands that day.  Talk about a rifle with history!  This model was made famous in it’s day for the firepower it made available to the shooter or hunter.  It was also a rifle of choice for law enforcement authorities and perhaps most known for it’s utilization in the final shooting of Bonnie & Clyde.  The same year I received this rifle from my father I took it out into the Maine Woods and took a whitetail deer with it.  At 100 plus years old this rifle is still an accurate & top notch performer and still taking big game animals here in New England a century later.   John Moses Browning certainly rang the bell with this one.

There has been a great deal of interest in the shooting community for the last decade or more in .50 caliber rifles.  One which I have seen and handled (but admittedly have never fired) is the Barrett Model 82A1.  A semi-auto .50 BMG, I was amazed by this brute of a firearm and wish that I had been able to experience it on the range.  If I were to select a .50 BMG that I would want to own this would be the one based on my examination of it and the reviews I have researched.  A monster of a rifle but a powerful defender of freedom in America.

I just realized that I have not as of yet referenced a shotgun in this lineup.  Let me correct that right now.  The very best experience I have ever had firing a shotgun was with my great-great Uncle’s old Ithaca Model 37 16 Gauge Featherweight pump shotgun.  What a smooth functioning shotgun with very manageable recoil and recovery between shots!  Big enough to use for whitetail deer and a great choice for birds too this is my favorite in the shotgun world.  Of course it seems to be getting harder and harder to find 16 Ga. shells anymore but the Ithaca is definitely a sweet shotgun.

Jeff Cash

Talking yesterday with my friend and co-worker Bill our discussion turned from work related issues to some of our favorites topics, primarily guns and knives.  Somewhere in the midst of this always inspiring type of conversation the phrase “twenty-one gun salute” came up.  In that moment I asked myself and then Bill, if you had to choose 21 firearms that would comprise your entire personal collection what would they be?

Photo from fOTOGLIF

For me this question led to a great deal of personal reflection.  Seriously now, there are so many firearms that have had either a direct impact on me from my own personal ownership and use of them or from a deep appreciation and desire to own and use them.  With this sort of selection perameters in place the selection of a top twenty-one would expectedly be quite different from one individual to another.  Each would also not be necessarily a listing of “the twenty-one best” but rather the twenty-one most important, most appreciated or most desireable to that individual.

With this in mind I will here set out my own personal Twenty-one Gun Salute.  I will start with a variety of firearms chambered in my all time favorite hunting ammunition, the 45-70 Government.

Throughout most of my teenage hunting years in the early to mid 1980’s I carried in the Maine woods an old Harrington & Richardson single shot break action long barreled 45-70.  While that rifle is long since gone I believe it was the Model 155 with iron sites.  This is the rifle that taught me the power and performance of the 45-70 Government, a respect and appreciation I will carry through to my final days.

As a returning veteran in the early 1990’s I saught to acquire my own 45-70 Government rifle in the spirit of the Harrington & Richardson of my youth.  What I selected was the New England Firearms Handi-Rifle single shot break action in 45-70 Government.  I have owned a couple of these over the years and they have always been a solid rifle with a  basic design but very reliable and trustworthy.

While the single shot 45-70’s were the style I had grown up with, for may years the rifle I dreamed of eventually owning was the Marlin 1895SS lever action 4 shot tube magazine fed 45-70.  When I finally purchased one in the mid 1990’s I carried it almost exclusively for a decade.  This rifle became my pride and joy and took a lot of deer year after year without fail.  If I had to pick a single rifle that best represents me as a hunter the Marlin 1895SS chambered in 45-70 Government would be that rifle.

Shortly after the coming of a modern “upgrade” to the 45-70 jointly produced by Marlin and Hornady, the 450 Marlin became a desired addition to my collection.  My first was a beautiful H&R Ultra-Hunter, a return to my single shot break open days but with the new 450 Marlin powerhouse chambering.  This rifle had a beautiful laminatd cinammon hardwood stock that caught my eye right away.  This rifle also came with fiber optic sites, a feature I believe was added by a previous owner prior to my locating it at a local gun shop but a feature I much appreciated in my early morning hunts.

Much as my 45-70 progression had occurred my 450 Marlin experience soon caused me to acquire a lever action rifle specifically designed to bring out the very best performance with the latest and in my opinion best version of this new ammunition.  The rifle was the Marlin 1895MXLR in 45-70 designed with the Hornady LeverEvolution 450 Marlin ammunition in mind.  Many quality features including a beautiful checkered black/grey laminated stock, stainless steel barrell, trigger, lever & receiver, and a fluted bolt all coupled with design features that bring out some of the very best ballistic performance of the LeverEvolution ammunition made this rifle a prized possession.

Another hunting rifle that has earned my respect is one in which I have never fired at all.  This is the Savage Model 99 lever action clip fed rifle chambered in 308 Winchester.  Topped with a nice scope this is the rifle my father carried throughout most of his adult life taking game in the Maine woods for several decades including whitetail deer, black bear and moose.  My father kept our freezer full of meat each winter with this fine &accurate rifle and through his experience and skill with it I cannot ignore it in my list of appreciated and respected firearms.

I would also be remiss if I failed to include the very first firearm that ever offered me the opportunity and pleasure to pull a trigger.  That firearm was the Winchester Model 9422 chambered in .22 Magnum.  My father purchased this rifle for me in the mid 1970’s before I was of legal age to hunt.  He taught me the basics of shooting with this rifle.  It was the very first rifle I ever carried into the Maine woods hunting although admittedly I never fired at a deer with it.  A younger brother did take a whitetail with it years later with a single head shot.  For me though this was my first firearm and the start of what would eventually become a very large part of who I am.

Jeff Cash

In this modern high tech world of advanced computers and itty bitty electronic devices capable of what it would have taken a building full of equipment to do just decades before, I find myself being exposed to a lot of the cutting edge stuff through my teenage daughter.  Todays teens are usually right on top of that sort of thing and my daughter is no exception.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

My daughter is the one who taught my wife and I about Facebook.  While my wife has caught the Facebook bug and checks in with it several times each day I have been, well, resistant to that sort of thing.

Until very recently that is.

I became aware of something the other day that got my attention as a hunter and outdoor enthusiast and writer.  That “something” is an online social networking system known as Camospace.  I’m not usually prone to promoting any sort of product or commercial enterprise and have not been compensated in any way for this commentary, but I have to say the blending of a social network with an exclusive outdoor/hunting theme being utilized by a group passionately addicted to that very same sort of activity is, well, a big draw to even technological dinosaurs like myself.

For any of you folks who are not already familiar with Camospace I would invite you to check it out.  It may not be for everyone but I expect it will likely become another of the handful of things that help keep me focused on hunting all year until the next whitetail season comes around.  At the same time I look forward to making friends and “networking” with folks like you in the process.

You’ll find a link below each of my blog posts here at The Sacred Hunt Blog that will direct you to my own page at Camospace.  I invite you to check it out and if you want to join the fun you’ll find a link there that will allow you to create your own Camospace page too.  For those of you who are already familiar with online social networking, you’ll likely take right off with it.

For the rest of my fellow dinosaurs out there, well we’ll keep crawling along into the new millenium with you.  Just be patient with us.  After all, anything worth doing is worth taking your time to do it right!

Happy New Year everyone!

Jeff Cash

Do you like guns?  I like guns and apparently Steve Lee likes them too.  Enjoy!

Jeff Cash

As a hunter do you hunt for one season or only one species each year or do you hunt all year long?  Except for unique circumstances, like being drawn for in the Maine lottery system for a moose permit, I have hunted only whitetail deer with modern firearms which means I hunt for one month and wait the next 11 months for that one month to come around again.  Yet I am in my heart and soul a hunter 12 months a year.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Today is the “day after” what most of America knows and celebrates as Christmas.  While many people of various faiths or spiritualities celebrate this time of year they typically celebrate for different reasons.  At the same time there also seems to be some common ground such as an emphasis on family, community, goodwill and a general sense of joy.

So when it comes to the holiday season are you a joyful, family and community focused person for only that season or do you exhibit goodwill and cheer all year long?

Like everything in nature our life cycles are just like the seasons of the earth.  Everything works in cycles with highs and lows and periods of opposite extremes but in the end a balance is achieved.  The very “best” person also has a darker side when they are not at their best at all.  We all have our good days and our bad, honorable behavior and times that we would just plain be embarrassed for others to know about.  Don’t kid yourself.  The laws of nature apply to humans too.  That why they call it human nature.

At the same time, knowing full well that we are far from perfect creatures, most of us try to be good or positive people more often than not.  We may want to be good examples for our children.  We may want to make our parents, spouse, children or other family members proud.  We may have taken oaths to act honorably in some aspect of life such as employment or public service.

So on this “day after” the holiday, I find myself hoping and wanting to be a good and honorable person throughout the entire year.  I want to extend the goodwill and joy that we all focus on through the holidays and not limit it to one day or one season.  I want to live and feel that joy, to be a positive influence and to spread cheer all the time.  But in my heart I know…. to everything there is a season.

So just as I hunt seasonally each year I laud and celebrate our human goodness seasonally too.  But just as I remain a hunter throughout the remainder of the year I too carry the seeds of that holiday cheer with me throughout the entire wheel of the year planting those seeds when I am able to do so and harvesting when it is appropriate to do that too.  In this way I find a balance within myself and with the world around me, even when I am not at my best.

May the spirit of the season stay with you throughout your year but perhaps more importantly may you share it with others too as you go bringing blessings and goodwill to both the giver and to the receiver.

Jeff Cash

Those of you who follow The Sacred Hunt Blog know that one of the key elements of the hunting experience for me is the spiritual core that it serves in my life.  There are many hunters out there, and you may be one yourself, who have a similar appreciation for hunting in their own lives.  During my earliest years of hunting I didn’t have that same awareness as I was primarily focused on the external or physical characteristics of the activity trying to learn the basics and to prove to myself and my family and community elders that I was worthy of joining them each year for the annual whitetail hunting season here in Maine.  It was in fact much later into my adulthood that I connected the spiritual growth I was experiencing with the physical skills I had learned in the fields and forests of northern New England.

My personal and spiritual growth was through the years greatly inspired and guided by others who shared the same appreciation and experiences I had.  These guides and mentors helped me to identify and put a name to my experiences and the life philosophy I was coming to recognize which helped me in both my self-awareness, my self-confidence and the respect I had for others, for the animals I hunt, for the natural environment I hunt within and for myself.  Their impact upon me was and continues to be a positive and energizing element of my life.  With that in mind I want to share some of those guides whom I have grown to appreciate in the hope that others on a similar path may find them helpful as well.

One of the earliest guides I found was Dr. Randall Eaton.  Dr. Eaton has authored several books and produced films which identify and expound upon hunting as a spiritual path as well as the tremendous role it plays as a rite of passage with youth and the harm that can come from the absence of hunting in the growth and development of young people.  I corresponded with Dr. Eaton a few years ago when he honored me with a preview of the text of a speech he was preparing to give in Washington D.C. on that same topic.  Dr. Eaton continues to work to promote hunting as well as protecting habitat and wildlife around the globe.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

One of the greatest influences for me has been David Petersen.  I have read several books authored by Petersen including Heartsblood: Hunting Spirituality and Wildness In America, On The Wild Edge: In Search of a Natural Life, and Writing Naturally.  While many people can write or speak of matters of importance, David Petersen actually walked the walk.  He and his wife Caroline packed up and moved to a small cabin in the Colorado Rockies living remotely and in close contact with the wildness of nature at their front door.  Petersen’s books and writing style touch on deep philosophical subject matter while doing so in a way in which virtually any reader can and will understand and appreciate.  Last year David shared with me his decision to retire from public life as an author and his work for various organizations to protect and preserve both elk and their habitat near his home in the Colorado Rockies and an intent to return to a relaxing life focused more intently on both retirement and his connection with nature.  I cannot recommend his works enough to anyone with an interest in hunting, nature based spirituality or simply connecting with the wildness around us all.  I am excited for him personally for his decision to reward himself with retirement but his absence in the field of nature writing is a great loss to the rest of us.

One often cited work is Meditations on Hunting by Jose Ortega y Gasset, a Spanish philosopher born in 1883 who died in 1955.  This work is often referenced for it’s definitive evaluation of hunting and the benefits it identifies mentally, physically, spiritually and ethically.  Here is one quote from this meditation that will give you an idea of the author’s thoughts on hunting:

“A good hunter’s way of hunting is a hard job which demands much from a man: he must keep himself fit, face extreme fatigues, accept danger.  It involves a complete code of ethics of the most distinguished design: the hunter who accepts the sporting code of ethics keeps his commandments in the greatest solitude, with no witnesses or audience other than the sharp peaks of the mountain, the roaming cloud, the stern oak, the trembling juniper, and the passing animal.”

A more recent but powerful addition to my personal hunting library is a work by the late Paul Shepard entitled Coming Home To The Pleistocene.  Paul Shepard is actually the author of the Introduction to my copy of Meditations On Hunting and authored many books on the subject of man’s interaction and place within wild nature and our genetic design as omnivores and the influence and importance of that biological makeup on our natural place in this world.  He reflects on how this genetic design has been hardwired into all of us since the earliest man first hunted.  I have found his ideas and opinions both profound and inspiring.  They have a ring of truth to them with a solid and supportive scientific base.  Shepard, who died in 1996, was also a friend of David Petersen who I previously have shared with you.  Additionally he was the Avery Professor of Human Ecology and Natural Philosophy at Pitzer College and the Claremont Graduate School.  Professor Shepard’s widow Florence Shepard is also an accomplished author.

There have been many, many other individuals who have served as guides or mentors in the development of my own life philosophies including Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Dr. James Swan, my father, my grandfather and along the way these gentlemen I have shared with you today.

I encourage you to research and read for yourself what these men have shared with all of us and hope you find them as positive an influence in your life as I have found them to be in my own.

Jeff Cash