Hunting & Fishing

I will fully admit: I have never shot a gun or cast a reel in my life. I’m even a vegetarian! But whether one is a sportsman (or woman!) themselves, or more akin to me, we can all value the fact that hunting and fishing have a critically important impact on our local economy and regional ecology.

In a practical sense, those who hunt help keep the deer populations down and provide work for the butchers in our area that process the meat. Those who hunt and fish also help support ancillary small businesses by purchasing what they need to complete their outdoor gear, or buying provisions for an early morning jaunt into the woods or onto the boat. Out-of-town sporting enthusiasts, attracted to our deep woods, beautiful lakes and waterways and ample wild and water life, help keep our local tourism industry alive and well in the autumn months. While we may not all participate in the season, surely, we can recognize the critical part hunters and fishermen play in the ever-connected, ever-continuing cycle of life, reaching back to the days when our ancestors lived off the land and waterways, and in turn, revered and honored it.

And we can envision the thrill of the adventure. Like any other sport, hunters and fishermen no doubt work very hard to achieve their goal. It’s a careful, strategic endeavor that requires the utmost persistence and determination. We can imagine the practice and discipline it must take to wait patiently for hours for just the right deer to avail; the sheer perfect performance required to pull the trigger successfully; and the know-how to complete the adventure with tracking one’s hunt. We can imagine the feat, the joy, the accomplishment. But maybe most importantly, we can imagine the peace and tranquility that comes with a walk in the woods, especially in the crisp cool autumn air, among the changing, falling leaves this time of year. And similarly to the glory of fishing.

With beauty all around and a grave appreciation for the interconnectedness of nature, a hunter and a fisherman coexist. To sit for hours upon a tree stand or fishing boat, often among one’s closest friends and family, the time-honored skills and tradition are passed down from generation to generation. We can imagine this cathartic experience. For certain, hunting and fishing in Chautauqua County is as intricately a part of our culture as grapes and apples — interwoven into the basic fabric of our community. It is an ancient and time-tested way that allows fellow community members to reconnect with nature. To fall into that primordial drive, into that hard-won legacy of providing for the family table; connecting to our hardscrabble ancestors through a shared activity. It is a way to recognize the strength and beauty of the animals and environment around us — not as a comfortable world in the woods — but as a natural one. Hunting and fishing are a way of life — an intrinsic love and passion for nature.