Taking It Back to My Families Roots

Native Americans used to hunt down animals and gather food and resources everyday in order for their tribes to stay alive. Hunting animals wasn't something that they just did for fun. The animals that they harvested would provide food for families for several days and would make sure that people were healthy enough to continue on their everyday adventures. Today, the tradition is carried on by our generation so that we can get a healthy source of meat while also controlling the herd sizes of the animals. With me being a 1/4 Native American, I love carrying on the tradition of my ancestors and I will continue to do it for as long as I live.

The Process

There are strict rules when it comes to hunting specific animals. Each country, state, or city has its own guidelines that you must follow because it is a privilege that we get to harvest such great animals for the better. Here in Utah, I hunt Mule Deer and Elk. The time period to hunt those animals is in the Fall and that is because it helps maintain the herd size. 

February is the month where you can apply to hunt for a specific animal. Unlike most Eastern states, Utah has you go through an application process because our deer population is not as large as the ones back East. Once you apply for an animal tag, it usually takes until May to find out if you successfully or unsuccessfully drew out a tag. 

Once May comes around, I will go set up my trail cameras in the mountains to capture footage of what types of animals are in that area so I can locate the animal that I am going to be after in the Fall. I look for the most mature buck/bull because I know that the herd will still be okay with the younger generations beneath my harvested animal.  

After looking for the animals that look mature enough and it comes fall time, my family and friends will go out for a week and look for that animal to try to harvest it. It isn't as easy as it sounds though. These animals are super smart. They have the best hearing and smelling skills around. In order to get even near these animals you need to dress up in camouflage clothing so you can remain "hidden" when tracking these animals. 

Each year I look forward to spending time with my family in the wilderness continuing these types of traditions because it creates the best memories and it allows me to have quality time with my loved ones in doing something that we all love.