Thoughts as another deer season is here

It’s especially gratifying to see a photograph of a young hunter proudly sharing his or her turkey, deer, or trout; in a way sharing the experience on social media.

Every year a new wave of young hunters join the millions of older hunters, and take to the field with that dual dream, of tagging a trophy critter and putting some meat in the freezer at the same time to share and feed the family.

Time was, and not so long ago (at least to those of us who have been around a long time), when it was a unique, special event to get a deer, and that was any deer here in the uplands of the Southern Tier of Western NY.

After all, this is New York state where many of the game species were at very low population levels or even non-existent a century ago.

We forget that fact sometimes, but need to be reminded that deer and turkey season did not exist at all here.

But only through the dedication of sportsmen, sensible game laws, and conservation can we enjoy the wild bounty we have.

There were very few whitetails here in the early 1930s and virtually no turkey.

The first deer season here was in 1939. The opening occurred at the same time the men and women of Western NY and the Southern Tier along with the rest of the nation were caught up in the turmoil of World War II as the first deer season opened.

Many of the men who were not carrying guns afield in the Appalachians, were carrying far afield in war. After they won, and came back, many started participating in this new sport, a hunt for deer.

Wilderness skills needed to be learned, not only about the hunting the wily, sneaky, crafty critters, but just as importantly, also about preparing the venison for the table.

Often, people were turned off eating deer meat. Their objections were based on a strong, gamy, wild taste and as they said, the meat was “tough as tripe.”

Certainly a far cry from the delectable venison we now enjoy at the end of a successful hunting season. Those delicious little seared filets melt in the mouth, or that steaming pot roast, smothered in onions and veggies, not to mention venison jerky, venison hot dogs, sausage, or many other ways we enjoy this craft of preparing venison.

Back in the early days of deer hunting in Western New York, many people didn’t realize that venison needed to be treated differently than beef or pork.

As time went by and more and more whitetails became part of this new culinary tradition in the Appalachians, more and more families began preparing venison as a unique and special meal, serving other preparations, as a treats.

Families considering deer meat as a staple meat through the year, canned, smoked, or frozen.

However, the deer hunting tradition doesn’t always stick, that is, some children do not feel their heart beat harder and their blood race a bit as deer season’s opening day approaches.

The dream of the trophy buck has not captured their imagination to pull them up one hill or down another or plan tactics to wait on a stump, or a stand.

And others of us feel a tremendous drive and desire, it fires up our minds and seethes under our skin. We yearn to get up in the trees and love the hunt itself. And hanker for the taste of fresh venison seared on the grill in all its many culinary iterations.

But the mindset of enjoying venison is a relatively new localized, community-wide sentiment here.

A few hunters did travel outside of Western NY to hunt deer in the Adirondacks, Michigan

and Pennsylvania long before our season opened here.

The venison back then, which they brought home was actually more of an exotic meal, something unusual.

Now, deer hunting is an integral part of our culture here in Western New York, and the Southern Tier.

And it has become part of who we are.

Urban folks, and those with an urban mindset, may find it difficult to grasp but, no matter how much they may deny it, a hunting-based life style and ethical system is alive, evolving, and well here in the Southern Tier of Western New York and the Northern Tier of Pa.

And another deer season is here to prove it.

Oak Duke writes a weekly column appearing on the Outdoors page.

This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Thoughts as another deer season is here