Preserving a Tradition
People communicate with animals. Dr. Doolittle notwithstanding, this is an idea that transcends entertainment, and is linked directly to our survival as a species.
This past weekend, on a visit to the Kittery Trading Post (Kittery, Maine), I stumbled into a large classroom on the ground floor of this unique sporting-goods emporium ("we still take deer hides in trade."). Most people filing into the classroom had one thing in common . . . small, hand-held (non-electronic) instruments that emitted sounds that fell somewhere between fingernails on a blackboard and a baby crying.
As the master of ceremonies took the podium, it all became clear . . . the group was assembled for the KTP's first turkey-calling contest. The first contestants (who were very, very young) were asked to emulate three distinct turkey sounds (e.g. a "a cutting hen," etc.) judged by a panel behind a curtain. Despite some obvious stage-fright, these kids were definitely in the game . . . and were rewarded for their efforts not only with well-deserved applause, but with some appropriate prizes. Next came the "hens" (the hunting universe is not exactly a haven for political correctness), providing some really accomplished work and finally the males, many of whom were camo'ed up . . . ready to take the field in search of their elusive prey.
I had to leave before the competition was over, but had a chance to reflect on what I'd witnessed later that afternoon, What really stands out, was both the enthusiasm of the crowd and its love of the outdoors and its traditions. Hunting, which some might think is a sport long overdue for extinction, is alive and well in Southern Coastal Maine. And it is being preserved by families, fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, who see our relationship with the environment as part of their lives, and not just a documentary on the Nature Channel.
