Tracks and Hides: A Holistic Approach to Hunting and Harvest
A word from the instructors:
“Holistic hunting experience is about getting in touch with what hunting is at the core. What it means to hunt, how to hunt and how to honor our harvests as much as we can. This is a hands-on experience where you will get your hands dirty and process an animal.
To us hunting is a journey that will have its many challenges. How we overcome our challenges in life and as hunters are what defines us and makes us who we are. To some this is a spiritual practice and an annual pilgrimage as much as anything.
To call oneself a hunter is a badge of honor and with that it means it needs to be mindful and conscious and connected to the animal and nature”
Andrew Crawford-White from Backwoods Bushcraft
“As a hunting apprentice, I am honored to support Andrew in his vision and provide community building pieces to round out the “Tracks and Hide” experience. As an outdoor enthusiast, I have long yearned for a more meaningful way to connect with nature and the ways of the ancestors. In a society where everything is so easy and comfortable, there is strong medicine in cultivating patience and presence through the art of holistic hunting. I believe anyone can benefit from this experience (even “non-hunters”) by reaching a deeper understanding of animal behavior and the interconnectedness of the forest.”
Andrea Fox from Elemental Journeys
Schedule
Arrival the day before is possible and camping is available with a bathroom and shower facilities.
Day 1
This will be a classroom based day of talking about animal behaviours and ethics. We will run through a bunch of gear and get hands on with treestands, trail cameras, calls, and decoy. We will talk tactics and styles of hunting to suit your needs and budgets. Then we get busy with online scouting and we will plan a scouting objective.
Day 2
We take and execute our online scouting as a hunt. This means an early morning or a late evening and a full day in the field. We will be looking at tracks and sign, bedding areas and feeding areas.
Day 3
Processing a harvest. This is where we will breakdown a whole animal ready for the freezer or grill. The afternoon will get into preparing the skin for tanning and turning into buckskin.
Day 4
Turning rawhide to buckskin is the order for the day. It is a physical but rewarding process.
Day 5
The morning will be smoking and preserving the tanning that was done the day before. At the same time we can prepare and smoke some of the meat. The late afternoon will bring us round to the feast and preparing a series of dishes for a group meal.
Hunters courses are both in the field and classroom based. You are expected to bring your own lunches. We will provide tea, coffee and water for the workshop based course section. For courses like the Hunters Intro there is a component of field time out in the bush. For this component you will need to wear fast dry clothing or wool layers suitable for hiking and moving through rough terrain.
Please bring the following items with you each day:
Phone or laptop for online scouting, photographs and apps
Binoculars, spotting scopes, monoculars, range finders that you may have.
Backpack
Sturdy walking boots
Waterbottle, lunch, snacks
Waterproofs
Head torch
Warm layers
Sun hat, sun glasses, wool hat etc. suitable for weather.
Optional;
Fixed blade knife
Pruning saw
Hiking boots
Holistic Hunters please bring the following:
Apron or work coveralls etc for the tanning.
Work gloves
Bowl plate and spoon
No Firearms, crossbows or bows are to be taken into the field. We will happily help and answer questions about your set ups between, before and after instructional sessions.
