The Waterfowl Season
The waterfowl season started on Tuesday at twelve a'clock.
In the fowl hunting community this is called "the start".
All the village hunters gather to the common hunting lake.
They all have their own spot, where they come every season.
They set up their camouflage and sit to wait.
At twelve a'clock everybody is exited.
Who will shoot the first shot and start the season.
This year I had the privilege to come with and experience this tradition.
I have never before been on a hunt.
I come from academic family,
so there has been no hunters around me, when I was young.
so there has been no hunters around me, when I was young.
Here in Lapland it seems that every other person hunt.
And hunting is pacing the seasons.
I'm kinda jealous to the northern children,
who's grandfather has been taking them to hunt or past his knowledge to them.
Although I was so scared of everything as a child,
that I would had probably said "no" and cryed if someone would had tried to hand me a gun.
Today I'm not gonna cry and as I have been used to be around guns during my army service,
I feel pure excitement about the day.
who's grandfather has been taking them to hunt or past his knowledge to them.
Although I was so scared of everything as a child,
that I would had probably said "no" and cryed if someone would had tried to hand me a gun.
Today I'm not gonna cry and as I have been used to be around guns during my army service,
I feel pure excitement about the day.
I meet my friend where the road pavement end and start a dirt road.
From there we continue with a quad.
I put my arms around my friend and squeeze tightly as we drive on the bumpy road.
I am laughing from the simple joy of life.
I'm feeling extreme happiness already.
I'm feeling extreme happiness already.
At the lake shore we meet other village men and start our journey by rowing boat
to our spot at the midway of the lake.
to our spot at the midway of the lake.
They are actually an old hiding spots.
The branches that had been stick to the fluffy ground
has started to grow and now they are a man high trees.
has started to grow and now they are a man high trees.
The hunters that had stick them there were long gone,
but the trees where there reminding of them.
but the trees where there reminding of them.
Hearing this feels kinda warm and comforting for me.
The circle of the life and the power of nature,
right there in front of me.
right there in front of me.
At our spot is growing some small trees also from the previous years
and we stick to the ground couple more new branches to cover us.
and we stick to the ground couple more new branches to cover us.
We anchor couple fake birds on the water near our spot
and hide our boat little bit a side from us.
and hide our boat little bit a side from us.
Then we sit and wait.
It was exciting to wait for the first shot to echoed on the lake
and also try to spot a first waterfowl to fly past us.
and also try to spot a first waterfowl to fly past us.
This put the fowls of the lake on the move
and finally we could see some of them flying to our direction also.
and finally we could see some of them flying to our direction also.
One landed on the lake and my friend went to pick it up.
Other one landed on the grassy swamp shore
and as we didn't have dog, we used some 20 minutes to find the bird.
and as we didn't have dog, we used some 20 minutes to find the bird.
It was finally me who found it.
Picking up the little body on my palms were truly a deep experience for me.
I realized,
that even I have been so alienated from the nature,
that I had never saw a freshly died animal in my life.
that even I have been so alienated from the nature,
that I had never saw a freshly died animal in my life.
It was fascinating to hold the little body
and feel the body warm of the bird slowly transferring to my hands.
and feel the body warm of the bird slowly transferring to my hands.
I counted this one of the most meaningful experiences at my past life.
I also wanted to gut the bird,
as I had never done it before, but had saw my friend to gut the other bird.
as I had never done it before, but had saw my friend to gut the other bird.
I was happy to learn a new useful skill.
Afterwards we went to their traditional fireplace by the shore,
where my friends father,
whom had been hunting few hundred meters from us,
had prepared their traditional dinner of "the start" for us.
where my friends father,
whom had been hunting few hundred meters from us,
had prepared their traditional dinner of "the start" for us.
New potatoes from their own farm and some canned reindeer meat.
It was super delicious.
After enjoying some pan coffee,
we left my friends father to take a nap under a tree and headed back to our quad.
we left my friends father to take a nap under a tree and headed back to our quad.
Now at home, I have been trying to process everything from this experience.
Firstly I am super happy to experience something completely new for me.
Secondly I feel grateful for the invitation to be part of this tradition
and also the opportunity to see inside of this hunting community.
To see their perspective to the world.
and also the opportunity to see inside of this hunting community.
To see their perspective to the world.
And feel how they are respecting the nature and how they are a part of it.
This is definitely a thing that I wan't to learn more about.
And I promised to my self to get the hunting license some day soon.
I have already been practicing archery (just for meditation),
and I know this would definitely be my number one choice of weapon.
and I know this would definitely be my number one choice of weapon.
I would also rather eat meat, I have hunted by my self,
than some industrial cattle from the supermarket.
than some industrial cattle from the supermarket.
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