Christine Peterson underwent a complete turnaround in her views on hunting. The freelance writer shared her experience with OutdoorLife, sharing exactly what turned the anti-hunter into a hunter herself.
Anti-Hunter Turned Hunter: The Beginning Years
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Initially, Peterson admits that she was not a hunting advocate. Perhaps it all stemmed from her not-so-great first experience with it. She wrote, "My first impression of hunting was watching maggots crawl out of a small buck's eyes as he lay in a friend's backyard in central Wyoming." Not exactly the type of image that instills a deep love of hunting. Additionally, it didn't help that she was only three or four years old at the time - a very impressionable age when those images would have stuck with her.
Naturally, as she grew older, her aversion to hunting persisted. Furthermore, Peterson admitted that her family didn't hunt, so it was not something that she was routinely exposed to or taught about. That all changed with her college boyfriend. He was a hunter and shared that he had shot a deer when chatting with her one night. Although Peterson wasn't a vegetarian, she was an anti-hunter and told him he was "a Bambi killer." In her mind, killing animals was something that was done out of necessity, not sport. Therefore, she couldn't understand her boyfriend's actions.
What Changed Her Mind
Despite her distaste for hunting, a year after their conversation about killing Bambi, Peterson agreed to go on a hunt with her boyfriend. While on that hunt, she "conceded that hunting provided lean meat through sustainable harvest." Additionally, it gave her yet another reason to spend time outdoors, which was something that she loved. Furthermore, during one of her hunts with her boyfriend, she played a vital role. Her boyfriend and his brother were colorblind, so they could not see the blood trail the animal left behind.
Peterson could, and she followed the blood trail successfully tracking the wounded bull in the forest. Playing such a crucial role in the hunt brought her a surprising sense of satisfaction. Over the years, she began participating in the hunts in various ways. From "carrying elk quarters out of the woods" to "using sticks to prop open antelope chest cavities." Eventually, after years assisting her boyfriend and other hunters, she decided to hunt for herself. Peterson admitted that it helped that many of the hunters spoke ethics with her and that her boyfriend always chose his words carefully before answering any of her questions.
Understanding that these hunters saw it as more than just a sport helped her to see some of the many benefits that hunting provides. One of the main benefits that this anti-hunter turned hunter mentions is that "The meat is healthy and hormone-free." This is very important for her as an individual and as a mother.
