Editorial
GUEST COLUMN: ‘Tis a season
Monday, 19 November 2012 by Mark Magnan
As fall comes into view things change. Election season is over, I can go back to answering my phone without the worry of a political ad. Although one major website had a survey of a potential match up for the 2016 Presidential race, I have not been that close to wanting smash my big computer monitor in a long time. This time of year there are sales fliers that are big and full of all sorts of items to entice buyers. It is once again, hunting season.
Hunting season in Texas is a big deal, many of us go all out and dress up in camo clothes to go sit in the woods for hours waiting on a deer. While the ads that fill our mailboxes are loaded with all sorts of camouflage, the early hunting seasons in Texas are usually warm. So what might be a good choice for hunting attire up north is not a good choice for here.
We are probably better suited with camouflage boxer shorts and a t-shirt. Of course anyone that dove hunts in Texas knows very well that our hunting seasons are not the snow clad scenes from the northern states.
I am not an avid deer hunter, so I don't get into all the little gadgets and gizmos that make hunting more effective. I have found I don't have the right personality for deer hunting. My attention span is not good for sitting quietly for long periods of time. I have to force myself to stop and relax, so it doesn't always come naturally. Now that might debated if someone sees how I watch the Cowboys games. Of course this season my state of quiet might be confused with being dumbfounded at how poorly they have played.
I think that hunting of all forms serves a valid purpose. Ecologically hunting can be beneficial. For the most part we have reduced a lot of the natural predators for game animals, and now we can balance this back out with well managed hunting seasons. The state of Texas works well with studies that indicate trends and are able to manage the rules and regulations each year.
But hunting has a deeper root in our culture. This was one of the sole methods for providing food for our forefathers. That is the basis for another upcoming event, our Thanksgiving holiday. The celebration for not only the harvest, but also for the benefits of a productive hunting season. These days Thanksgiving has turned into something else for us. There are a few foods that are served only on this one holiday, so for me this is a welcome event. I have a fairly lengthy list of favorite foods. Near the top of that list is potatoes, anyone that knows me will attest to the fact that I will eat potatoes in almost any form and be very happy. I was recently at a hunting lodge and the cook claimed that she had a different potato recipe for each day of the month. I secretly thought that this is a very appealing attribute for a woman to have. Close to the top of my list is cornbread stuffing, not just any stuffing and surely not box stuffing, but a select few recipes are what I live for each fall. Somewhere in the mix are pies, with pecan pie being my absolute favorite, and pumpkin following close behind. My question is why do we always feel like we have to wait for Thanksgiving to enjoy these clearly universal foods. I could do this every week. The main course for the holiday meal is turkey, probably one of the most tricky of any hunts. So the roots of Thanksgiving go back to what we were able to grow or hunt, not shop for as we do today.
Perhaps my inability to not sit still is natures way of preparing me for the upcoming feasts. I have to work for the food that I overindulge and in some way it balances out. So this year I am hoping for a favorite filled meal and enough excitement during the Cowboys game that I can feel good about my eating habits. I am working on honing my hunting skills as well. But honestly, potatoes are not a cunning prey.
