Men of good will hunting

One fine Good Friday morning in the late 7th century, a thirtysomething man named Hubert skipped church services to go hunting. He mounted his horse and was in hot pursuit of a majestic stag when the animal stopped, turned, and looked at him, revealing the presence of a crucifix between its antlers. 

“Hubert,” the hunter heard a voice say, “if you don’t turn to the Lord and lead a holy life, you will soon go to hell!” Hubert dismounted and asked humbly, “Lord, what would You have me do?” The Lord, it turned out, wanted him to enter the priesthood, where indeed Hubert distinguished himself by a holy and virtuous life.

Since the Middle Ages, St. Hubert has been recognized as the patron of hunting, a sport enjoyed by many men and women. Animal-rights objections notwithstanding, most hunting is not forbidden under Catholic teaching. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that God gave man stewardship over animals and that “it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing,” although it is “contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly” (2417-18). The takeaway: hunting, fishing, or otherwise killing animals humanely for food and clothing, or for wildlife management, is acceptable. 

Among people of faith, hunting and fishing can be a spiritual experience.

SOLITUDE AND SILENCE

Dave Hrbacek, senior content specialist for The Catholic Spirit, newspaper for the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, is one such outdoorsman who finds hunting good for the soul. 

“One of the things I enjoy about hunting is the chance to sit quietly in nature,” Hrbacek said. “The two wildlife species I hunt are whitetail deer and wild turkeys. In both instances, I spend hours in a blind or stand waiting for something to show up. I really like the solitude and the silence, which helps me find peace and gives me spiritual refreshment.”

Sometimes this leads to prayer, he said, while other times he will just “sit and soak it all in… I never tire of sitting quietly in the woods.”

That solitude and silence is something he yearns for often. “Regularly during the busyness of life, I long to go out into nature to have some quiet time,” he admitted. “The busier I get, the more I seek solitude.”

FAMILY TRADITION

For Hrbacek, hunting and fishing are not solitary experiences, however. They are part of a larger family tradition, one that he carries on with his own family.

In grade school, his father would take him hunting for squirrels or fishing the lakes of Minnesota along with his brothers. “I enjoyed every opportunity I got to go out there,” Hrbacek said. So, when he became a father himself, he bought a boat to take his own four children fishing. 

“My kids really loved fishing growing up, and it proved to be a very significant bonding experience,” he recalled. “I see the fruits of it today and am already excited for the day when my two grandchildren will be able to join in the tradition. I am also fortunate to be able to continue doing it with two of my brothers, which definitely has strengthened our relationship.”

Hrbacek said he’d love to hunt elk in the mountains with his sons someday, but he’s in his 60s now and not sure he could get in the proper physical shape for the endeavor.

“For now, whitetail deer are the largest animals I hunt,” he said. “I have been able to harvest two big bucks, one in 2012 and the other in 2017. Both came from the exact same spot.”

THANKS FOR THE HARVEST

The 2012 buck is special because he had learned the St. Hubert connection only two days before that hunt. 

“I prayed to St. Hubert before my final hunt,” he recalled. “With only minutes of legal shooting time left on the last day of the season, this buck came out into a picked soybean field and ended up trotting right at me. It was as though St. Hubert was pushing the buck in my direction. 

“That buck and the one in 2017 are now on my wall,” he added with pride.

And like good hunters, Hrbacek uses the meat of the animals he hunts, cooking wild game for his family and friends.

“This is an especially gratifying part of the experience. It’s truly rewarding to prepare game that I have harvested,” he said. 

“I believe this is one way God meant for us to enjoy His creation.”

Connecting with nature and God

Joseph Classen, a professional wildlife photographer, hunter, and Catholic author, had this to say about the spiritual dimension of hunting in his book Hunting for God, Fishing for the Lord:

It is the process of actually hunting an animal (not necessarily killing it) that is so special. It is the sights, the sounds, the touch, the smells, and the tastes that one experiences during the hunt that makes it such a tangible yet ethereal endeavor. … But underneath it all, the primary lure that draws many into the world of hunting (and fishing) is the solitude, the quiet, and the deep immersion and connectedness to nature. It’s that intimate connection to the natural world that can in turn connect one more deeply to the spiritual. Admiration of the natural leads to an admiration of the supernatural from which it was conceived and brought forth.