“One of the finest black-tail bucks I ever shot was killed while lying out in a rather unusual place. I was hunting mountain-sheep, in a stretch of very high and broken country, and about mid-day, crept cautiously up to the edge of a great gorge, whose sheer walls went straight down several hundred feet.

Peeping over the brink of the chasm I saw a buck, lying out on a ledge so narrow as to barely hold him, right on the face of the cliff wall opposite, some distance below, and about seventy yards diagonally across from me. He lay with his legs half stretched out, and his head turned so as to give me an exact centre-shot at his forehead; the bullet going in between his eyes, so that his legs hardly so much as twitched when he received it.

It was toilsome and almost dangerous work climbing out to where he lay; I have never known any other individual, even of this bold and adventurous species of deer, to take its noonday siesta in a place so barren of all cover and so difficult of access even to the most sure-footed climber.

This buck was as fat as a prize sheep, and heavier than any other I have ever killed; while his antlers also were, with two exceptions, the best I ever got.”

As I read this passage from a famous book, the author’s words made me feel as if I were with him on that mountain looking over his shoulder during the encounter. His recollection of the hunt revealed his passion for the sport and obviously a different era in American history.

Those of us living in the current environment of political correctness, slight of tongue and following the beaten path never would even think about describing a recent hunt or fishing trip in the way the author did.

Modern times have brought about an environment where sportsmen have either backed ourselves into or been forced into a corner where we’re often times dealing with issues from a defensive posture rather than a proud, historical, objective standpoint.

This author obviously wasn’t concerned about the reaction his story would cause among its readers. He didn’t feel the need to use politically correct terms or sugar coat his actions. His account of the hunt even described where he placed his shot, and the obvious end result.

His honest, no-nonsense way of telling his story, not only in this passage but throughout many of the books he wrote on conservation and the outdoors, is a refreshing blast from the past.

As an outdoors writer, I often feel as if sportsmen are walking a fine line in an attempt to keep from offending not only our fellow outdoors people but also those who are indifferent or opposed to hunting, fishing, trapping and even the shooting sports.

This attitude of walking on eggshells is unfortunate as our country wouldn’t exist if our ancestors had not hunted, fished, trapped or been competent with a firearm.

Our country owes sportsmen its gratitude for the accomplishments we’ve achieved in increasing wildlife populations and habitat and improving conservation practices throughout the last century.

We’ve gone from a group who didn’t blink an eye when we spoke of “killing” a game animal to the now more appropriate term of “harvest.” There was a day when anglers were openly proud of keeping a mess of fish for the frying pan but now I almost feel guilty for keeping a few crappie or panfish to fillet.

I’m not saying that sportsmen should act like the killing or taking of game is of no consequence, but haven’t we proven ourselves over the years to be America’s front line in the conservation movement? Why should any legal sportsmen ever be put in a position where they feel ashamed of their activities or speak of them in guarded terms?

It’s not as if we’re talking about stem-cell research, abortion, cloning, or some other controversial issue that’s come up in the last century. We’re talking about American citizens who choose to continue the time-honored traditions that literally built the foundations of our country.

Our “civilized” world has advanced to a level where living off the land and enjoying its renewable bounty is often no longer a necessity, but hunters, anglers, trappers and gun enthusiasts must strive get out of the corner we’ve let ourselves be backed into.

Modern society has put many of us on the defensive for too many years; yet it is those who seek to end these time-honored pursuits who should be on the defensive. By the way, the author who described his hunt with such passion earlier was none other than “Teddy” Roosevelt, our country’s 26th President and a pioneer of modern conservation.

Can you imagine anyone holding the office of President of the United States in modern times describing a hunt in the way Roosevelt so proudly and passionately did? Hard to imagine. While we may never see those times again, as sportsmen we should always hold our heads high.

"The challenge of history is to recover the past and introduce it to the present."

—David Thelen