Should I pick up the Hunting Project again?

Nine years ago I was in search of a subject for a long term documentary project. Somehow the world of hunting presented itself to me. I figured I would work on it for about a year and top it off with a book and a gallery show. Some of the pictures have found their way on a wall, I did lectures about the project but there’s still no book. There’s just a bunch of pictures on hard drives and drafts of texts in my Onedrive. But yesterday I was out filming a hunting day for the Jagersliga and while I also snapped some quick pictures, I asked myself the quesion:

Should I pick up the Hunting Project again and finish it?

I know it’s a controversial subject and honestly when I started this project I couldn’t understand why people who aren’t hungry would hunt. It probably doesn’t help the controversy that the project made me become a hunter myself. Now I am one of those people who could just buy meat at the supermarket but instead I kill it myself. But there are good reasons why I evolved from being against hunting to being a hunter. And I believe a documentary project can be both personal and a bit controversial. There’s no point in trying to talk to extremists but over the years I’ve had a ton of great conversations with many people who still posses the skill of being open to other beliefs. In fact, as a storyteller, I see it as my duty to open conversations, even difficult ones.

The day started very early on a carpool parking, waiting for two hunters to pick me up. This time there is no rifle in the booth of my car, only a couple of cameras, just like when the project started 9 years ago.

We are on our way to the south of Belgium where there are big forests (for Belgium) with lots of wildlife. In fact there are too many animals of some species, that’s why hunting is allowed (under strict rules) and even necessary to maintain a balance in the ecosystem. The hunters and I talk about our kids doing their driver’s test, the past summer holidays and much more. But the further we go south, the more the conversation drifts towards hunting and particularly how hunting has to evolve.

When the very first photons of the day show glimpses of the forest, the excitement mounts. I’m excited to see what a modern approach to hunting looks like. I was commissioned to make a film about the theory of this approach a couple of months ago but today I will see how it works in practise.

I’ve never been a big fan of traditional driven big game days. Too much testosteron. I attended a number of those hunting days both as a photographer and a hunter because I believe you can’t base your opinions on just outside info. I had to admit that most of the people on these days are very fine men and women. I also believe that these days can be conducted in a respectful way but it’s not for me and I can’t help thinking that there must be better ways.

Today I’ll be shadowing the organiser of this hunting day. His name is Dirk and I’ve come to know him as a very passionate, smart man with a mission. Traditionally a part of the forest is lined with a row of hunters. Beaters with dogs drive the (mostly) wild boar, deer and roe deer towards the line of hunters. This strategy works and a bunch of wild boar wizzing past you definitely gets the adrenalin pumping. Experienced hunters with a lot of shooting practise can identify the right species and make a clean, safe shot in a fraction of a second. Inexperienced hunters like myself can’t do that and should keep their finger off the trigger unless they are absolutely sure. Unfortunately not everyone has that same discipline and that means sometimes animals get wounded and unsafe situations happen. The vast majority of the people involved are extremely trustworthy but the hunting world has to acknowledge that there are still a couple of cowboys that give hunting a bad rap. In the last 15 years or so a new variation of classic driven game hunting has emerged. I’ll spare you the details but its “one bullet, one kill” philosophy means that hunting can be more effective, humane and accountable. The game is also not chased and moves naturally and calm. My guide for the day is an authority in this new strategy and I am very curious to see it in action.

Hunting days like these are like a gigantic game of Stratego. The day doesn’t start as smoothly as planned but Dirk is on it and manages to place about 30 hunters and 20 beaters on the right spots to start a well choreographed day.

Dirk’s job is to organise these hunting days. On the day itself, he has to manage a ton of moving parts. But most of the work is done on the 364 other days of the year. He knows every part of the area he is responsible for. He can drive the many small roads with his eyes closed but most importantly he has an intimate knowledge of the forest and its inhabitants. The amount of work that goes into this before the first shot rings out in the forest is insane. Dirk and his team, like most in Belgium, are volunteers who spent their own time and money on this area.

Sure Dirk has a rifle but his main weapons are a walkie-talkie, a clipboard, maps and a wealth of knowledge. Another weapon is his relentless moral compass. The rules are clear, nobody shoots at a moving animal. This means the bulk of animals get away and there’s no excuse for bad shots that wound an animal instead of cleanly killing it. In this way of hunting the animals are not chased and the ones who end up on our plates, have never known what happened. A clear briefing before the day starts, makes sure what animals can be shot to comply to the management plan.

When I’m left alone for a little bit I have the same sensation that sparked the whole hunting project: I like to be in the forest, I like to be part of nature, I belong here.

Blood, intestines and dead animals may be hard to look at for the average person because we are so far removed from our sources of food these days. But seeing it made me have more respect for my food and forces me to make sure nothing goes to waste. Sometime before noon, I join the team of people who take care of the animals that have been shot. So far that means two roe deer and one wild boar. Even in these cold temperatures the best way to ensure nothing gets wasted is to gut the animals as soon as possible. These people have done this many times but I can still feel their respect for the animals. A couple of novice hunters are invited to help out and learn how to gut an animal. I think it’s a great move of the organisation to not let this happen out of sight. Getting your hands dirty make you think twice and only touch the trigger when you’re absolutely sure of a clean shot.

I’m left alone for 15 minutes and my mind drifts towards the double feelings I still have as a hunter. I still feel incredibly small when realising that I’m a part of the ecosystem. It may seem a very strange thing to say but hunting has made me respect nature even more.

In this way of hunting, every hunter is held accountable for every single shot. And accountability is one of the main strengths of this method. The tight nature of the hunting community makes news travel fast. Cowboys aren’t welcome. When you’re held accountable for every shot, you better make sure you don’t make mistakes. Every shot is investigated and if a bad shot should be made, it will be discovered.

Every single hunter will only consider a shot if they can make sure the animal drops on the spot without any suffering. But we have to be honest and admit that in reality it happens occasionally that an animals runs away after being shot. In most cases it’s a matter of nerves that will allow the animal to run a little further while the heart has already stopped beating. But we always have the responsibility to minimise any chance of suffering. We hear on the radio that a hunter has shot a wild boar. He’s pretty sure he made a good shot but he can’t see the animal. We drive to the scene where we meet the guy who’s job it is to look for potential wounded game. His dog is on the track immediately and I’m getting nervous. It happens very rarely but a wounded wild boar can be incredibly dangerous. Luckily we quickly discover the animal and the shot was perfect.

Before I know it, a horn is blown three times which signals the end of the hunt. Hunters and beaters reassemble and start recalling what they’ve seen an experienced.

But for the people behind the scenes the work isn’t over. I join the team that retrieves the remaining shot animals from the forest and process them.

While the game gets processed we start to get a complete view of the day. Almost every hunter saw animals and for most that means they had a good day even if they’ll return home with just as many bullets as they came with. For Dirk the numbers are important. They do have to fill certain quota to maintain a balance in the ecosystem and serious fines are administered when you don’t reach your quota. But the most important thing for the whole bunch is that every animal was shot correctly and safety was guaranteed.

The day ends with the traditional “tableau”. When I started the project I found this tradition strange and maybe even misplaced. But my assumptions where wrong when I thought it was all about celebrating killing animals. That’s not what it’s about at all. It’s a ceremony to honour the game and nature in general. This is the way in which the hunters pay their respect and gratitude. It makes you once again think of your responsibilities.

I don’t think this is the place to have conversations about the topic of hunting. But if you have any questions, get in touch. I’ll be happy to answer your questions and take you on a hunting day to see for yourself if you’d like. I constantly question my motivations to hunt and hunting itself, just like many hunters.

But I’d also like to know if I should pick up the project again and finish it. What do you think?