There is a time in early October that I look forward to with anticipation – time to pick our supply of cranberries. I don't think I can adequately convey the joy I get from the experience of picking these ruby jewels of the bog - the canoe trip up the lake to our bog, the coloured leaves, the loons and eagles, the smells on the air are all part of it. The bogs are floating on the water so we carefully choose a path to the area where Judi and I know the biggest cranberries grow. Success in this adventure is not guaranteed, since the berries are so easily damaged by spring frost. We approach the area with anticipation, not knowing if the berries are there or not. Last year was a very good year and we picked with quiet satisfaction that we were connected to the land and history as by a string running back through generations.

There is another event in early October I look forward to every year – my first grouse hunt. I know a place on our land where grouse come to feed in the later morning. The dogs know this place as well, and trying to contain my joy as well as theirs is a hard thing to do. We all get better as the season progresses, but on that morning our cup runneth over. We make mistakes, but we are also rewarded for our efforts and two grouse easily come to hand and are reduced to bag. The quiet satisfaction I feel comes from being connected to the land and history as by a string that goes back generations. The dinner we have from the fruits of our labor is a feast that kings can only dream of: wild birds roasted with a glaze of maple syrup, complimented by a bowl of bright red cranberry sauce. These things we acquire from the land by providing habitat, discovering where they can be found, and getting the skills to gather them. When I give it some thought, the list of things we harvest from the wild is quite impressive: blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, chokecherries, raspberries, maple syrup, trout, bass, woodcock, grouse and deer (there are more things, but I'm sure you get the idea). The land is good, and if habitat is protected and enhanced, these are renewable resources. So the string which traveled through my ancestors will travel through future generations. I'm sure most of you have heard hunters try and explain why they hunt to an anti-hunting person. The reasons they give are usually true, but hardly a good explanation to someone trying to understand the hunters motivation. "It's legal!"; "You eat beef don't you?" You know what I mean. We as hunters have to better articulate our motivations to a public that, through a lack of understanding, is getting more vocal about ending our consumption of wildlife. I'm not talking about the anti-hunters who get power or money from their protests, but the majority of anti-hunters who just don't understand what motivates us to hunt. In order to explain this, we have to better articulate for ourselves what the magic is. Then we'll be able to engage anti-hunters in a discussion from a position of confidence and not from a defensive one. The two examples I gave you are defensive – just say them and you'll see what I mean.

Most anti-hunters have never engaged a hunter in discussion, and it surprises them to find that most are not the fire-breathing monsters they envision. The lack of understanding some people have about the natural world is not something to dismiss as a sign of weakness in their argument; it is an opportunity to reinforce your position by explaining these things to them. As living creatures on this early we are part of a system, the food chain, and we exist at the top of that system. We have also accept that the farther down that chain, the less likelihood a creature has of dying of old age. Rabbits and grouse, for example, don't die of old age – they are consumed by the creatures above them. The best discussions I have are with school tours. We have at least one or more school tours daily during maple season, and I must say some of the most entertaining and insightful observations come from these young people. I think young people in discussion answer most explanations with the word "Why?" I welcome this word because it is a sign of an open mind. The discussion of hunting does not happen often, as agendas are chosen by teachers and it is a maple syrup tour, after all. While I do not attempt to steer discussions towards hunting, neither do I shy away from them. It is important to understand that you will not be successful in all your attempts. Your competition in this discussion is many years of Walt Disney, but it is important that all participants respect each others' positions at the conclusion. It has been my experience that if you show respect, you will get it.

We live in a land of incredible natural beauty and wealth, and it seems easier to describe wealth and value as a tangible thing. A tree can be many things to many people. To admire a stand of mature timber, to view the leaves in the fall, to feel secure with a pile of winter wood, to build with a pile of milled lumber, to cut a load of logs and brow them for the mill. All of these things bring pleasure to different people. Just because you cut a tree down, that doesn't mean you can't admire an uncut stand. The hunting citizens of our provinces should not be considered the enemy of wildlife. Indeed, the exact opposite is true. It's the hunters who manage wildlife populations, and, if anything, they are very restrictive in what they ask for in annual harvest and have, in my observations, always erred on the side of caution. The hunter watches wildlife all year with what could be called a vested interest, but with no less joy than a non-consumptive observer. The forest industry is worth millions to different provinces, and harvest is carried out year-round. This value is appreciated by the most people. What is the actual value of hunting to the overall population?

Without assigning any value to sanity on this topsy-turvy planet, nor to the feeling of satisfaction you get from providing hard copy of your self-sufficiency in this materialistic world, let's just deal with the things that people will appreciate. Let's say 100,000 people go deer hunting in Nova Scotia, and have a success rate of 50 percent, averaging 100 lbs. per animal: that's 5,000,000 lbs. of the finest kind of meat consumed in Nova Scotia that year. Include in this the thousands of rabbits, grouse, woodcock, waterfowl, and moose harvested that year and you will see the impressive amount of valuable food that is harvested from the wilds of this province. All this is renewable – if habitat is intact. Habitat is the key to wildlife survival. In this society, hunting does not put species at risk – destruction of habitat does. A great number of the people who are against hunting on my land live an existence which destroyed wildlife forever by destroying habitat on the land where they exist – the suburban areas where they live, the cities where they work, the malls where they shop, the roads they travel.

A person from a city was chastising me one day for picking mayflowers on my land, telling me that they were endangered. "They are endangered in the city," I replied. I have no trouble accepting they lifestyle and values. Why do they have trouble with mine?

There are aspects to hunting that I have trouble with and will not try to defend. The trespass law is grey and fuzzy. If hunters put their perceived legal rights aside and approached the landowners where possible and asked permission, they would help encourage respect towards hunting. If, as a hunter, you are asked for any reason not to hunt a certain area, even if you are legally allowed, kindly comply with the request. These things are common sense and show respect for other people. For whatever reason, some hunters have become very aggressive and hostile towards others. It would be best for all if this was toned down. The differences between rights and privileges shouldn't be considered a defense for an uncivil act. Every year I hear stories of hunters who drive across fields and generally make nuisances of themselves. When you hear these stories, be aware that you are being tarred with the same brush.

When you are dealing with a non-hunter, treat your collection of big game trophies with caution. When I was growing up, the old hunters had an expression handy for a hunter whose opening line was, "I just shot a 12-point buck!" "You can't eat horns, what did it weigh?" they would say. Within the hunting community, acquiring large-antlered deer that score high in any of the measuring societies is an admirable feat, but it is not understood by the non-hunter at all. So don't even go there. I am just glad there are no trophy birds.

There are other things that are difficult to explain to a non-hunter. Why, if we are at the top of the food chain, do we limit our success by putting restrictions on our activities above the legal requirements of hunting? I personally have gone from a rifle and shotgun to a bow and arrow, then back to a rifle, then yet again to a bow, and now with a shotgun, but only shooting at flying birds. To a non-hunter, and sometimes to me, this doesn't make a lot of sense. Of course, it has to do with the challenge and skill needed to be successful, and the pleasure I get from being close to the land.

I'm sure you can think of other reasons just as valid as mine. The reason I attempted this was to make myself, and you, think about hunting and why you do it. In this way, you can respond to an anti-hunter from a position of confidence, grounded in your belief that what you do is, and should be, acceptable to society.