Wild Sustenance

Catalog description

This course introduces hunting to college students at the University of Montana. The course is intended for students who have not had the opportunity to hunt. There are two components to the course: on campus class meetings and a 3-day immersive workshop at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch owned by the Boone and Crockett Club in Dupuyer, MT. Students from a diversity of majors are encouraged to participate. On campus we discuss the role of hunting in wildlife management, the history of wildlife conservation, hunter ethics, and human dimensions of hunting. The 3-day field activity provides students time in the field, on the shooting range, and in the kitchen to understand the entire hunting process from field to table. While at the ranch, we discuss motivations for hunting, concerns of first-time hunters, firearm safety, selection, and many other topics. Open dialogue and respectful discourse is encouraged. Food is an important part of the program. We harvest a deer on the ranch and a professional butcher demonstrates how to process the deer and students complete the process. A professional chef prepares wild game every meal, and spends time with students on cooking game.