Lent 2026 Week 3: Preparing the skull

"All the sounds of this valley run together into one great echo, a song that is sung by all the spirits of this valley. Only a hunter hears it." - Chaim Potok

Photo Bob Tate

A lot of the hunting I do is for meat and stewardship. Better, a lot of the killing I do is for meat and stewardship. The hunting itself is more of a spiritual practice. It gives me a right proper excuse to sit like a hermit for hours alone in the woods, or walk quietly listening to every birdsong and rattle in the bush, or crouch beside a friend scanning the sky for ducks.

The killing, even if primarily for meat and for stewardship, can be