CONSERVATION: A RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE

[Author’s Note: I typically don’t post a lot of religious stuff on Upland Equations. However, as a sportsman, a conservationist, and a Christian, I felt this post was appropriate and important to share on the blog. The purpose of this article is not to push my religious views on anyone, but to show that, whether you take the Bible to be the word of God or not, conservation makes sense and it’s the right thing to do].

I learned something in church the other day that I never knew before. As part of the Law of Moses, the Israelites were commanded to leave unharvested the corners of their fields: “And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God.” (Lev. 23:22). In this passage, the expressed purpose of leaving the corners was to feed the poor among them.

As I read this, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was another purpose for this commandment. Having been to Kansas at the end of January in 2011 to hunt bobwhites, I experienced firsthand just how effective leaving the corners unharvested is for wildlife. The numerous bobwhite coveys we found thrive in the corners untouched by the irrigation pivots and the plow. Doubtless, such practices were beneficial to wildlife in biblical times also.

As I researched this issue further, my suspicions were confirmed as I also learned that the Law of Moses also required the Israelites to let their farm land lie fallow every seventh year: “But the seventh year thou shalt let [the land] rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat . . . .” (Ex. 23: 11). In this passage, leaving some food (and cover) for the beasts of the field (which could be interpreted as including wildlife) was an express purpose for the necessity of allowing the land to rest for a sabbatical year. As sportsmen have learned over the last century, programs like the Soil Bank and the Conservation Reserve Program have been a boon to the recovery of America’s wildlife populations. However, the ideas underlying these programs are anything but original. As shown by these passages, they stem from the Bible.

This begs the question: Do our modern ideas about land conservation and stewardship have biblical origins also? From my research, I believe so.

First, if conservation is in fact biblical, then one would assume that God cares for all of His creations and wants to conserve them. There are scriptural passages that suggest this. For example, after each of the successive days of creation, the Bible says that: “God saw that it [his creation] was good.” (Gen. 1:10, 12, 18, 21, and 25). At the end of creation, including Man, Genesis states: “And God saw every thing he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31). The fact that God expressly stated that He considered his creations as “very good” suggests that He wanted them preserved.

The nature of God in this regard and his relationship to His creations is evident in numerous passages of scripture. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught his disciples: “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matt. 6: 26). Of the tiny sparrows, Jesus stated that one of them could not fall to the ground without God’s notice. (See Matt 10:29 and Luke 12: 6). Thus, the Bible clearly speaks of an omniscient God who is totally cognizant of all of his creations and who beneficently provides for them.

So then what of Man and his biblical role in conservation? One cannot start to understand Man’s place in conservation without first looking at the statements made by God at the time of creation: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Gen. 1: 26). This may be one of the most misunderstood scriptures of all time. The use of the term “dominion” makes it sound like Man has unfettered control over the earth and all of its creations.

However, other scriptural references bring this interpretation into serious question. In the 2nd Chapter of Genesis, it states that “the Lord God took man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” (Gen. 2:15) (emphasis added). The use of the word “keep” might mean that Man is to maintain the Garden in the same good condition, or unspoiled. Along the same lines, a “keeper” is someone who keeps, manages, or guards on behalf of another. If that is the case, then Man is more in the nature of a steward than an outright owner of the Earth and its creatures. Jesus taught numerous parables involving stewards who will have to give an accounting to the true owner of the property (See e.g. Luke 12:42 and Luke 16). If these parables are related to Man, they suggest that Man is currently only a steward over the earth and will ultimately have to answer for how he treated the earth and its creatures.

In my book, Heaven on Earth: Stories of Fly Fishing, Fun & Faith, which will be published shortly, I wrote; “When the Lord gave man dominion over the whole earth, he did not intend for man to act as a selfish, short-sighted tyrant but as a righteous steward who wisely uses the land and its natural resources for his own benefit, but also conserves, protects and preserves them to pass on to future generations.”

Other numerous passages of scripture bolster this interpretation. For example, in Proverbs 12:10, we read: “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” This scripture suggests that the righteous in all times have respected the life of animals. Likewise, if we consider the miracle of the quail in the Old Testament, we see a harsh punishment to the Israelites when they took more quail than they needed to sustain their lives (Numbers 11: 31-35). The offenders ended up in the Graves of Lust, which is a lesson and warning to all that we should only take from Nature what we need to survive.

While God expressly gave Man stewardship over the Earth and the animals thereof, the writer of Ecclesiastes wrote something very intriguing:

I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
(Eccl. 3:18-19).

This scripture specifically states that death generally falls on both man and beast and man has no preeminence that way. However, it could also be read to imply that there is a symbiotic relationship between man and the beasts of the earth. If man unwisely degrades the Earth and destroys its creatures, this obviously impacts Man: “As the one dieth, so dieth the other” as we all―man and animal―have to share the Earth and we all have one breath. Simply put, if Man destroys and pollutes the Earth, he is not only impacting wildlife, but also Man. Along with the principle of good land stewardship mentioned above, these ideas are significant to conservation and are found in the Bible.

We often honor men like Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Aldo Leopold for their contributions to conservation and for good reason. No doubt, these men, their ideas, and their actions have helped to conserve our precious natural resources for future generations. However, I think it is important to also understand that conservation has much deeper roots. If you take the Bible as the word of God (which I admittedly and unabashedly do), then conservation and being a good steward of the land first comes from Him.

TWO GREAT REVIEWS OF HEAVEN ON EARTH IN ONE DAY!

Last night felt like Christmas for me because there was not one, but two great reviews which came out in the blogosphere of my forthcoming book, Heaven on Earth: Stories of Fly Fishing, Fun & Faith.

The first review was done by Paul F. Vang, who wrote the book, Sweeter than Candy: A Hunter's Journal (which I recently read, loved, and reviewed on Upland Equations) and who regularly writes an outdoor column for a newspaper in Butte, Montana and for the "Writing Outdoors" blog. Paul is a great writer and I've really enjoyed his work. Be sure and check it out. Here is the link to Paul's review of my book: http://writingoutdoors.com/?page_id=196.

The second review was done by Jeremiah Wood who writes for a blog named, "The Outdoor Sporting Library," which features information regarding classic hunting and fishing literature. Since I started following Jeremiah's blog, I have really enjoyed it. This is a tremendous resource for those of you who love outdoor literature or who are interested in learning more. I expect good things out of Jeremiah in the future. I just learned that Jeremiah also writes for a blog named, "Wood's Outdoor Journal," which I am not yet familiar with, but intend to follow and include on Upland Equation's blog role. Be sure and give Jeremiah your support. Here is the link to Jeremiah's review of Heaven on Earth: http://outdoorsportinglibrary.com/?p=715.

I am extremely grateful and honored by these reviews and I want to thank Paul and Jeremiah for their insights and encouraging words about my book. Having others in the outdoor writing world read and enjoy your work is extremely gratifying. Thanks guys!

Again, the official release date for Heaven on Earth is April 1, 2012. However, advanced signed copies are available now through my website: http://www.heavenonearthbook.com. Thanks for checking in!

HISTORIAN'S CORNER: GEORGE WASHINGTON, POACHERS BEWARE

George Washington, Excellent Horseman and Sportsman.

I have been working on an article on the first three Presidents of the United States, Washington, Adams and Jefferson, and their bird-hunting endeavors. I've found some great information that I'm excited to share. The article is entitled, "A Presidential Pursuit." I will keep you posted if, when and where it gets accepted for publication.

As our second official installment of the Historian's Corner, I wanted to share a little known story about George Washington that I learned from my research for the article. Most history buffs know that Washington was a diehard fox hunter who bred his own hounds for the pursuit, but many do not know that Washington also did some wingshooting. In particular, Washington wrote often in his journal about duck hunting which he called "a ducking."

This painting depicts Washington and hounds in pursuit of the wily Reynard.

With that brief introduction, the following passage comes from the book, White House Sportsmen, by Edmund Lindop and Joseph Jares:

Washington liked to go "a ducking" in the creeks and coves of his plantation. But he gave strict orders that others were not to hunt ducks on his property without his permission. One morning when the Mount Vernon proprietor was riding, his eye caught the flutter of wings above one of the coves. Suddenly the crack of a rifle shot sounded through the bushes, and a bird fell from the sky. Whirling his horse around, Washington headed at full speed toward the cove.

The poacher, who was shoving off in a canoe, heard the horse approaching and raised the gun. "Stop or I will shoot!" he commanded as Washington rode into sight. But the angry plantation owner kept galloping toward the man. Dashing his horse headlong into the water, he swiftly lunged for the gun and tossed it aside. Then he caught the frightened poacher by the scruff of the neck, pulled him out of the boat, and beat him until he promised never to set foot again on his property.

When I read this, I couldn't help but remember Gandalf's line from the movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, "Sauron's wrath will be terrible, his retribution swift." So it was with Washington and poachers. Heaven help them if Washington got a hold of them!

The obvious moral to the story is to respect private property and to seek permission before you hunt another's land. Otherwise, you might get the Washington Once-Over.

SWEETER THAN CANDY: A HUNTER'S JOURNAL by PAUL F. VANG

SWEETER THAN CANDY: A HUNTER’S JOURNAL by PAUL F. VANG

Back when the Upland Equations Blog was first started back in 2008, I wrote a post entitled: “A Call to Arms (Pens) for Western Authors,” (Here is the LINK) in which I lamented the lack of great literature on upland bird hunting in the West. In that post, I shared some of the few good books I had found on the subject and pled for other western writers to step up and enrich the field (pun intended).

I recently had the opportunity to review Paul F. Vang's (“Paul”) book, Sweeter than Candy: A Hunter’s Journal, which was published in 2011. I am truly glad I had the opportunity. Now, by no means, do I attribute this new great book to my plea to western writers in Upland Equations years back. Nonetheless, this book sure fits the bill of what I had in mind when I wrote that post.

By way of background information, Paul retired from working for the Social Security Administration and now hails from Butte, Montana, where he is a freelance writer writing a weekly outdoor newspaper column. In addition, Paul writes regularly for his blog, Writing Outdoors. Here is the link: http://writingoutdoors.com/. Be sure and check it out!

With Paul being a regular outdoor writer, Paul’s book covers everything from fly fishing, to bird hunting, to deer hunting, but the major focus is on hunting with his bird dogs. The bulk of the stories take place in North Dakota and Montana. For the most part, Paul’s adventures (and yes, despite his disclaimer in the introduction, he’s had plenty) span from 1970 to the present. Paul shares numerous excellent stories of hunting with his Labrador Retrievers, Sam, Alix, Candy (from whom the book gets its name) and Flicka. Together they hunted ruffed grouse, blue grouse, sharptails, pheasants, Huns, and they also did some jump shooting for ducks. I’m not a waterfowl hunter, but still thoroughly enjoyed Paul’s description of this form of hunting as it seemed more like the rough shooting I prefer as an upland hunter.

Before you pointing dog lovers turn your noses up at the use of Labs for upland game, please note that for the variety of hunting that the west provides, the Lab is the quintessential Jack-Of-All-Trades and gets the job done just fine. Paul’s Lab Candy did it all and pointed birds too! While I do not personally own a Lab, I am a big fan of the breed. Paul’s book reminded me of a statement made by Worth Mathewson in Best Birds: Upland & Shore: “Gene Hill got it right when he wrote something along the lines of when are people going to admit that the Lab is the best breed of all.” Paul’s book is tribute to the versatility of this great breed.

This is my good friend Matt's Lab, Darby, who like Candy, does it all, including pointing. She learned that from the pointers she's hunted with.

As I read Sweeter than Candy, I was continually struck by how much I related personally to Paul’s stories. For example, like me, Paul shoots a Ruger Red Label 20 Gauge Over and Under which he could not shoot worth a darn at first, but later learned to love. Like me, Paul writes of his love of camping, forest grouse hunting in the morning, and fly fishing in the afternoons in sweet September, my favorite month of the year. Like my dog Dusty, Paul writes of his dog Candy blowing out her ACL, getting it repaired, only to have the other ACL go out on her other leg. Like me, Paul struggles with shooting those little gray speedsters the Hungarian Partridge. Like me, Paul has streaks of phenomenal shooting and bouts when he can’t hit the broad side of a barn. In the chapter, “The Slump,” Paul nailed it when he wrote: “Hunting is such a psychological sport. If things are going well, I’m bursting with confidence and self-esteem and can do no wrong. But, when in a slump, nothing seems to work.” Boy, that is the story of my schizophrenic wingshooting career. My point is not to focus so much on myself as to show you that anyone who has spent days afield with bird dogs should be able to find numerous experiences in the book that resonate with them. Paul has definitely been there and done that. The way Paul writes makes you feel like you are in the uplands with an old friend. For me, that is the ultimate goal for an outdoor writer: To transport your reader to the field or stream. Mission accomplished Paul!

To sum it up, my honest opinion is that Paul’s book is great. It’s a celebration of everything that I love about the great outdoors and hunting with bird dogs in the West. It belongs right up there at the top of the list of literature on upland bird hunting in the west. I highly recommend it.

If you’d like to purchase a copy of Paul’s book, here’s a link to his website: http://writingoutdoors.com/.

HISTORIAN'S CORNER: THOMAS JEFFERSON THE TURKEY HUNTER

As you may recall, I've recently posted some short articles about famous individuals in history who hunted or fished. I've decided to try and make this a regular feature on the Upland Equations Blog. I'm going to call these features "The Historian's Corner."

In a previous post of this vein, I also mentioned that I am currently researching and working on an article about our first three United States Presidents, George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, whom I believe were bird hunters to some extent. The name of the article will be "A Presidential Pursuit." I've found some firsthand evidence that supports my thesis and I believe most people are not familiar with this information. It should be an interesting read. I hope to get this article published soon and I will keep you up to date on its status.

Thomas Jefferson: Turkey Hunter Extraordinaire.

Today, I got in the mail, a book entitled, White House Sportsmen, by Edmund Lindop and Joseph Lares, which was first published in 1964. As I suspected, Thomas Jefferson barely even made the list of hunting U.S. Presidents. However, there is this gem of a story about the young Jefferson that bears repeating:

A story was told of how Thomas Jefferson was given a gun when he was ten years old and instructed by his father to go into the woods and not come home until he had killed some game. Young Jefferson searched far and wide, but he had no luck in finding a suitable victim. Finally he stumbled across a wild turkey that was trapped in a pen. He tied the turkey to a tree with his garter, shot it, and then carried it home over his shoulder to lay at the feet of his proud parent.

I'm not sure of the authors' source for this story, but I got a kick out of it nonetheless. Nobody can acuse Jefferson of being stupid. In fact, during a dinner for the Nobel Prize winners in the White House in 1962, John F. Kennedy said that the honored guests were probably "the greatest concentration of talent and genius in this house except for perhaps those times when Thomas Jefferson ate alone." Amen. Even as a child, we see this genius coming through--albeit a bit mischeviously.

John James Audobon, Wild Turkey Painting. Believe it or not, Benjamin Franklin proposed that the wild turkey be designated as our national bird. No offense to the bald eagle, but I don't think that was such a bad idea.

CHECK OUT THE HUFFINGTON POST'S REVIEW OF MY BOOK, HEAVEN ON EARTH: STORIES OF FLY FISHING, FUN & FAITH

Heaven on Earth: Stories of Fly Fishing, Fun & Faith by Andrew Marshall Wayment

The first official review of my book came out today in the Huffington Post. The review was written by Professor Bradley T. Borden ("Brad"), who teaches tax law at Brooklyn Law School. Brad is a long-time friend and comes from the same hometown as me in Southern Idaho. He was actually instrumental in introducing me to my wife so I am already indebted to him.

On top of that, I am truly honored by his review and praise of my book. For your convenience, here is a link to the review:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bradley-t-borden/heaven-on-earth-book_b_1256144.html.

Check it out!

The official release date for my book is April 1, 2012. However, as a shameless plug for the book, advanced signed copies of my book are now available at http://www.heavenonearthbook.com.

I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED!

Below is another short story that was cut out of the final version of my book, Heaven on Earth: Stories of Fly Fishing, Fun & Faith. It originally appeared in the third chapter, “Where Can I Turn for Peace?” It's a fun story. Hope you enjoy it! Here it is:

. . . . When my wife and I returned that fall to Moscow, Idaho for my final year of law school [summer of 2000], I resumed my quest to experience all of the local rivers. One place that I had seen, but never fished before was Elk Creek below the falls, which are a popular tourist attraction. Like Potlatch Canyon near home, Elk Creek is located in a steep and deep gorge, which I realized would be a chore to hike in and out of. Earlier that summer, I purchased a brand new Loop 7/8 weight fly rod primarily for steelhead fishing in Northern Idaho. I had little opportunity to use a fly rod of this size in Southern Idaho. However, this new rod and big grasshopper patterns sounded like a good combination to sock it to the trout of Elk Creek.

Shortly after our return to Deary and still a few days before classes began, I informed Kristin of my plan, jumped in Blue (our 1999 Ford Escort Station Wagon), and drove toward Elk River, the closest town to Elk Creek. After following the signs that pointed to Elk Creek Falls and reaching the parking lot, I grabbed my back pack and took my rod and reel out of its case. I even thought to myself: Maybe I should leave the rod in its case during the hike for safekeeping. Then I responded to my inner voice, Na! It’s just extra weight. The trail to the falls overlook is well kept and fairly easy to hike. However, upon reaching the canyon rim, the hike down the dusty steep trail became arduous and slippery. Nevertheless, I was committed and I carefully slid my way down the steep trail.

The Infamous Root Wad . . . Mind over matter baby!

To my chagrin, the trail was blocked by a huge downed tree. In order to make it to the river fifty yards below, I needed to skirt my way around the huge root wad. I carefully began to work my way around the obstacle with my front facing towards the downed tree, my hands holding onto the roots and my new rod at the same time, and my back towards the downhill side. Despite my cautiousness, I somehow took a false step and fell ten vertical feet below with my brand new rod still in hand. Upon impact, I was not really hurt, but my new rod snapped like a twig. Although only a short distance from the creek, I was now rodless and had to hike back out without catching so much as one fish for my efforts. Nor would I ever have the equipment necessary to catch a steelhead in Northern Idaho during law school. The moral of the story is: Listen to that cautious (sometimes nerdy) inner voice or you might just fall off a cliff and break your rod.

This is the last falls of a series of three. It's definitely a beautiful place!

Never one to accept defeat easily, the following day, I again set out, this time with my five weight Orvis—in its case mind you—to conquer (or be conquered again by) the Elk Creek canyon. This time, I safely made the hike down into the canyon and it was worth all of the pain and struggling. As I suspected, the countless rainbows readily pounced on grasshopper flies. I noticed red spawning kokanees, which had come up from the Elk Creek Reservoir, but as before, they were entirely uninterested in my offerings.

Unforgettably, at the base of the lowest falls, in the shade and constant mist, I cast into the pretty run just downstream of the falls and a fish eagerly chomped my grasshopper imitation. Upon landing this fish, I noticed that it was a decent-sized brook trout, an unexpected, but beautiful bonus. Of all the fish I caught that day, this is the only one that I took a picture of. I still look at that picture often and remember the hard hike into that canyon, but also the great rewards that followed. Sometimes, the hardest things in life are the most worthwhile.

This is not the best photo, but I was stoked to catch this beautiful little brookie at the base of the falls.

There you have it, folks. Another moral to the story is that persistence pays off. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t let that little mishap keep me from hiking back down into that beautiful place!