Success, Sacrifice, and Respect: A Hunter’s Honest Answer About Taking a Life

Nov 5

Written By Keith Denoncourt

By Keith Denoncourt

This was one of the best hunting adventures that I ever experienced. I was part of the Guiding Team with *Kevin McNeil* and Canadian Wildlife Adventures. These guys were the absolute coolest and I am ever so Grateful to be part of this amazing adventure!

When Brody Teale, and his son Jackson, came out with a Portable Electric Winch to come and bail me out last year that was too cool !! That was by far one of most interesting, yet incredibly easy, wildlife recoveries that I have ever been part of. Thank you Brody and Jackson for the help and for the awesome experience !!

*Comfort and safety* is the foundation of any successful legal hunting adventure. As I get older, I value the *overall experience* of any adventure more that the actual pulling of a trigger.

Just yesterday, I was sitting inside my new 2025 side by side, which I have now very affectionately call “The Beast” drinking hot tea. It was -4 C. I had just finished doing some local trail maintenance near my house for some deer hunting. I was tired, wet with sweat, and now cold. I had just finished changing into my dryer, more comfortable and appropriate clothes for my evening hunt. As I was refreshing, and enjoying my snack of granola bars, Elk jerky and left over Halloween candy, I started reflecting back on a recent question I got from a reporter. He asked very plainly “What makes a successful hunt, and what is it like to take a life ?” I appreciated his non hunter candor, but was initially taken back by the question. I guess I have been hunting for so long now, that the process is not what I think about. It very much is who I am.

I just want to say thank you to *Portable Electric Winch, Bobby Hart, Brody Teale* and the entireTeam from *Yellowhead Recreation*. Your support made these solo whitetail adventures come to life !

To start off with, I am very Blessed. I am not looking for sympathy, but I wish to relay that I am ever so Grateful just to be outside again and enjoying Nature to the fullest capacity. Just this hunting season, I had to decline an outstanding adventure with Brody due to personal illness. That was an absolute heart wrenching first. Never, in the history of ever, have I ever backed down from any adventure. I was 100% packed and ready to go days in advance, but the local Emergency Department at the hospital had other plans. The shortest explanation that I understand is that I had experienced a long term allergic reaction to a heart medication, and one morning I was not tough enough to walk. The pain in every joint had grown too much for me to handle. For roughly one week this hunting season, every step and movement was like knives. The good news is the problem had been re-identified, I am recovering again. I am back to being able to walk and move for short burst of time. Over time, my plan is to regenerate my muscles, and get back to being able to enjoy the outdoors again more independently. So when someone asks me what makes a successful hunt, the first part of my answer has to be just to be able to enjoy the hunting experience safely, legally, and comfortably.

As mentioned, I now have an enclosed side by side, with heat, and just being able to sit, warm up, and watch the lake, while I get ready to do a short walk near my home, is the perfect start to a great night of successful hunting. If something comes in close to a rattle, grunt, or call, that is just too cool. However I have never been the one to just judge a successful hunt just by a personal harvest. As anyone who has ever pulled a trigger on an animal knows, once the trigger is pulled there is a lot of work that needs to get done immediately. My Portable Electric Winch, and new side by side, has re-opened up much more individual opportunities for myself personally. However quite often, I am the one cheering and embracing someone’s else’s hunting harvest. That is too cool ! I truly enjoy helping bring an adventure to life. Watching their adventure grow from the dreams of planning, to implementation, to the initial harvest, and then with the final processing with Brody Teale at Dave Booth Taxidermy is the process I truly enjoy. These experiences lead to lifelong friendships that can not be explained through just words. They can be relived and enjoyed many times over the years. The entire range emotions created with harvesting an animal sets personal parameters for friendships that are ever lasting. It creates team building opportunities to allow you to learn how to overcome life’s obstacles naturally. This is something that can only be experienced with hunting adventures. Please do not hesitate to call if I can help bring any one of our adventures to life for you. (kadenoncourt@gmail.com)

The second part of the reporters question, was “What is it like to take a life ?” That was bit more challenging to answer. It requires a more emotional answer. So I asked him if he has ever swatted a mosquito, killed a fly or trapped a mouse. He replied “Yes”. So my next question was at what point in the food chain do you draw the line and say “No, I will not take that life!”. As a hunter, fisherman I understand that all life comes from a healthy food and water source. I empathize legally respecting all forms of interacting with Nature. If we pollute the land, water or air, it is going to get in our food supply one way or the other. This is why there has to be controls in the taking of any life, and that includes mosquitoes, flies, and mice. When and where poisons like pesticides, herbicides, get introduced to a food chain can cause much more damage that a controlled hunting harvest. The next step is that I quite forensically explain that a well placed bullet can take the life of an animal instantly. This is what we as active Sportsman strive for and I very much appreciate the values, training and practice from Bobby Hart to make a very humane shot. Even when unfortunately an animal is wounded, it expedites a guaranteed inevitable natural process that is set by Natures own creation. It sets the horrific standard for the final end to all natural wildlife. That is with the animal being aggressively killed by wolves, bears, lions or cougars. Regardless of the mechanism that is a horrific natural process. It alone can take days for an animal to finally give in to Predators. In cases where I have been asked to put an animal down for humanitarian reasons, I have never taken that process lightly. I have had to, under official authorization, had to put down animals that have been fatally wounded on the highway, or when a farm animal is wounded by wild critters. Although I can get it done humanely, I wish that I can say that it does not bother me. Every part of me wishes that the incident could have been prevented. I value and respect every life that I take. In several ways, I am a very Traditional harvester. It is with great reverence, and respect, that I will only take a life for food, clothing, or for purpose.

When I am the one in control, and I am the one who is taking the life, I have never glorified in the kill alone. I must be the only Teacher who was officially reprimanded because of the manner that I chewed out another Teacher. They were using a “glue trap” for mice and were mocking a trapped struggling mouse in front of their students. Yep, I kind of lost it and told them to use a “kill trap” next time and to show respect. If you are going to take a life, do it it in the most respectful manner possible. Quickly, cleanly, and as painlessly as possible, followed by a very detailed and thorough processing is the highest level of respect you can demonstrate. The Bear I that harvested with Brody this spring, was food, lard, medicine and winter clothing. During each phase I offer Traditional Respects for the animal and am very Grateful that the animal has given its life so that I can live. Even afterwards I actively support Non-profit Conservation groups so that we can work together to help support our wildlife, environment and the protect the ecosystem that we all share. Protecting our natural resources is something that we should all have in common.

Thank you for respecting wildlife and for supporting a nonprofit conservation group. If you are ever interested in one of our adventures never hesitate to give a shout a kadenoncourt@gmail.com.

-Keith