Hunting, Ritual & Rites of Passage with Mansal Denton — WildFed Podcast #135

Our guest, here for his second appearance, is Mansal Denton. Mansal is a very unique voice in today's hunting culture, working at the intersection of trans-cultural ceremonial shamanism and hunting, seamlessly blending the two in a program — and brand — he calls Sacred Hunting. Of course, it's not that other hunting isn't sacred, but rather, that often this ancient and fundamentally human part of the hunt is forgotten by our modern culture, in favor of more gear, tech, or trophies. And that works for a lot of people, so we don't say it to take away from the pursuits of others. Rather, we say it to highlight the need many folks feel for a more connected and holistic approach to the hunt, the land, and the animals they harvest. We believe history will record this decade as a pivotal transitional moment in the way humans relate to the land, ecology, and the species we cohabitate with. We suspect, for hunting to have a secure place in our future, we'll need to fundamentally re-order the way we approach it, since many folks today and probably many more tomorrow will struggle to understand hunting culture as it exists right now. We need to be sure that hunting isn't legislated away like some relic of the past but instead remains a living tradition with a place in our new, increasingly complex society. This show has been a small part of a greater shift back towards a more food-centric view of hunting. And of course, in bringing a more holistic ecological perspective too. Mansal's work goes a bit further, reimagining our modern spiritual relationship to the hunt and the animals we pursue. This spiritual approach was, throughout most of human history, inextricable from the hunt itself, which means that today's more secular approach is kind of a radical new experiment in some regards. And we think that has left many would-be-hunters feeling alienated from this really foundational human pursuit. So, while Mansal's approach to hunting might not be for everyone, we think it's a crucial slice of the pie chart that is modern hunting. It's certainly recruiting, retaining, and reactivating certain individuals who've become jaded towards what they perceive as a spiritless hunt. And many of us, even if we don't choose to express it so openly, know, deep down, hunting isn't just a physical experience, it truly is an expression of the spirit. View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/135