Vegan Hunting

Huh? “Vegan Hunting” you say? Isn’t that a complete misnomer.

No, I haven’t become one of those horrid “flexitarian” wankers. I’m talking about foraging – the original vegan hunting, and a pastime I have recently become acquainted with, or at least re-acquainted with.

Foraging has all the same thrills as animal hunting, at least for me, and yes, I was a hunter in a previous life.

• There is mushroom hunting; analogous to big game hunting where a wrong choice has a good chance of getting you killed.
• Berry-picking is sort of the canned hunt of the foraging world, with lots of ranger stations and Ag Extension agents willing to tell you exactly where to go to load up on blackberries, choke cherries, etc.
• Ginseng picking is the extreme end of foraging, analogous to stalking Sika or Leopard.
• In my neck of the woods, Sassafras is one of the main wild foods pursued by foragers, along with pot herbs and wild greens, making them sort of the Mule Deer of the foraging world.

Anyway, I have recently decided to take up foraging as a sideline or hobby, perhaps an outgrowth of my interest in vegan horticulture and permaculture. I get food, more knowledge of the world around me, and an excuse to spend a LOT of time tramping around in the woods. What more could I ask for?