BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 23, 2025
I had a terrible dream the other night. Not a Stephen King-style horror that haunts you in the dark, but a different kind of nightmare. In it, hunting simply didn’t exist. No rifles, no bows, no shotguns. No hunters wandering the woods. A world without one of America’s oldest traditions. I thought about how lucky we are to live in a country where, with few exceptions, nearly anyone can hunt. For me, it is about putting meat on the table, but it is also much more. The woods and fields are my cathedral, a place where I find peace, rejuvenation and a sense of being whole. Those opposed to hunting might find that elsewhere. I have yet to see it. I feel sorry for those who never understand the need or passion as I do. ~ Al Raychard