Celebrating Hunting Success In The Field

Just the other day a friend was in my office and they happened to comment about the two bottles of Jägermeister sitting on top of my bookshelf.   It was obvious they were slightly dusty…but what struck their curiosity most was the fact there was a big bottle and a small single-serve bottle of this popular herbal liqueur.   They could not seem to understand why I would have those bottles on the shelf doing nothing but seemingly collect dust.

I figured this was a good opportunity to explain how Jag plays a role in celebrating my hunting experience.   Indeed, when I have killed an extraordinary animal during the hunt there’s a time and a place to celebrate the animal’s life and my recent personal achievement.   It’s tradition…and one that encourages the sportsman to pause and reflect on the overall experience at hand.

So why the two different sized bottles?   That’s simple.   The small one is used when we celebrate a hunting partner’s achievement…the BIG bottle is used when we celebrate my success in the field.

Truth be known, I don’t particularly care for the taste of Jag…but I tolerate it mostly for ceremonial purposes.   I suppose it’s akin to sipping wine at a religious communion service.   In this manner, Jag helps celebrate the occasion and provide some physical gesture to the otherwise purely ceremonial process of toasting the fallen game.

Jagermeister literally translated means “hunt master”…and this is a drink that is steep in hunting tradition.   Much like the drink, the activity of hunting in Germany is laden with tradition and symbolism.   Certainly some of these celebratory influences are just as fitting for our game in America as they are for animals on the other side of the Atlantic.

This might serve as a good time to point out that I do NOT condone drinking alcohol while hunting.   For me, the celebration with Jag occurs AFTER the guns have been unloaded and stowed away…when the hunting partners are gathered (usually around the campfire) to relive the events of the day.   The bottle is passed from hunter to hunter to symbolically rejoice in the achievement…while also passing on the good fortune from the lucky hunter to others in the hunting camp.

Now traditionally Jagermeister would be consumed at the site of the kill…but in today’s modern world that simply is not practical, or in most cases legal.   Still, there are many other traditional ways to pay homage to the game animal…and to do so "European style."

For instance, when you first approach a nice downed game animal whether it be a big buck, bull moose or even a nice tom turkey…this is a time to pause for several minutes in a moment of silence.   Admire the beauty of the animal and silently rejoice in your accomplishment as a hunter.   Memories afield are built around moments like this so why would you want to rush the process by hastily moving on with field care activities or game removal?

Traditionally the downed game is then laid on the animal’s right side with a small sprig of cedar or tuft of grass placed in the mouth.   This signifies the animal’s “last bite” and is nothing but a continuing gesture of respect paid to the animal by the hunter after the kill.

It’s at this moment in time I personally like to take my pictures…and no, this is not a traditional activity…but just one I like to do in the field.   To me, a nice picture taken at the scene of the kill is much more meaningful than those snapped later back in camp.   I also like to position the animal to make it a little more aesthetically pleasing—just another small way to pay respect to the animal.

Of course, there are numerous other traditions which folks celebrate…some being the symbolic laying of a branch atop the fallen animal as a declaration that the hunter now owns the animal.   Other rituals dictate that a hunter is presented with a shooter’s branch and this is to be worn in the left side of the successful hunter’s hatband until sunset on the day of the kill.   And, of course, if the game happens to be the hunter’s first kill…there is then the ritual of an elder hunting partner smearing some of the animal’s blood on the rookie hunter’s face to proclaim that an initiation to the hunting world has just occured.

No matter how you celebrate hunting success it is important to first and foremost show respect to the game…then to your hunting partners…and finally to the sport which provided the challenge.   Develop your own traditions…or use some of the time-honored rituals I’ve mentioned here.   Ultimately, when you elevate the mere act of killing a game animal to a ritualistic display showing appreciation and respect…the spirit of the sport takes on a whole new meaning to all participants in your hunting camp.

© 2005 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.