AUSPICIOUS PLASTIC is a podcast about precious objects and the stories behind them.
My friend Simon is a second-generation bow hunter who lives in regional Australia with his partner (also a good friend!) and their two small children. As a kid he'd 'go bush' with his late Dad to hunt for introduced 'pests' like rabbits and foxes, later feral deer.
Bow hunting’s a passionate pastime for Simon, something he takes seriously. With Australia’s feral deer population now at what's being regarded as “problem” proportions, he’s part of the current movement of "ethical" hunters who use precision carbonite archery equipment to hunt deer in the wild, the meat of which they "harvest" and take home to eat.
No prizes for guessing that bow hunting’s a divisive topic. Depending which side of the ‘animal rights’ fence you sit on - and whether or not you eat meat, and/or live in the country or city - you’ll likely have a pretty strong view on it, one way or the other.
So Simon’s bow is the precious object we talk about on this episode of Auspicious Plastic. It propels us into a fascinating conversation about life, death and the ancient, controversial art of hunting.
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PLEASE NOTE: In stark contrast to last episode, some discussion about the hunting and killing of animals is part of this conversation.
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Credits:
Interview: Simon Wilson
Presenter/Producer/Writer: Megan Spencer
Original music: Jeremy Conlon/Cooperblack (used with permission)
https://cooperblack.bandcamp.com/
Logo: Studio Ink www.studioink.com.au
Photo: Jared Hartley https://www.instagram.com/oz.bowhunting.images
Reproduced with kind permission.
Thank you: Simon for the interview, and Jared for the photo!
Follow Simon on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bowhunterwillow/
More about "ethical" hunting:
http://www.gma.vic.gov.au/hunting/deer/ethical-hunting
Alternate viewpoint: the RSPCA's view on hunting:
http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-is-the-RSPCAs-view-on-bow-hunting_368.html
More about Australia's deer population:
https://invasives.org.au/blog/australia-occupy-feral-deer/
Contact: hello@themeganspencer.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/auspiciousplastic
Subscribe to and rate Auspicious Plastic on iTunes:
itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/auspi…d1241088902?mt=2
All rights reserved.
'Auspicious Plastic' podcast (c) Megan Spencer 2018
Cannot be reproduced without permission.
