The Vegan's Hunter (6 page)

“Are you bringing that on the trip?” he laughed. “You can’t even lift it out of the trunk. How are you going to carry it through the woods?”

“I’m not.” She dropped it on the ground. It made a thud as if it was full of bricks. “You are.”

She left it for him and walked around the car looking at the house. “Nice place.”

He looked back at his little cabin. It was a nice place. Tyler had found the abandoned cabin in the woods while hiking twenty years ago. He knew immediately that he wanted to live there. Somewhere far from everyone where he could be at peace in nature and live off the land. He rebuilt and restored the cabin himself over the years and now it was just perfect.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” she said.

He pointed at a tree. “That’s the outhouse.”

“Seriously?” she said.

“Kidding. On the right of the kitchen.”

She stepped towards the door and paused. “Is there going to be animal heads all over the walls?” She crinkled her nose up, which made Tyler smile. Maybe this weekend wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“No just a life-sized, stuffed elephant in the living room.”

Her lips parted as her jaw sagged down.

“Kidding,” he said. “You’ll be fine.”

He looked up at the sky while waiting for her outside. The sun was shinning and there weren’t any clouds in sight. Going to be a nice weekend for hunting.

He glanced in the window and saw her studying the pictures on the fireplace mantel. His favorite was with him and his uncle Harry at a baseball game when Tyler was a kid. The rest were with him and some favorite animals at his conservation center.

Tyler studied her as she picked up the picture of him hugging William. William was a billy goat that was confiscated from a factory farm. He was left in a small cage with three other goats, twenty four hours a day and barely fed. When Tyler and his team went through the farm he found William lying beside the other two goats in bad shape. He couldn’t stand up, his legs too weak from lack of exercise, and he had a serious infection from a bad cut on the side of his head. Tyler had taken him back to his newly opened animal sanctuary and tended to his wounds. William had been a staple at the conservation center and even appeared on the center’s logo. Today he was happy and healthy living in the center with three other goats. Tyler felt a tightness in his stomach. What would happen to William if he had to close Harry’s Homes?

“Are those pictures of animals that you’ve hunted?” she asked, when she came back outside.

“Not exactly.” He didn’t feel like he had to explain to her so he changed the subject. “You’re not bringing that bag.” He pointed to the suitcase lying in the dirt. “All you need is one change of clothes and a toothbrush. I have all the rest.” He pointed towards the large hiking pack propped up against the side of the house.

She went to her car and got a plastic bag off of the passenger’s seat. “Add this to your bag,” she said, handing it to him.

He took it and looked inside. Almond butter, nature grain granola bars, maca powder, hemp protein, cashews, chick peas and trail mix along with many other items. “What’s all this?”

“Food,” she said. “Real food. Not animal flesh.”

Is this girl insane? “I brought cans of beans for you.”

“Great. You can bring this too.”

He rolled his eyes and added it to his pack. No sense in arguing. “Let’s just get going.”

They were hiking for three hours and Tyler was impressed that Kayley was actually keeping his pace. He was looking forward to pushing a fast pace and making it a bit miserable for her but she actually seemed to be enjoying it. He noticed her looking around taking in nature. Her face would light up when she saw the colorful birds in the trees and she clapped her hands in delight when a rabbit crossed their path a few yards up. They hadn’t talked much but Tyler was enjoying having her there. She had a pleasant presence that was a nice change from being alone.

They were hiking to the National Park near his cabin. It was known for its great elk hunting and beautiful scenery. Lazy, snow capped mountains and majestic, hundred year old trees marked the landscape. It was about an eight hour hike. He was hoping to arrive in the park before dark, camp the night and start the hunt in the morning.

A fast moving river, snaked through three pine trees that were rocketing into the sky. It would make a nice backdrop. Tyler knew that some of his viewers watched Bow Hunter for the scenery alone so he always tried to get them some nice shots.

He slowed down and dropped his bag. “We have to do an intro.” He pulled a camera from his bag and set it up on a tripod.

He turned to Kayley. “I’m going to talk a bit. Just act natural.” She nodded. He turned the camera on and stood beside her.

So we’re here just outside Colorado’s Roosevelt National Forest for an elk hunt. I’m here with a special guest-”

“Against her will,” Kayley interrupted.

Tyler sighed.

“Can we try that again? Just let me finish the intro and then you can say whatever you want.”

She crossed her arms like a pouting teenager.

“Today is a special episode of Bow Hunter,” he said into the camera. “I’m hunting with a special guest Kayley Brooks.” Kayley glared at the camera with her arms crossed. “Kayley is the host of
Eating Vegan
. A vegan cooking show. I’m going to show her how we do a clean, ethical hunt.”

She laughed letting out a snort. “An ethical hunt? Are you kidding me? That’s a contradiction if I’ve ever heard one.”

“She’s going to see the benefits of bow hunting over rifle hunting and the positives of acquiring your meat through hunting rather that through factory farming.”

“Benefits to you or to the animal?”

“To both,” he replied. “The meat is cleaner, not filled with hormones and antibiotics, and the animal gets to live an ideal life in the wild.”

“Before you put an arrow in its face,” she pointed out.

“As ethical hunters we always make sure that we have a direct shot behind the front shoulder. It is the fastest way to kill. Even faster than a rifle.”

“Stop saying that,” she said, her voice short.

He looked at her confused.

“Ethical hunter. Stop. Saying. That.” She turned directly facing him. “Look if you want to murder animals than fine. But don’t go around pretending that you’re ethical and doing the animals a favor. Because you’re not.”

He turned and faced her taking her straight on. “What would you rather that animals are tortured in factory farms or live here in the wild?”

“I’d rather people leave them alone. What right do you have to bother them? They don’t do anything to you.” She stuck her finger in his face.

Tyler felt his heart speeding up. He was sick of city girls like her passing judgment on people like him who lived their entire lives in nature and knew more about it than they could ever dream of. “Come live out here and see if they don’t do anything to you. You’ll be eaten by wolves in the first day. Nature is violent and cruel. It’s a struggle. It always has been. Animals kill each other every day.”

“You’re not an animal,” she screamed. “You’re a person. You should know better. You don’t need to murder them to survive. That’s a bullshit argument.”

“People aren’t ever going to give up eating meat,” he said, raising his voice. “I recognize that and try to shift them to find their meat in the wild. In the end it’s better for the animals. Hunters also help stabilize the animal population. Without them they would overpopulate and could starve to death.”

“Oh that’s mighty noble of you,” she said mockingly. “I didn’t realize that you’re trying to save them from starvation. What interesting way to save them though. By killing them.”

“You think you know everything. I’ve done more for animals than-” He looked at the camera suddenly remembering that it was running. He rushed over and slammed his palm onto the power button. The camera wobbled on the tripod almost falling over. He unzipped his bag and jammed the camera in.

“Thanks for the intro,” he said, throwing the bag over his shoulder and stomping off.

At first he thought that he was alone. That she had turned back. Good riddance. Let them take the show. He’ll figure something out. But he knew that the show was the only way. Every other avenue had been taken.

After a few minutes he heard footsteps behind him rushing to catch up.

Tyler threw some sticks onto the campfire. They crackled as the fire fed on them. Kayley shifted back as the flames rose. They hadn’t spoken much since the outburst this afternoon. She sat by herself as Tyler set up the tents and built the campfire. They had arrived at the border of the park ahead of schedule. It was just starting to get dark.

“I love the smell of campfires,” she said, staring at it.

Tyler startled. “Huh?” he said.

“The smell of burning wood,” she went on. “It reminds me of my childhood.”

Tyler broke a branch over his knee and tossed it in. The flames swallowed it.

“It reminds me of camping as a kid. My parents would argue all day. But at night they would cuddle around the campfire and tell us stories of when they first met,” she said smiling. “It was nice.”

Tyler poked a burning log with a stick before tossing it in.

“It’s funny how smells can bring back old memories. Do you have any nice childhood memories like that?” she asked looking up at him.

He grabbed a thick branch and broke it over his knee with a crack. The smell of campfires reminded him of his uncle Harry. Tyler’s parents had died in a car crash when he was a teenager. The fourteen year old city kid went to live with his uncle, a professional hunter and trapper who lived in the woods. He taught Tyler how to live off of the land and instilled in him an appreciation for nature.

He died of a heart attack a few years ago.

He didn’t feel like telling her about uncle Harry. Those memories were his alone and he didn’t want to share them. “Not really,” he said.

Tyler opened his bag and dug out two cans. “What’s for dinner?” she asked.

“Yummy, delicious canned vegetarian chili,” he said, showing her the label. The picture on the can looked like a bowl of dog food. It probably would look even worse when he opened it.

“Mmmmmm,” she said, sarcastically rubbing her belly. “I think I’ll stick to my granola bars.”

“I think that’s a smart move,” he laughed.

He opened the can and poured it into a small pot. The chili slid out in one disgusting, slimy piece and plopped into the pot. There was a thick layer of gelatin goo on top of the brown mush.

“I don’t see any vegetables,” she laughed. “Here.” She threw him two granola bars.

“Thanks,” he said. “That’s nice of you.” He placed the pot on the ground behind him.

“It’s a selfish move,” she said smiling. “I don’t want my guide to get food poisoning and die out here.”

He smiled back. Her smile was gorgeous in the orange glow of the fire. Her brown eyes sparkled as the flames lit them up. He wondered how he never noticed them before. She’s kind of pretty when she’s not yelling.

“Oh yeah,” she said reaching into her bag. She pulled out a mini bottle of wine. “It would be a shame to go to bed without a glass of red.” She twisted off the cap and offered him the bottle. “Would you join me?”

He grabbed the neck of the bottle, keeping it there so they were both holding it. “Does this mean we’re friends?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” she laughed. “But maybe it’s a start.”

They ate and talked about their shows and made fun of their boss Al. Kayley went to relieve herself at a nearby tree and sat next to him when she came back to the fire. Tyler couldn’t remember the last time that he spent a night like this with someone, let alone a girl. It was nice. He was sad when it ended and she went off to sleep in her tent.

He regretfully retired to his tent as well leaving the glowing embers that was the campfire and the empty bottle of wine.

Kayley woke up in her tent with a sore back. She could hear movement outside her tent. She stretched her arms and legs and arched her back.

A clang came from outside. What was Tyler cooking for breakfast? She had enjoyed getting to know him last night and was actually excited for the hike today. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes and ran her hands through her hair a few times.

She smelt coffee brewing as she got out of the tent. Tyler was facing her, cooking something over the fire. His brow was wrinkled in concentration as he stirred something in the pot. He looked funny with such a serious face on for something so simple. Kayley giggled to herself. He’s cute.

“What are you making?” she asked, walking up to the fire.

He looked up startled. “Quinoa,” he said pronouncing it wrong. “I found it on a vegan website and thought that you would like it.”

She stood there shocked. It was rare that men did thoughtful things for her.

“Do you?” he asked.

“Huh?”