BearSmart<\/a> activist Bryan Peterson (no relation). \u201cHe rails against any advantages that makes hunting more than pure sport. No gadgets, no gizmos, no drones.\u201d<\/p>\nEach fall, almost like a religious mecca, Petersen roams the San Juan Mountains, armed only with a long bow, which requires him to be within a 20-foot range of his prey.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want the hard way,\u201d he said. \u201cIt makes you have to be more dedicated. You have to actually hunt. All these new devices take the hunt out of hunting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Citing a stronger connection to nature with a pure hunt, Petersen thrust his views into the hunting world, openly criticizing over-the-top tactics in an attempt to bring a self-awareness to the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a real easy group to be critical of,\u201d Petersen said. \u201cI realized if I wanted to be a hunter, I\u2019d have to be the anti-hunter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like many hunters or anglers who depend on a healthy environment, Petersen became a prominent voice in conservation efforts, playing a huge role in Trout Unlimited and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is unwavering, and he comes from a place of knowledge more so than a lot of people who work in this industry,\u201d Trout Unlimited\u2019s Ty Churchwell said. \u201cHe is the consummate hunter, and as such, his opinion on these matters carries a huge amount of weight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Petersen retired from writing a few years ago, having \u201csaid all I need to say about hunting and hunting ethics.\u201d But in the early 2010s, he was approached by Christopher Daley, a European filmmaker who wanted to make a documentary about hunting.<\/p>\n
Petersen, if begrudgingly, agreed, hoping to educate a wider audience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI live in a big city, so it\u2019s not really something I had ever been exposed to,\u201d Daley said \u201cAnyone who lives in a big city has a fantasy of getting away by living a simple life, living closer to nature, being able to provide for yourself, and he and Carolyn managed to build a very independent life for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet tragedy struck in 2014 when Carolyn suddenly died. Daley said the focus of the movie then shifted to their life together, rather than solely about hunting.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe gave me a good life,\u201d Petersen said of his wife of 33 years. \u201cIt felt like the end of my life in a lot of ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
The past few years have been hard as Petersen adjusts to life without Carolyn, but slowly, the wounds have begun to heal. One day, he said, he woke up and thought he heard Carolyn talk to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said: get your (expletive) together. You\u2019re alive. You\u2019re still here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since then, Petersen has been going out more, listening to live music, dancing and enjoying Durango\u2019s breweries. And of course, looking forward to September\u2019s hunt.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt some point after her death, I felt I didn\u2019t want to kill an elk, that I was done with hunting,\u201d he continued. \u201cBut this year, I\u2019m really feeling it. And I really miss the meat.\u201d<\/p>\n
jromeo@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n
Finding the film<\/h4>\n
A new documentary is out on David Petersen, a local author and retired conservationist who created a voice for ethical hunting. The film can be purchased at Maria\u2019s Bookstore or at www.davidpetersenbooks.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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