DEAR BLACK MAN, COULD YOU SURIVE IN THE WILD?
Go ahead, do a search for hunting, fishing, camping, outdoor groups for Black men in your community. Go ahead, try it. The results probably won't shock you, but there aren't a lot of perspectives nor discussions about legal, safe, and survivalist associations of hunting and gathering for Black men. The typical POV is that of a straight white male, typically of a red state, and rural living conditions. I currently have a home in the state of Michigan, a rural area, and I'm one of only a few people of color in sight. The neighborhood is lovely, welcoming, and "prepared". Nearly every white man on my block owns a multitude of guns, can fish for some of the biggest catches in the lake, and will pitch a tent in a jiffy. I've been a camper and outdoors person for several years, and have a very confident understanding of firearms, but quite honestly would be mostly lost if I needed to fend for myself in the wild. Not only this, but that concept of a "Right of Passage" teaching your kids how to fish, hunt, gut an animal, become one with nature - is lost on me, or at least was. This summer I took it upon myself to become more acquinted with fishing as a start. The joy I've experienced in taking my boys out for a day of fishing has opened up a new stream of interest and connection with my family that I never knew could exist. My love outdoors has naturally shifted that same interest in fishing into a deep desire to take my family on a trip to see every national park in our country, to camp as often as we can, and of course to become more acquainted with hunting, but here's the rub...
According to a 2011 Census survey, of the 22.5M away from home wildlife participants that year, a whopping 92% were white. where only 3 percent were African American. Combine this with a general sense of fear and anxiety as it relates to owning and carrying a gun as a black man in today's world, there's no wonder that you may not see as many Black men learning the craft of survival and embracing the outdoors. I haven't read the book yet, but "Black Faces, White Spaces, Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors" written by Carolyn Finney examines this exact conundrum. Despite experiencing life changing environmental impact the past decade or so with Hurricane Katrina, New York City Blackouts, Hurricane Maria and more, most black people are nearly clueless about nature. Books like "Black Faces..." help Black culture understand some of the reasons we may have this distance from the outdoors, but also encourages our willingness and quite literally, our need to become more familiar for the sake of our families, our safety, and life experiences for our children. For more practical reading, I recently purchased "The Complete Book of Hunting" by Clyde Ormond and "The Complete Book of Fresh Water Fishing" by P Allen Parsons. Last - I've found www.outdoorlife.com as a great resource for entry level insight into how to get started with hunting. My plan is to get my hunting license this year, find a sponsor for a few visits, and dig in deep on the nuances of hunting before getting out on a real big game hunt, or heck even small game, but I'm determined to ensure that my family is safe in the case of disaster and also has the opportunity to learn fundamental life and survival skills care of their father. The outdoors are made for everyone, and it's important that we remember that.
If looking for hunter education guides in IL, start here - https://www.hunter-ed.com/illinois/
If looking for gun laws in the state of IL, here's a good resource as well - https://www.gunstocarry.com/gun-laws-state/illinois-gun-laws/