Read

Praying in a Deer Stand

Published:
January 9, 2024
November 7, 2020
Learn how this Jesuit semarian learned prayer from hunting.|Learn how this Jesuit semarian learned prayer from hunting.

Deer season is a sacred time for those who come from families steeped in the traditions of hunting. Hunter D’Armond is a seminarian with the Jesuits who grew up cutting trails, rising early, and sitting in deer stands, waiting for the perfect buck to walk into a shooting lane.

In a recent story in the Jesuit Post, D’Armond reflects on how spending time in the woods taught him a lot about prayer. It’s worth reading the whole post, but here is an excerpt that captures well the parallels he sees:

The greatest feelings a hunter experiences comes after sitting alone in the woods for hours on end, when suddenly, you see or hear that you are not alone any longer. The world stops, and it is just you and the deer. You get what we call in the hunting world, “buck fever.” Your heart begins to beat so loud that you get scared the deer might hear it, and your hands start to shake uncontrollably. You sit perfectly still focusing on every movement the deer makes. Time pauses, and the hunt begins.

My most graced moments of prayer have been almost identical to this experience: after long hours in the chapel, seemingly alone, my heart drops, and I realize that I’m not alone. I sense God’s presence. The only thing that matters is the next move God will make. The one difference between praying and hunting is that when I’m praying, there is no hiding from God, and I’m the one being hunted.

Hunting is just one way to immerse yourself in nature, which is an avenue to experience beauty and camaraderie — and these are proven ways in which God reaches out to us. Hunting is also a way to participate in the stewardship of creation — a way to give thanks for these gifts. Our story on turkey conservation efforts in Michigan revealed those dynamics as well:

Creators:
Grotto Shares
Published:
January 9, 2024
November 7, 2020
On a related note...
Without My Daughter, I'd Be a Partial Human

Without My Daughter, I'd Be a Partial Human

Patrick Tomassi

3 Ways to Bring Mindfulness into Student Life

3 Ways to Bring Mindfulness into Student Life

Patrick Schmadeke

The Cannonball That Created a Saint — and Changed Catholicism

The Cannonball That Created a Saint — and Changed Catholicism

Mike Jordan Laskey

Creating an Outfit Formula May Solve Your Style Rut

Creating an Outfit Formula May Solve Your Style Rut

Lillian Fallon

Saint Joseph Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Saint Joseph Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

What Rwanda Can Teach Us About Righting Wrongs

What Rwanda Can Teach Us About Righting Wrongs

Molly Gettinger

"Lament of the Tattoo Artist"

"Lament of the Tattoo Artist"

Judith Sornberger

Why I’m Trying to Live Authentically On- and Offline

Why I’m Trying to Live Authentically On- and Offline

Manda Carpenter

All Souls’ Day Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

All Souls’ Day Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Jesus' Favorite Podcast EP 7: Fighting For A Cause With Alexia Dukes

Jesus' Favorite Podcast EP 7: Fighting For A Cause With Alexia Dukes

Grotto, Ebony Moxey, Javi Zubizarreta

What It Means to be a Catholic Feminist

What It Means to be a Catholic Feminist

Mariah Cressy

What I Learned From Burying My Pet Ferret

What I Learned From Burying My Pet Ferret

Eric Clayton

How Do You Find Your Personal and Professional Style?

How Do You Find Your Personal and Professional Style?

Grotto

Sturgill Simpson’s New Album Tells a Story Worth Slowing Down For

Sturgill Simpson’s New Album Tells a Story Worth Slowing Down For

Bond Warner Strong

Music Therapist Changes Lives with Tireless Work

Music Therapist Changes Lives with Tireless Work

Grotto

Opening Up the STEM World to Girls of Color

Opening Up the STEM World to Girls of Color

Grotto

How I Learned to ‘Just Talk’ to God

How I Learned to ‘Just Talk’ to God

Molly Cruitt

How I Found the True Meaning of 'Play'

How I Found the True Meaning of 'Play'

Ben Wilson

Why Lent is Not a Self-Improvement Plan

Why Lent is Not a Self-Improvement Plan

Mike Tenney

Free Download: How to Pray with Icons

Free Download: How to Pray with Icons

Grotto

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.