One of North America’s most celebrated X celebrities is an Albertan geophysicist who is just thankful to be outdoors. Anthony – AKA the Thankful Outdoorsman – is a passionate lover of nature and hunting, believing it’s a critical tool for connecting with our natural world. Anthony says hunting isn’t about the killing; it’s about the journey. Being in a tree stand, being quiet – for Anthony – opens up a whole new world. It also allows him to know where his food comes from and understand his role in the food chain. Born and raised in Laval, Quebec, Anthony’s father taught him to hunt and trap – but only what he could eat. That resonated with him and helped form the values he holds true to this day: No trophy hunting, respect all animals, only kill what you can eat and use as much of the animal as possible. His ability to take what he loves and what he believes and use it as a basis for stories is what has led to a X audience measured in the tens of thousands.
To hear his stories and learn why he feels hunting should still be seen as a force for good in conservation, we spoke with Anthony on the shores of the Bow River.
What do you think?
- How much context is needed to inform good research?
- Should cultural traditions and the importance of broadening support for conservation be taken into account when making wildlife management decisions?
- When we talk about cultural traditions, we often think about reconciliation, but culture cuts many ways. Do both sides of this debate appreciate that?
- What about our role within the food chain? Do we need to take more ownership of where our food comes from? Or are there too many humans for us all to become hunter-gatherers?
- Do we need to manage predators, such as wolves and bears, to ensure there is enough prey for two-legged hunters? Or should we allow nature to manage itself, even if that, from year-to-year, will impact hunting quotas?
- Who gets to make these decisions and what are the ramifications?
Different Perspectives
More on Anthony
Born and raised in Laval, Quebec until the age of 13. Our family had a cottage an hour north of the city. We went there every weekend whether it was hot and muggy and 32C or -30C with deep heavy snow. Our family drove up in a station wagon to the road leading to the cottage but it was another mile in to the cabin my father built. In the summer we drove right to the cottage but in the winter it was a completely different story. Winter time called for snowshoes or cross country skis. This meant learning to snowshoe and ski when I was extremely young. Many years later, my father bought a snowmobile and built a toboggan that my mother, brother and dog jumped into for the long ride in to the cabin.
This was also the place I learned to hunt and trap. I went deer and rabbit hunting with my father as soon as I could stand. He hauled me around in a backpack until I could snowshoe on my own. I had my own little trapline for rabbits when I turned twelve. I remember my father giving me my first gun, a .22, when I was 14yrs old. He told me “if you EVER shoot anything you can’t eat with that gun, I’ll chop it into a 100 pieces and you’ll be grounded for life”. That resonated with me and helped form the values I hold today about nature and hunting. No trophy hunting, respect all animals, only kill what you can eat and use as much of the animal as possible.
When we moved to Alberta (Edmonton) there was a vast amount of crown land which did not exist in Quebec near our cottage. Alberta provided so many areas that we could camp and hunt. I remember when I was 16 years old, my father and I went on our first moose hunt north of Whitecourt. Moose were like a magnet for my father because it was an animal that provided up to 325lbs of meat. My father always said, forget about deer, moose are like getting 5 deer at one time. I still remember him saying that like it was yesterday. That year we got a big bull moose and everyone in the house was smiling ear to ear. Also that year, I got my first big whitetail buck when I was out hunting by myself. This was a pretty big deal for me since I was only 16. I remember going out to the Westlock area north of Edmonton in my Honda Civic hatchback. After dragging that buck through the snow and back to the car, I looked at the car and then the deer, and wondered, how am I going to fit this deer in there. I stuffed the deer into the hatchback and had to move the antlers every time I shifted gears. Something I’ll never forget.
I hunted every weekend in the Whitecourt area during hunting season with my father. It was a father and son bonding that most kids never get to experience. Sleeping in the back of the station wagon or in the back of a pickup truck under the stars when it was -15C was an experience I’ll never forget. Years later we bought a canvas tent with a stove and life was a little more comfortable.
I went to NAIT then U of A and received my BSc in Geophysics. School meant minimal time in the bush in the fall during hunting season because exams and studying took precedent. I remember when I was in my 2nd year at NAIT, my father really wanted me to go moose hunting with him on a weekend my uncle couldn’t go. I reluctantly agreed and went. I vividly remember being in the bush walking down a cutline and seeing a bull moose at 200yds. I snuck up to get a little closer in order to get a better shot. I quietly walked around searching for the moose but couldn’t find him. At one point, I looked to my left and he was laying behind a large log only 10 feet from me. I remember his stare and the bellow he let out as he stood up and ran at me. This happened so fast that I had absolutely no time to raise the rifle. I turned and ran to get behind the nearest tree. As I ran, I turned around to see how far he was behind me. All I could see was a moose chest. I turned to the right and he hit me with his right antler in my left shoulder and flipped me at least 10 feet. I landed on my back and he ran right over me. I quickly jumped up and he was already 100yds from me. I learned some important lessons that day; big animals are fast, much faster than a human. Never get too close to wildlife, things can go very wrong very quickly. Respect animals and the space they live in.
During my University years, I met my wife of 31 years and we spent a lot of time camping. We spent almost every weekend from May 1 to mid September camping. We started out camping in campgrounds in a tent and then moved to a tent trailer which we pulled into the bush in more remote areas of Kananaskis. After 10 yrs of being in a tent trailer, we got a fifth wheel. Some ask, was it for more comfort? Partly but it was mainly to extend our camping season. To this day I spend close to a total of 90 days over the course of a year camping and hunting.
My father passed away many years ago leaving a huge hole in my hunting life. I’ve always had a hard time finding people to go hunting with me that shared the same values and ethics towards the outdoors, nature and the animals. For many years, I’ve hunted by myself, sometimes for 2 weeks at time in very remote places. I believe there’s a difference when you’re outdoors for a weekend compared to when you go for a week or two. In one case you’re visiting the bush and in the other case, you’re living there.
Why do I like being outdoors and surrounding myself with nature? Why do I enjoy spending so much time camping? I consider it the perfect getaway from the stress of the city along with the traffic and and the hustle and bustle of the urban world. It recharges me, grounds me in a way that is almost impossible to explain.
Why do I like hunting? Hunting to me isn’t about killing. It’s about the journey. Pulling the trigger is 1 second of that journey. A person can walk through the bush and not see a thing. However, sitting in a tree stand or on the ground, being motionless and quiet opens up a whole new world. The ground becomes alive with insects and rodents. You see pine marten and weasels hunting mice. Moose, deer, coyotes, wolves can walk right past you. You get to see nature in its purest form as if you weren’t even there. It’s unlike anything you’ll see from a car window along the highway. People have asked, if you like nature and animals, how can you kill them for food? Firstly, we eat meat. The animals I hunt do not spend any time in a feed lot or suffer when they are killed. They are hormone and antibiotic free. Completely organic. When I provide my family with meat, it’s what we call a “together thing”. My wife and I process the meat ourselves which includes cutting and wrapping along with making our own sausage. My wife and I have been doing this for 31 years and look forward to it every year.
Being outdoors immersed in nature, camping along with hunting and fishing for food is not just something I do, it’s part of who I am.