A mother has spoken out and defended her decision to take her young daughter hunting and let her pose with dead prey after strangers accused her of being a ‘bad mother.
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31-year-old Beka Garris is a stay-at-home Ohio mom who has been hunting game such as deer, rabbits, and fish since she was ten years old.
Now that she is a mother herself, Garris insists it is good for her daughter to join her on her hunts because “exposing a child to the outdoors and hunting at a young age will only help them create a stronger bond with nature.”
While some people slammed the mother for sharing photos in which her 2-year-old daughter is seen posing next to caught prey, Garris refuses to apologize for teaching her daughter where the food comes from.
“Hunting with children of all ages is something our ancestors did all of the time. It’s not something that should be seen as ‘shocking’,” the mom expressed.
“I choose to ignore what people say. The fact that my daughter loves accompanying me only strengthens my decision to take her. We love spending time in the outdoors learning about nature.”
As Garris added, being involved in hunting activities at a young age will help her daughter develop a “stronger bond with nature.”
“I refuse to apologize for teaching my child that food comes from the woods, water, and the garden,” the mother said.
“It’s nice knowing where your food comes from and knowing the time and effort I put into the hunt brings a certain satisfaction.”
According to the 31-year-old, wild game is not only delicious but also better for one’s health than shop-bought meat due to animals being raised naturally.
“We field dress, skin, and cut up our animals. I’ll save the skull and some bones to bleach and create artwork. Feathers and hide are then kept to create a wall hanging or clothing. Meat is cleaned, cut up, and then frozen for future meals,” Garris concluded.
“Some people may not understand displaying what we kill in our home but this shows respect to the animal. By creating something you can look at and remember, you get to appreciate its beauty.”
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