Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Ultrahunting

Check out this documentary video of a tribe that practices the ancient rite of "outrunning their prey". Many aspects sound like an ultramarathon - the "trance-like state of concentration", relentless 8 hour pursuit to the point of exhaustion, and respect for the spirit that persevered.



Of course, in the end he gets his kill, so if it's not your kinda thing don't click PLAY!

Kudos to Tim Lawson for the link.

- SD

7 comments:

  1. Amazing video, especially the end.

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  2. truly amazing video! wow! I had only read of such hunts, where one gains a "perfect hyde" because no piercing arrow had damaged it...only a hand over the mouth and nose.

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  3. that is one long, hot trip to the meat market.

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  4. Wow! Joseph Campbell (wrote the Power of Myth) mentioned that many people used to have a much different relationship with the animals they ate, one of respect and honor. I can only imagine that's what it looks like, how fabulous! Endurance running for survival.

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  5. Thanks Scott

    The video clearly shows why we as a species evolved the ability to do endurance run.

    This paper...

    http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~skeleton/pdfs/2007c.pdf

    by Professor Daniel Lieberman, of Harvard University shows how we evolved to become such proficient endurance runners.

    Cheers, Paul

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  6. I used to run-down rabbits in past years. Rabbits are all speed - no endurance. By analyzing the tracks in an area, you can find the rabbit's hole. The trick is to run the rabbit down while keeping it from it's hole. You can dig it out, but that ruins the hunt, to me.
    I ate rabbit once and didn't like it. So like fishermen who practice catch-n-release, I would merely hunt and corner them, and then walk away.

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  7. The hunt alone is amazing. What's even more amazing is that he somehow gets the thing back to his village!

    Oh, and he also does the whole thing without a single boiled potato with salt. How is that possible, I wonder?

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