I didn’t grow up hunting like many of my peers and neighbors here in western Wyoming. I didn’t learn at the feet of a parent or a mentor but rather alongside friends who have been selfless enough to indulge my questions and blunders. 

I consider myself fortunate to have not tasted success in the field my very first season. Walking through the woods quietly and with intention, spending time in wide open spaces, and appreciating the natural resources that surround us is always worth waking early for, regardless of the outcome. 

On Tuesday, a friend and I were able to get out for much of the day in search of mature mule deer. Though we came up short in our search, the day had new meaning for me. As a new father, with far less free time and sleep — things I took for granted last hunting season — the day re-affirmed for me just how lucky I am to live near open skies, steep mountains, clean water and people who appreciate those things as much as I do. 

Whether my son will grow to enjoy hunting remains to be seen, but I hope he’ll appreciate where he lives and learn the virtues of a tired body and a fulfilled spirit after a long day exploring his backyard.

Jared Steinman is WyoFile’s Advancement Officer. He graduated from the University of Kentucky and moved west, spending fourteen years working with NOLS before joining WyoFile. Jared has found a home...

Leave a comment

WyoFile's goal is to provide readers with information and ideas that foster constructive conversations about the issues and opportunities our communities face. One small piece of how we do that is by offering a space below each story for readers to share perspectives, experiences and insights. For this to work, we need your help.

What we're looking for: 

  • Your real name — first and last. 
  • Direct responses to the article. Tell us how your experience relates to the story.
  • The truth. Share factual information that adds context to the reporting.
  • Thoughtful answers to questions raised by the reporting or other commenters.
  • Tips that could advance our reporting on the topic.
  • No more than three comments per story, including replies. 

What we block from our comments section, when we see it:

  • Pseudonyms. WyoFile stands behind everything we publish, and we expect commenters to do the same by using their real name.
  • Comments that are not directly relevant to the article. 
  • Demonstrably false claims, what-about-isms, references to debunked lines of rhetoric, professional political talking points or links to sites trafficking in misinformation.
  • Personal attacks, profanity, discriminatory language or threats.
  • Arguments with other commenters.

Other important things to know: 

  • Appearing in WyoFile’s comments section is a privilege, not a right or entitlement. 
  • We’re a small team and our first priority is reporting. Depending on what’s going on, comments may be moderated 24 to 48 hours from when they’re submitted — or even later. If you comment in the evening or on the weekend, please be patient. We’ll get to it when we’re back in the office.
  • We’re not interested in managing squeaky wheels, and even if we wanted to, we don't have time to address every single commenter’s grievance. 
  • Try as we might, we will make mistakes. We’ll fail to catch aliases, mistakenly allow folks to exceed the comment limit and occasionally miss false statements. If that’s going to upset you, it’s probably best to just stick with our journalism and avoid the comments section.
  • We don’t mediate disputes between commenters. If you have concerns about another commenter, please don’t bring them to us.

The bottom line:

If you repeatedly push the boundaries, make unreasonable demands, get caught lying or generally cause trouble, we will stop approving your comments — maybe forever. Such moderation decisions are not negotiable or subject to explanation. If civil and constructive conversation is not your goal, then our comments section is not for you. 

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *