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GROTON, Conn. — When Ben Cuevas was 19 years old, he hunted and harvested a deer for the very first time. Having grown up in Bridgeport, CT, Ben considered himself a 鈥渃ity boy鈥� and didn鈥檛 have much experience with hunting or the outdoors in general. When Ben joined the army and moved to Tennessee at 19 years old, he met a friend with a plot of land who took him out for his first hunt. 鈥淚t gave me that incredible feeling you can only get from trying new things,鈥� Ben recalls.

Following that first hunting experience, Ben didn鈥檛 immediately dive into the sport. As a member of the US Army, Ben spent much of his 20s on deployment: first to Germany, then to Alabama, where he went to flight school, then to Korea, and then multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. When he returned to the US and was stationed at Fort Drum in upstate New York, Ben was able to revisit hunting and explore different types of techniques and hunt different types of game. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I really started to build more of a love for it,鈥� he says.

In 2012, Ben tried bow hunting for the first time, which he says is more challenging than firearms hunting, but more rewarding as well. When hunting with a bow, in contrast to a rifle, the hunter should be within 30-40 yards of the animal. As anything beyond this would be considered an unethical shot鈥攎eaning the animal would be more likely to endure pain while expiring鈥攖he hunter must get creative in how he lures the animal toward him. With turkeys, for example, different types of calls are used to attract the animal toward the hunter鈥檚 position. 鈥淔irst, you throw out a call,鈥� Ben explains, 鈥渁nd when you hear a gobble, the anticipation starts to build.鈥� As the turkey gets closer and closer, it鈥檚 important for the hunter to remain completely still, as a turkey鈥檚 best defense asset is its vision. This is where the mental benefit comes in, says Ben. 鈥淵ou really have to monitor your movements,” he continues, “and between each movement, you can feel your heartbeat and every breath you take. It鈥檚 a very intense experience,鈥� he says.

As a US Army veteran living with PTSD, Ben says hunting is more than a hobby or a sport for him, but rather a chance to be out in nature and enjoy solitude. 鈥淚t鈥檚 where I go to disconnect and leave the madness of the world behind; it鈥檚 very therapeutic,鈥� he shares. And in 2018, he gained a hunting partner: his certified Pointer Retriever dog, Savage Diana. Hunting dogs typically have regal names, and Diana is no exception: 鈥淪avage鈥� comes from her father, 鈥淩eign of the Savage,鈥� who was a celebrated hunting dog, and 鈥淒iana鈥� comes from the name of the Greek Goddess of the Hunt. Ben shares that not only is Diana an essential component of the hunting experience鈥斺�漇he does the hunting, I do the shooting,鈥濃�攂ut as his service dog, she is also a pivotal part of his ability to cope with PTSD.

While a common misconception about hunters is that they do not appreciate or respect nature, Ben says it鈥檚 just the opposite. 鈥淗unters are nature lovers,鈥� says Ben, 鈥渨e don鈥檛 just go out there to kill animals,鈥� he explains. Rather, hunters can help with population control, and are often affiliated with wildlife agencies whose primary mission is to preserve and protect nature. Ben expresses that he is not a 鈥渢rophy hunter,鈥� or a hunter who hunts purely for sport and keeps animal parts to display as 鈥渢rophies.鈥� 鈥淪ome of the best hunts I鈥檝e had didn鈥檛 even involve raising a weapon,鈥� Ben says. And when a hunting expedition does end in a kill, Ben harvests and eats the entire animal.

Ben retired from the army in May of last year, and is now able to spend more time hunting with Diana, and occasionally with his own children. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e in high school now, so they have different priorities,鈥� Ben explains with a laugh, 鈥渂ut I at least wanted to expose them to it.鈥� When his children were younger, they completed their hunting safety certification, and got to harvest turkeys and deer two years in a row. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to push it on them,鈥� Ben says of introducing his kids to hunting. 鈥淚鈥檝e always said, 鈥楾ry it, and see if you like it.鈥� And if not, that鈥檚 okay.鈥� Ben urges anyone with a curiosity about hunting to simply 鈥渁sk a hunter.鈥� 鈥淭hey were willing to take me under their wing,鈥� Ben says of the hunters he met back in the days when he first started.

Generally speaking, the sport of hunting is on the decline, which can have negative consequences for wildlife management such as overpopulation and food shortages. In our region, for example, wildlife agencies may have to consider new ways to manage the deer population in the coming decade, as many hunters are aging out of the sport without enough newcomers to replace them. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of science behind hunting,鈥� says Ben.

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