On Sitting Still in Nature | Hacker News Reader

On Sitting Still in Nature

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63 pointsVigier15 comments

> Once you’ve had enough practice at sitting still, you learn to care and not to care. Of course you care about seeing the next otter, the next kingfisher, the next badger, but on the other hand, you don’t really care if you don’t see one at all. Being there is what counts.

I've found the same is true of open-ended imagination. Which, it so happens, I tend to find by sitting in nature.

It's always worth re-reading Annie Dillard; "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" does a very good treatment of such things.

Probably my favorite writer, and "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" sits right behind "For the Time Being" as my favorite thing she's written.

Auden’s oratorio of the same name is also well worth your time.

Deer and skunks are both completely oblivious to things going on around them. I've sat around in a park and just watched deer and skunks walk by me without even being aware until I make a noise

As a hunter with difficulty in bagging skittish deer, I'd love to have this power.

In a park it might seem that way because they've learned you're not a treat to them. Run into deer in woods where there's hunters and predators, a different story... you probably will not even see them ever, unless they accidentally run into you sitting super still and down the wind from them

Have to disagree. First, I was actually in the woods (it's a park with woods attached). Second, I see deer constantly, even when I'm not sitting still (I can't really tell if I'm upwind, I've never really paid close enough attention). They're not really that skittish around here (norcal) or where I grew up (suburban CT).

Even when I was deep in the woods (many places) I've come across deer over and over. They just don't seem to be really aware, like squirrels or birds, who seem to be on a constant hair-trigger.

Deep woods animals located in hunting areas during hunting season are absolutely skittish, including deer. If it’s hunting season and they get a whiff of you on the wind you will not see them. At the same time deer in parks you can walk right up to. It’s dependent on the environment, it’s not that deer don’t care and don’t see you.

It might depend on the location or the species. Behind my dad's place, there is a field. White-tailed deer come out of the woods at dusk to eat at the edge of the field. Every 15 seconds or so, the adults look up with their ears raised and wait a few seconds, then flick their white tail as they lower their head back down to eat.

I'm not sure I can judge distance well, but I'd guess it's about 100 yards/meters across the field. There have been times when just by standing in the window watching them, they look and see me and get spooked and trot back into the woods. (On the other hand, there have been times when I walked out into the garage, opening and closing the door, and they look at me for a while but decide to continue eating.)

This is also the key to hunting.

That it is. It's also the most enjoyable part, in my opinion.

Same with fishing. My brothers insist on sweeping along the shore using a trolling motor (manually controlled—not actually trolling). It may result in catching more fish (I'm not convinced), but it takes some of the joy out of the experience.

My wife has an extended family member that goes on an annual hunting trip, but doesn't do any hunting himself—he tends the cabin, prepares meals, etc. I can definitely see the appeal.

That was my experience even as a kid hunting deer. Sitting in one spot in the woods for a whole day (predawn to dusk) really changes the woods as the animals forget about you. Bringing a book helped as well to stave off complete boredom. But putting the book down and just watching is very meditative. The rifle is almost there as an excuse.

> Ford's technique seemed to consist mainly of stand still for a while and smiling.

> After a while an animal - a deer perhaps - would appear from out of the trees and watch him cautiously. Ford would continue to smile at it, his eyes would soften and shine, and he would seem to radiate a deep and universal love, a love which reached out to embrace all of creation. A wonderful quietness would decend on the surrounding countryside, peaceful and serene, eminating from this transfigured man. Slowly the dear would approch, step by step, until it was almost nuzzling him, whereupon Ford Prefect would reach out to it and break its neck.

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