Exactly. The NEED takes all of the fun out of it! Incidentally Le Loup, you should write a book, if you haven't already. It would be interesting indeed to read the experiences of somebody who has walked the walk!
I've been out on skis looking for grouse that sit high up in the trees in the winter. Deep snow, and the wider lappland skis are instead of snowshoes - you don't get too many places where you glide along happily with minimal effort. Bloody exhausting, and after a full day can come home with just the one bird, or maybe nothing at all. Not exactly going to feed a hungry family for long.
Imagine having to do it with a bow, and not a rifle that can pop a bird off the branch at 100m plus. The effort cancels the benefit of what protein you will get from the meat. Only a couple of hundred years ago here in northern Sweden, it was smoked or salted meat/fish with whatever vegetables or berries that you had stored or preserved. After that it was just a case of hoping you all survived until spring.
It's like chopping wood - it's fun for a while. But in my first winter here, it was the thing that heated my house. It became a royal pain in the arse, knowing that I had to go out and chop wood when it was -25 degrees. When you HAVE TO DO IT, it is no fun at all. My second year? Bought a pellet burner.
