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- Subsistence | Hunt, Fish, Forage
Subsistence | Hunt, Fish, Forage
Subsistence is defined as “the action or fact of maintaining or supporting oneself at a minimum level.” This takes on a deeper meaning for outdoorsmen and women who seek to sustain themselves through all forms of wild harvest. Justin Balzer aka Griz is one of those outdoorsmen who chooses to spend as much time in his local wildernesses, both far and near, in an effort to provide food for himself and his family. He builds his life around this practice, striving to spend every spare minute that he has, out in the wild, hunting, fishing and foraging. As a result, he has not had to buy meat from a store since longer than he can remember. The film, Subsistence explores the ways Griz lives out this lifestyle, his reasons for doing so, and the adventures that can be found along the way.
The practice of subsistence is an ancient one that really only has become uncommon very recently in the grand scheme of history. In the modern day, the average North American has no need to travel more than a few miles by car and search no further than the refrigerated aisle of a grocery store to gather meat for themselves. Because of this convenience, the practice of Subsistence requires a very intentional mindset and even more hard work and effort to live out. This is especially true for those living in a city environment and working a conventional 9-5 job. For Griz, as a tradesman living in the greater Vancouver area, it’s a practice that he seeks to live out daily. This means every spare minute needs to be dedicated to the pursuit of wild harvests. It means getting out for the last bite on the river after a long day at work and banking vacation days to push deeper into the wilderness on extended trips in pursuit of big game.
Living in British Columbia Griz and many other hunters and anglers alike have a vast wilderness at hand to explore and harvest from. A land of plentiful bounty, it holds a huge variety of fish, animals and wild plants that can be sought out. Not only that, but for residents, the license costs for these pursuits are very affordable making it a viable option for providing food for oneself.
Fishing alone holds many opportunities from freshwater rivers and lakes, to coastal ocean fishing. A staple of British Columbia are the many species of salmon that run deep inland for anglers who don’t live on the coast to pursue. From a hunting perspective, BC boasts one of the most diverse populations of big game in all of North America. For hunters like Griz, elk and moose are on the top of the list of animals to target to make sure their freezer stays stocked through the full year.
One of the reasons Griz has chosen a subsistence lifestyle is that it gives him ownership over his food. Entering into an animal's environment, and learning how they behave enough to catch or shoot and harvest it, gives a full picture of where that meat came from. As a result, a hunter or angler can know that it is the most wild, unaltered meat they can gather to feed themselves and their family. This gives a deeper and more intimate connection with food that goes deeper than a plastic-wrapped slab of meat on a foam tray. For Griz, he is able to know exactly where his meat was sourced, from the place he found it in the wild, all the way to his dinner table.
Experience is another aspect that draws Griz and many others into the wild places where those creatures dwell. There is often a challenging and epic story to be a part of in pursuit of wild game. Griz strives to enter into those experiences and bring his friends along with him on the journey. Getting peoples first is a particular passion of his. A first fish on the line, the first harvest of a big game animal or even the first time experiencing the northern lights. Experiencing these moments with people that are close to him brings a shared sense of accomplishment and exhilaration that he strives for. Experience is half of the reward of a subsistence lifestyle. Being able to put food on the table comes with a story behind it that can be passed down to the next generation.
An aspect of life that has changed Griz’s outlook on his food is the birth of his daughter, Fraser. Both Griz and his partner Scotti are passionate about their local environments and the animals in them. Through the journey of raising their daughter, they hope to instill their values of conservation, and passion in her so that she can carry on their practices and experience the wild world for herself. They’ve started strong, bringing her out salmon fishing with them at only a few months old and giving her the chance to grow up in the places they are most passionate about.
Conservation is on the forefront of Griz’s mind as he spends time hunting, fishing and foraging. For many outdoors men and women, the time they spend in different habitats gives them an understanding of the health of different animal populations. Recreational hunters and anglers depend on the wellbeing of many species and therefore care a great deal about protecting them. Most who rely on these animal populations put their money where their mouth is by donating both financially as well as with their time to different conservation organizations. In BC there are a variety of foundations that seek to help different species populations and protect their habitat. On top of that, all the money that is generated by hunting and fishing licenses goes straight back into conservation.
The film Subsistence is an effort to capture all these values that Griz lives out in his daily life, and show a viewer how they can make an effort to interact and participate in the wilderness around them. Not only that but to inspire them to take ownership over the food they eat and provide to their families. Hopefully doing so can broaden their perspectives on life and provide opportunities to obtain the food they need to live.
