The Baxters live in an isolated area surrounded by marshes, rivers, and dense forest, all teeming with animals. Hunting becomes a necessity to not only provide meat for the family but keep hungry predators away from the homestead and livestock. For Penny, hunting is a way to provide for his family and teach Jody about survival, but more than anything, hunting is a way for him to escape his past and live harmoniously with the natural world. Each time Penny takes Jody out for a hunt, he reveals more about his character and the way he thinks humans should live. Thus, hunting becomes Penny’s ethos and embodies his philosophical view of life. The narrative is scaffolded by several saga-like hunts which add a sense of adventure to the story, but also symbolize Jody’s development of filial piety to his parents.

Penny is a conservationist and despises killing for sport; he “[…] would shoot nothing for which he could not see a use” (256). At times, he uses his hunting trips to simply observe animals and learn more about how they interact with the land and other animals. He withholds shooting young animals, teaching Jody the economy of nature and the circle of life.