The Navajo traditionally hunted deer, elk, and pronghorn antelope as their primary game animals, supplemented by smaller prey like rabbits, prairie dogs, and various game birds. Hunting was deeply woven into Navajo life, not only as a food source but as a practice governed by strict spiritual rules about which animals could and could not be killed.
Big Game: Deer, Elk, and Pronghorn
Mule deer were the most important large game animal for the Navajo, abundant across the high desert and mountain terrain of the Four Corners region. Elk roamed the higher elevations of the same landscape and provided large quantities of meat from a single kill. Pronghorn antelope, fast-moving animals of the open plains and grasslands, were also hunted regularly. These three species formed the backbone of the Navajo meat diet, and successful hunts of big game were significant events that could feed extended family groups for weeks.
Bighorn sheep, found in the rocky canyon country of Navajo territory, were another big game species available to hunters willing to pursue them into difficult terrain. The hides, bones, and sinew from large animals served practical purposes beyond food, supplying materials for clothing, tools, and bowstrings.
Small Game and Birds
Day-to-day protein often came from smaller, more reliably available animals. Rabbits were among the most commonly hunted small game, found throughout the region and pursued both individually and in communal drives. Prairie dogs and squirrels rounded out the small game diet.
The Navajo also hunted a variety of birds. Game bird species in Navajo territory included doves, pigeons, quail, chukar partridge, pheasant, waterfowl, and shorebirds. These offered variety and were especially useful when larger game was scarce. Furbearing animals were hunted as well, valued for their pelts in addition to whatever meat they provided.
Animals the Navajo Would Not Hunt
Not everything that moved was fair game. Navajo cultural and spiritual beliefs placed firm taboos on certain animals, and bears sat at the top of that list. Killing a bear, eating bear meat, touching an object a bear had touched, crossing a bear’s path, or even drinking from a bear’s watering hole could cause what the Navajo call “bear sickness.” Bears were also associated with witchcraft and skinwalkers, shapeshifting figures in Navajo belief who took on the characteristics of powerful animals. This made bears something to be respected and avoided, not pursued.
Coyotes carried similar spiritual weight. Regarded as trickster figures with supernatural associations, coyotes were generally left alone. Snakes and certain other creatures tied to Navajo cosmology were also off-limits. These taboos weren’t casual preferences. They were deeply held rules that governed a hunter’s relationship with the natural world, and breaking them was believed to bring real spiritual and physical harm.
Hunting Tools and Techniques
Before European contact brought firearms to the region, the Navajo relied on bows and arrows as their primary hunting weapons. Bows were crafted from hardwoods available in the region, and many were sinew-backed for added power: dried sinew from elk or other large animals was pounded into fine threads and glued to the back of the bow in layers. This made the bow faster, more powerful, and more resistant to breaking, producing draw weights in the range of 50 to 70 pounds. Arrows were tipped with stone points, including obsidian and flint, carefully shaped for penetration.
Communal hunting methods were used for certain species, particularly rabbits. Groups of hunters would drive rabbits toward a line of waiting hunters or into nets, making the hunt more efficient than individual pursuit. For larger game, stalking and ambush techniques were common, with hunters using their knowledge of animal behavior, water sources, and migration patterns to position themselves for a clean shot.
Preserving and Using the Meat
In the arid climate of the Southwest, sun-drying was a natural and effective way to preserve meat. Hunters and their families sliced fresh game into thin strips and hung them on high racks to dry in the open air. Sometimes the strips were hung over a smoky fire, which served the dual purpose of keeping flies away and adding flavor. The result was jerky, a lightweight, long-lasting food that could be stored and eaten over weeks or months.
Dried meat was eaten on its own or rehydrated in stews with vegetables like wild potatoes and turnips. Some preparations combined dried meat with rendered fat and berries to create pemmican, a calorie-dense food ideal for travel or lean times. Nothing from a successful hunt went to waste. Bones were cracked for marrow, hides were tanned for leather, and sinew was saved for bowstrings and sewing. The Navajo approach to hunting treated the animal as a complete resource, and the spiritual protocols surrounding the hunt reflected a worldview in which taking an animal’s life carried real responsibility.