I wouldn't say there is a "thrill" for the kill itself. It's more a thrill for being able to make the shot when it counts. At least, that's the way it is for me. There is satisfaction that the animal did not suffer, that all the practice and hard work preparing for the hunt paid off. But the thrill is in making a clean shot, not the death of the animal.
When it comes to hunting deer, elk, pigs or other game animals, I prefer the ones I can eat. There is that "thrill" from being able to make a clean kill when it counts. That being able to make the shot and feed yourself if need be.
Killing a deer in the field (ever notice that your kills are halfway up another hill or at least one steep hill from camp?) is not the hard work. Not even the endless hours of hiking and stealth movements are hard. The hard work comes after the kill. Cleaning the animal and taking it back to the campsite or lodge will test your patience and endurance.
Like oldone, each time I've killed a food or animal, I give thanks to God for the animal, for letting me kill it quick without suffering and give thanks that I live in a country where I can still hunt. There is a certain "thrill" and pride in making a clean shot that kills without undue suffering, regardless of the animal.
Killing coyotes, fox, mice, raccoons and other varmints doesn't evoke the same feeling. These are predatory pests that will take "easy game" on farms which if unchecked will litterally nibble you to death. I stayed with a friend whose family has over 870 acres in Texas. Coyotes beyond a certain area were left alone. They hunted other small varmints and kept their populations down. Within about 500 yards of the farm, though, they were fair game. If four or more came around, killing two and letting the others run off tended to keep them at a distance better than killing them all.
There's more to the hunt than just killing an animal. It's being able to get out away from the cities, away from lots of other people. It is listening to the wind rushing through the trees, the tranquility of quiet in the forest on on the plains. It's being able to feel a part of the natural world and enjoy a more basic way of life. It's learning about your prey, the way they move, what they eat, when they are most and least active. It's learning about nature to survive.
When it comes to hunting deer, elk, pigs or other game animals, I prefer the ones I can eat. There is that "thrill" from being able to make a clean kill when it counts. That being able to make the shot and feed yourself if need be.
Killing a deer in the field (ever notice that your kills are halfway up another hill or at least one steep hill from camp?) is not the hard work. Not even the endless hours of hiking and stealth movements are hard. The hard work comes after the kill. Cleaning the animal and taking it back to the campsite or lodge will test your patience and endurance.
Like oldone, each time I've killed a food or animal, I give thanks to God for the animal, for letting me kill it quick without suffering and give thanks that I live in a country where I can still hunt. There is a certain "thrill" and pride in making a clean shot that kills without undue suffering, regardless of the animal.
Killing coyotes, fox, mice, raccoons and other varmints doesn't evoke the same feeling. These are predatory pests that will take "easy game" on farms which if unchecked will litterally nibble you to death. I stayed with a friend whose family has over 870 acres in Texas. Coyotes beyond a certain area were left alone. They hunted other small varmints and kept their populations down. Within about 500 yards of the farm, though, they were fair game. If four or more came around, killing two and letting the others run off tended to keep them at a distance better than killing them all.
There's more to the hunt than just killing an animal. It's being able to get out away from the cities, away from lots of other people. It is listening to the wind rushing through the trees, the tranquility of quiet in the forest on on the plains. It's being able to feel a part of the natural world and enjoy a more basic way of life. It's learning about your prey, the way they move, what they eat, when they are most and least active. It's learning about nature to survive.