Question for hunters

Silly, there is no emotional connection to a deer like a pet. There are two thing I think when I see a deer, "I hope I can get a good shot" and "Dinner!"
 
This is a very complex subject,and a simple yes or no won't do,this individual wants to understand us and we should do our best to explain ourselves, to do less invites him or her to join the antis.I am 57 have hunted since I was 9 grew up on a farm where we raised our own beef, chicken, pork, vegetables etc.As such I have killed many animals,each was treated with the greatest respect, a gift of food did I feel anything, yes I took a life, I have always been thankful for that food and opportunity, but to be honest every kill gives me pause, did I do my part well was the kill clean could I have done better.But to question the hunt the kill it's self no. I know the death was the cleanest this animal could have, the alternative was a slow lingering death, I have seen wolf kills long trails of blood an guts where the wolves ripped open the side the guts spilled out as the moose runs finally it falls,not to be killed but to be eaten as it lays waiting on death, I have watched moose die of starvation and disease both take days or weeks and makes one wish they could end the suffering.As to those that are vegans to prevent the animals suffering please spare me, the grain you eat came from land that will never again support wild game ,the subdivision you live in will never again host the trees or prairie grass that sustained millions of animals, as long as man walks the earth we will have a profound effect on all life we can either chose to be an active part of it or close our eyes an pretend we are separate and above it all.sorry for being long winded Alex
 
To hunt or not to hunt is that the question.....

My father passed away recently and he was of a similar thought process.But understand he was born in the 1930's here in east Tennessee and as the oldest in the family he had to contribute to feeding the family.He didn't want to inspire me to hunt because he had to do these things as a boy and wanted better for his family.At 9 or 10 he was given a 22 single shot to hunt rabbits,squirles,and opossum.My grandparents leased land to raise vegtables and raise hogs to sell at the local farmers market.Often that would only pay rent and buy shoes.They picked blackberries and walnuts as well as poke to have other parts of meals.They truly lived off the land even as little as sixty years ago.Now he was proud that he provided a better way of life for me and my brother and sister,and we could eat from the grocery store not having to worry about where the next meal came from.As time goes on more people can afford to do this but not everyone.There are still some people that live off the land in this way today in this area.I and others think that it is a shame that more people in this day and age do not see more of this,to really know what it was like to have to WORK for a living.I wished my father would have been more open about his early life but I think it was an embarassment for him.I think that it would have been a great lesson for folks to know.Some of us want to keep those ideas fresh so we will remember,others still have to live that way today.And some of those wouldn't have it any other way.
 
458 hits on some thought provoking points... The first time or 2 I fired a gun I was a tiny kid of 7 or so with the my father kneeled in front of me to rest the .410 then the 12 gauge barrel on his shoulder as I couldn't hold it up. Before I was 10 I was eating wild game shot by my dad as a .410 shell on a squirrel was cheaper than driving to the store for hotdogs. Pop would have me go to the opposite side of the tree and make noise so the squirrel would be on his side for a one shot kill so as to save ammo. Now I am back to the point where I cannot afford to pass up hunting. If I did not need the meat I wouldn't buy a license and WMA pass. This is the first season in over 20 years that I am going out in search of meat for human consumption with a firearm...:rolleyes:
Brent
 
There are a lot of responses here,and I did not read them all,so if I duplicate some ideas,oh well.
You and I assign the meaning to any event,and from that meaning,we feel.
It is OK to be you.My daughter shoots,but she does not care to hunt.I can respect her choice.
I approach a kill,establish it is dead,then,I sit with it a while before I begin with the knife.
I use the joke of the skinless,boneless chicken breast to explain some of what it means.It is so far removed from death.Nearly tofu.It doesn't matter a hired killer/gut man is in the price per pound.It is so far removed from the circle of life,and respect for food.
There is life in a grain of wheat.There is death in a slice of bread.
A home grown tomato is different than a cello wrapped tomato.Part of it is the dirt and tomato worms and watching them ripen.
It is also good to know there are very few kind deaths in nature.Starvation,falling through ice,being eaten alive,an infected wound.
No nice passing away in sleep.A quick bullet on a good day to die,not so bad.
When I die,I would like to feed coyotes,for a song,and be part of the Circle,myself
 
My belief is that God gave us the world to rule over and all the animals in it, we have to respect and take care of this world, and I believe hunting is human nature.

I also believe any person that eats McDonalds, fast food, or any type of meat, fish, poultry and complains against hunting is a pure hypocrite. People can be fine when it's "out of sight out of mind" because they dont want to see the reality of animals dying so they can eat hamburgers and chicken nuggets...but if someone shoots a wild animal to eat it, thats horrible.

I do not get sad, what I do get is more and more respect for the animal, and firmer in my belief that we must conserve our land and protect these great animals we share this great planet with. God bless.
 
The first animal I ever remember killing when I was about 8, bothered me a little bit. Then I ate it.

If you've never killed before, the first or second animal might bother you, after that you realize your doing it for food. Very good food.

If you have some of the venison I cook, you'll be out the next day trying to get some of that fresh, delicious meat.
 
Can i add a different take on this.

I am not a deer hunter, and the only animals i hunt that i eat are water fowl, which I do eat and do love.

90% of the hunting i do is varminting. The animals I shoot are pests and I am a bit careful about eating due to health concerns from RCV disease in the case of rabbits, and poisoning that has been used for aniaml control. So most animals are shot and left, or in the case of pigeons, usually thrown in a big hole. I eat a handful of those, but you cant eat 500 at once)> Do i feel any regrets? Heck no! Farmers have been controlling animals of all sorts from bugs to prarie dogs to crows since the beginning of time, and if pests were not shot, then the farmers livlihoods would be in danger.
 
Regret is not quite the word for it.

I've had gardens where I've raise some beautiful veggies. I wish I could have shared the sight of vines full of tomatoes. So when I harvest them there is something like regret. But I still eat them up.

Same thing for game animals, there is an idealized Bambi that I'd like to have gamboling around eternally. Then there is the Bambi I take home to eat.
 
Thanks for the responses. This helps me get a better understanding.

A couple people mentioned hunters ethics. What are hunters ethics? Does this basically mean taking the animal down as quickly and painlessly as possible?
 
Since the terms "ethics" and "morals" are open to debate... To me I prefer "acceptable" or "proper". Number one thing is a clean quick kill as much as I can have happen. After that is legal requirements. Following those is vermin control to help both land owners and native wildlife, to me is a way to give back to both for me getting the opportunity to use the land for my benefit.
Others have feelings about things like not shooting a duck unless it is in flight or would never use a light at night even if legal. I will use whatever means that I am allowed LEGALLY to take game or vermin. If folks think it is not "sporting" as it is an unfair advantage then I expect they also only hunt bare handed as even a club is an advantage...:D
Brent
 
Thanks for the responses. This helps me get a better understanding.

A couple people mentioned hunters ethics. What are hunters ethics?
Click to expand...

'Ethics' are what causes you to do the right thing, when nobody but you and God will ever know what you did- or why you did it. In previous times when 'religion' and 'morals' weren't dirty words, this was called 'conviction', 'conscience' or having a good 'moral compass'.


Does this basically mean taking the animal down as quickly and painlessly as possible?
Click to expand...

I don't count that as the meaning of ethics but in my mind it is the only way to kill anything, including a snake with a shovel.
 
I will tell you the first time I killed an animal, at age 11, it made me sad, yes.
At this age, not anymore.
I am still extremely sad if a pet dies. I am not when I shoot an animal. They are not a pet, and I have no attachment to the deer or animal I hunt.
It is a strange and complex thing to take a life, even if it is an animals'. People react differently no matter how well or poorly justified the killing is. Some will not care at all, or some will feel regret, and I can't say if either is wrong.
 
I look at this rather simply, albeit possibly incorrectly (depending on circumstances). Assuming enough predators are in a game animal's habitat, I would think that killing one, such as a deer, with a rifle is much more preferable to the animal than being killed by wolves, 'yotes, pumas, etc. With a rifle, death to the animal comes within a few minutes, usually. Death by clawed predator may take a while, and often the animal is being eaten by the predator while still alive.

Nature can be very cruel; I like to think of myself as being a bit more merciful :D
 
I love animals too, I just feel that all of them are different.

Dogs for example are loving and loyal as can be if you raise them right. I love dogs and will always have on once I am established and have a place of my own. Yet there are places in the world where dogs are considered a source of food which seems to me to be completely bizarre and if anyone tried to eat my dog they would be in for a very unpleasant life in the hospital for several days.

Game animals are totally different than pets. I am not attached to a deer when i shoot it and its not my pet that relys on me. I try to make every kill as quick and painless as possible... much quicker and much less pain than the animal experiences dying the natural way.

If you want to understand hunting you should go along with someone who is a good hunter. They have to be a good hunter because there are a lot of dipsticks out there who make hunters look really bad and go about it totally the wrong way. Walking out across the prairie after a herd of mule deer and stalking to within a good distance then selecting a deer and taking it is a lot different than some guys who drive around shooting out the window at the first thing that moves.
 
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I DO

It Makes Me Sad To See A Deer Die I Never Enjoy That Part Of The Hunt However I Do Enjoy Many Other Aspects And The Meat Is A Major Factor. Were I Not Able To Keep The Meat I Would Quit Going I Hope That Helps. ACTUALLY IT GETS WORSE EVERY YEAR AS I WATCH DEER AND LEARN FROM THEM AND ABOUT THEM MY RESPECT AND AWW OF THEM GROWS A LITTLE EACH YEAR AND BECOMES INCREASINGLY PAINFUL TO KILL ONE NOT SOMETHING I TALK ABOUT WITH MY HUNTING BUDDIES BUT AS SOMEONE ASKED I WILL BE HONEST ESPECIALLY SINCE I DONT KNOW ANYONE ON HERE PERSONALLY AND DONT HAVE TO HEAR THEIR SHI% :) LOL BUT ALL THINGS CONSIDERED IT IS STILL MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR YOU SHOULD TRY IT. ONE LAST THOUGHT AND DOES ANYONE ELSE HERE FEEL THIS WAY AFTER BEING A MARINE AND SEEING LIVES TAKEN AND LOST THE KILL BOTHERS ME MUCH MORE KNOWING HOW EASY LIFE IS LOST BE IT DEER OR MAN AND HOW EASILY IT CAN BE TAKEN AWAY WHEN I GOT OUT I SKIPPED SEVERAL HUNTING SEASONS JUST COULDNT DO IT
 
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My aunt has asked me similar questions as the OP in the past. Her feelings are different than mine, and thats okay. She believes hunting is cruel and barbarous, and is just an excuss to kill. She dosen't think twice about going to her local market and buying chicken breasts, ground beef, or pork ribs. These animal products she buys came from animals that have know their whole lives only as confinement. They are kept in cages and pens, overcrowded and dirty, living on feed that is engineered to make fat animals that will sell for a higher price, and when the farmer thinks they are right for sale, they are taken and slaughtered in the most cost productive way available. It may be a spike or electrode to the head of a pig or cow, or what amounts to a big bath tub for chickens where they are simply electrocuted in numbers. They get thrown on conveyor belts, dumped in trucks, and handled by people who have become immune to the depressing things they see everyday.My aunt will eat meat from the store or resturaunt, because she dosen't think about where it came from, as far as she is concerned, it sprang to existance in that little plastic tray. She rants and cries for the "poor animals" that have no chance against the hunters. I have explained that the poor animals have much better eyesight, hearing, smell, and can run away from me much faster than I can stalk them. She dosen't understand the difference between me, spending a year preparing my gear, making sure my gun is shooting true to make that clean kill, handloading the perfect load, watching the wildlife and hiking in the area I want to hunt, heading out into the back country to try and outwit the game on their home turf; and a cow or chicken taken from their pen and electrocuted and run thru a slaughter house so she can have dinner. If I can't make a clean, quick kill, I don't take the shot, and many times have come home from my hunting trip empty handed, and have still enjoyed the hunting experience. When I track and stalk a deer, elk, or antelope, I learn about the way they live, and get to watch them interact in nature. When I gut and skin one, I learn more about their anatomy to help ensure the next shot I take will continue to be a humane kill. I put hours of labor into cleaning my kill, hauling it to camp, and butchering and packaging it at home so that I and my family can enjoy it. I don't take pleasure in indiscriminate killing, but I do enjoy the challenge of the hunt, the time I spend in areas full of wildlife, and fruit of my labors after a successfull hunt. Some people feel if they don't personally kill the food on their table, they have had no hand in that animals death. They may not have taken part in, or seen that animals death, but it still died to be on their table. I know many people who wont hunt, but are aware of where their food comes from, they also know that I do hunt, and we are all ok with each others feelings on the matter. Everybody can feel differently about a subject, the problems arise when someone thinks that their opinion and belief is the only correct one.
 
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I guess the whole issue was never all that much of an issue for me, growing up with farming and ranching. Ranching, you raise cattle to sell to the market for folks to eat. You work your butt off to make sure the herd stays healthy, and you can't help but feel some attachment to those animals.

But their intended purpose is as food for people. And you can't have the food without killing the animal. For me, then, there's just no concern about "the way life is".

Bambi: Graceful. Pretty, in body and for the buck, antlers. There's just something about a deer that's more aesthetically pleasing to me than most other herbivores. But they're meat, and the meat tastes good. If you want to eat venison, ya gotta kill the deer. That's just the way life is.

My concern is for the health of the herd, not the fate of an individual animal.

Ethics? In general, it has to do with a quick, clean kill, minimizing suffering. That's why I make the effort to use a tack-driving rifle and control my "buck fever" so that I do the proper bullet placement. "Fair chase" comes in via not cheating: I don't hunt deer at night, nor hunt in any small high-fenced enclosure. I really don't care for hunting over such bait as an oat patch, for that matter, but that's sorta drifting off the fair chase issue. I don't want to get into the issue of fair chase and waiting at a water hole, either; after all, that's what the big cats do...

Last, I guess, hunting is a way of connecting with hundreds of generations of forebears. Sitting around the fire at deer camp, watching stars, visiting with friends: That's been going on for thousands of years. I'm not so arrogant that I think only modern ways have validity.

Only hunters and gardeners are "do it yourselfers" in providing food. Everybody else merely hires other people to do the dirty scut work for them. Think about that when you boogie on down to Ruth's Chris...

If I were a hostile sort, I'd ask the meat-eating anti-hunter, "What makes you so noble, since you hired a killer to do your slaughtering for you?" :)

Art
 
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