Any animals you won't kill?

[brigadier]

Just wondering if my own taste here is uncommon. Some animals I would kill in a pinch for food, but there are a few different species that I simply will not kill at all. Primarily, rabbits, chipmunks and skunks. For one, I am not fond of eating scavengers, none of them taste good IMO and I really have a soft spot for all 3.

What about you guys. Any animals out there that you won't kill?

 

[TAB]

Other then rodents.

I was brougth up, you shoot it, you eat it. Same with fishing, you keep it, you eat it.

So lots of things I would not hunt. Now for survival, every thing that walks, crawls, swim or flys is fair game.

 

[plexreticle]

I avoid shooting humans when possible.

 

[OMGWTFBBQ]

If an animal isn't destroying property, and I don't intend to eat it, I won't shoot it. Me being quite squeamish when dealing with the blood and guts part of hunting, I stick to varmints. 90% of my hunting has been rabbits munching on the garden or destroying the rose bushes.

As for specific animals I won't kill, chipmunks.

 

[Regolith]

I probably wouldn't kill a primate, unless it was about to kill me first (and this includes members of the homo genus as well), or something that was endangered. Other than that? Can't think of anything, given the right circumstances. That said, I don't shoot at anything that moves, either; I generally tend to need a good reason to kill an animal, either for food or to exterminate a pest.

 

[coloradokevin]

I was also brought up under the rules of "you kill it, you eat it".

I've also learned of the importance that every species plays in it's own way. So, I'm not necessarily into shooting varmints on public land, personally.

I've certainly plugged a few ground hogs here and there on some of our relative's farms back east, and I can understand hunting prairie dogs and the like when they are threatening someone's land and/or livelihood.

But, for me anyway, I don't see any point in shooting an animal (be it a P.D. a coyote, etc) on public lands without the intention of eating it! From where I sit, it seems awfully wasteful...

As for other personal opinions: I've always had dogs as pets, and even if they are useless poop factories, I kind of like them! As such, I don't have much interest in shooting coyotes myself!

As always, to each their own.

That said, I don't shoot at anything that moves, either; I generally tend to need a good reason to kill an animal, either for food or to exterminate a pest.

You did a good job of saying what I think I was trying to say here!

 

[SammyIamToday]

I'm not really a fan of hunting ducks because they mate for life. Just seems weird. Not against other people doing it by any means, just not my thing. Don't really like bird hunting at all, come to think about it. But then again, I've never really tried much, so maybe I don't know what I'm missing.

 

[MCgunner]

You don't like fried RABBIT!? Strange.

I won't kill anything illegal, don't particularly care to shoot predators other than coyotes for the ranchers. I like seeing bobcat and don't kill them, though I would to get a mount if I wanted one. I don't shoot dogs or cats unless they're feral and/or presenting me with a threat, but then if a human presents me with enough threat, I'll shoot him before he shoots me.

I don't know, I really don't shoot much of anything other than ducks, geese, doves, deer, and hogs all in season. I get to go squirrel hunting occasionally and will take a rabbit when presented, love fried rabbit. I shot a snake the other day to shut my buddy up who almost got bit by it. Had I been alone, I'd let him live. He wasn't threatening and I can side step snakes. We skinned it and he took it home for supper, so it didn't go to waste. Fried rattler....tastes like chicken.

I absolutely LOVE duck hunting. I don't anthropomorphize my game, either. They mate for life, so what? I like eating 'em, like shooting 'em, and LOVE hunting 'em. The deeks, the calling, it's all part of me. I'm an unabashed, non-apologetic waterfowler. When I hear that first flight of geese coming in in the fall, my heart rate soars, my hair stands on end, and I start to drool.

 

[BattleChimp Potemkin]

Funny you mention this, I have a skunk issue in my neighborhood. Problem is, he has a ranged weapon, as do I. Ive tried humane traps (smart jerks arent they). The main issue is by the time I can smell em, he is in range. Sort of like that Alien movie, but I need SPACE MARINES!

Anyways, I generally dont hunt if I have the money to buy meat. I hunted alot, hunt occasionally, but generally do it as a food measure, rather than fun issue. If a pest issue, then definitely. I dont like shooting chipmunks (generally harmless anyways) or badgers (had a friend that had one of these as a pet, you come to love them quickly). Badgers will keep your rodent population down generally too.

 

[GearHead_1]

But, for me anyway, I don't see any point in shooting an animal (be it a P.D. a coyote, etc) on public lands without the intention of eating it! From where I sit, it seems awfully wasteful...

This is the way I feel and I don't like the taste of any game save it be fish. Yes, I know that someone has a recipe that would make me change my mind but I've tried most of them and just don't like it. I used to hunt, elk, deer, pheasant, duck, dove and most any game that Utah has to offer. I found that I usually had to find someone to give my kill to as I didn't want to eat it. This typically wasn't a problem there is usually someone you are hunting with that will take the game. I guess for lack of a better description I had a streak of morality hit me. If I don't need it I don't shoot it. I've hunted enough to have the confidence and know that If I needed to take it I could. I'm not an anti-hunter. I don't have a problem with people hunting. I just don't do it for the sport.

 

[SammyIamToday]

I absolutely LOVE duck hunting. I don't anthropomorphize my game, either. They mate for life, so what? I like eating 'em, like shooting 'em, and LOVE hunting 'em. The deeks, the calling, it's all part of me. I'm an unabashed, non-apologetic waterfowler. When I hear that first flight of geese coming in in the fall, my heart rate soars, my hair stands on end, and I start to drool.

Not really sure it qualifies as anthropomorphizing since most humans do not mate for life.

Like I said, I have no problem with it, just not my thing.

 

[AKpacker]

I'd probably choose not to shoot the Sasquatch.

Actually, at one point there was a county in south western Washington State which actually made it illegal to hunt the famed Big Foot....

Amazing that....

 

[The Tourist]

I make no moral judgement on other hunters. I eat meat, and I help my friends in obtaining good quality equipment to enhance their hunts.

I say that for a good reason. I have gotten to the point in life where hunting is no longer my cup of tea. If invited on hunt by friends, I will eagerly take a spot on a "drive" to find deer. To me, it's a nice walk in some beautiful Wisconsin woods.

About eighteen months ago I sold my 45-70 with the idea that if I ever needed another I could find one for a specific hunt or vacation. That has never happened. In many ways, I am no longer a hunter or a varmint shooter.

 

[ArmedBear]

I like to hunt quail here. It's good exercise, it's fun, and the meat is delicious.

I'm considering doing some crow hunting; the birds ARE harmful, and they've decimated our desert tortoise population. I like the tortoises; I used to keep some as pets (needed a license from DFG since even then they were endangered).

The bunny-huggers protested and stopped the BLM from killing crows that were eating hundreds of hatchling tortoises each. Stupid! I'd do the job for them if I can figure out where to do it. But I don't much care to eat crows; they're vermin that have been brought in in large numbers by human disturbance of the habitat.

 

[charby]

I only hunt what I'll eat. I mostly hunt fowl and ruminants.

I used to hunt squirrels and rabbits but not anymore because of time constraints. I always think of a February rabbit hunt but I usually have other things to catch up from hunting every free moment from mid October-January.


-C

 

[fatguynlittlecoat]

Raccoons. I dunno, I just like them.

 

[jfountain2]

I'm with the kill it, then grill it group. I don't see the point of killing something just to say you did.... except for Sasquatch, I'm afraid I would just have to kill it if I saw it just so I could go on the news and put an end to the "real, not real" arguments.

 

[highorder]

I won't shoot anything in the weasel family, because I have 3 ferrets at home. They are more personable than cats and easier to manage than dogs. (which I also love)

 

[Deer Hunter]

Snakes and spiders.

The reason?

I hate rats and insects.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

I don't hunt or eat predatory animals or scavengers. That includes bears.
Though, if the Coyote population gets too much more, I may take up skewering them with my arrows.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

Nope, they are all on the list.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Yep lots of them.

 

[andrewdl007]

Im a softy. When I grew up we would have deer always on our property and they became like pets. I dont think I could bring myself to shoot one. When I grew up in California, I shout probobly hundreds of ground squirles because they would tunnel into our chicken coop and eat the eggs and bother the hens. when I moved to Virginia, I couldnt bring myself to shoot the tree squirrels since they never did any harm. I guess I would say I only would shoot it for food or if the animal was doing harm in some way that could not be stoped another way.

 

[rcmodel]

I will never kill a Jackalope, or a Nauga.

They almost wiped out all the Nauga's back in the 50's due to the high demand for Naugahyde.

And Cabala's is selling stuffed Jackalopes to city folks faster then they can reproduce around here anymore.

rcmodel

 

[MCgunner]

Quote:
But, for me anyway, I don't see any point in shooting an animal (be it a P.D. a coyote, etc) on public lands without the intention of eating it! From where I sit, it seems awfully wasteful...
This is the way I feel and I don't like the taste of any game save it be fish.

Probably a culture thing. I grew up in the country hunting. I reckon if I grew up in a city and my parents/grandparents didn't hunt and fish, I wouldn't have a clue.

I'd probably choose not to shoot the Sasquatch.

I wouldn't shoot a Sasquatch because I'd be afraid of being charged with murder when they unzipped the suit off him.

I will never kill a Jackalope, or a Nauga.

I would LOVE to fly to France for a Bungee hunt. Long, skinny critters that stretch in the middle. Amazing animals, those Bungees.