So am I a complete wussy or what?

As for someone not wanting to kill an animal or even a human, no that does not make you a wussie. Owning and shooting guns and yet being unable to kill is not necessarile hypocritical. Guns can be used to shoot targets exclusively, so what. Nor does eating game or other animals necessarily make you a hypocrite - unless maybe you are preaching against hunting as being barbaric while you sit there ripping the flesh off of another rib bone but I don't think anyone was doing that here.


I do think there is a misconception among many non-hunters as to just what makes up hunting be it for sport or for meat or for both. This misconception was expressed in the following:

I hated the experience. I killed it for absolutely no good reason other than it was thrilling to hunt it and shoot it.

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This sounds like there was no "hunt" to by which to be thrilled - no matter how much the "hunter" you thought you were at the time. It sounds more as if you did something you thought was wrong even before you carried out the act. The thrill you felt probably was more that you were thrilled by being a 'bad boy'. Quite frankly, killing a bird sitting on a branch "...over our pool..." was not hunting in its truest essence. That was instread, in my opinion, senseless killing or poaching. Hunting is not reckless or senseless killing whether you do it for sport or for meat or for both. You should try real hunting someday, you don't even have to kill something to enjoy it. Hunting is not about the kill, the kill simply ends the hunt. If you try it, that is try real hunting, you just might see the difference.

All the best,
Glenn B

Dasmi:
Where do you go people hunting, what kind of license do you need?

I've hunted since I was ten years old. Still hunt some every year. I eat what I kill and taught my sons the same. We hunt for the table and don't hunt with killers. There are only two critters I shoot just to kill...rats and starlings. However, I did kill a 'possum last year. I couldn't leave my basement door open ten minutes...he'd pop out of hiding and run in and it would take two or three days to get him out.(his tail had been broken...it was the same critter every time). I even named him at first...Larry. I understand the nagging feeling of reluctance you've shared with us. I hunt many days with absolutly NO intention of killing anything. I'm out there to be out there...just pokin' around, taking a few pictures. I see no shame in deciding to not hunt and no hypocracy in being ready for self defense. Man is still the most dangerous critter that walks the earth.
Mark.

You are not a wuss at all.

I used to hunt, I found I enjoyed the feeling of being out in the woods alone. The quiet, nature, and solitude was what I found I liked the best.

So I gave up the hunting part. All things die, some things help others die, so be it. If you hunt, fine by me. I would never stop you from doing it as long as all laws are followed.

Most hunters I have known were knowledgable and caring of the enviornment. I knew some who killed for the thrill, they seem to change with age.

So I may not hunt, but will always stand by someone in the shooting sports. Even if a guy may be a lout, the vast majority of sportsman are not.
I may not hunt, you may not shoot 3 gun matches, however, we should still be allies.

I used to hunt for sport, mostly squirrels and birds. My first deer hunt was early this year. Two shots, two deer for the day...one a nice eight point, the other a doe. Big deal even though they were rather tasty. I hunted with and FOR my son as it was a good bonding experience. He and I both aren't sure we'll go again. Bird hunting is another thing as we both like it and are more comfortable shooting birds for some reason. We really like the taste of dove and quail as well.

I mostly shoot squirrels in my yard as they like to sharpen their teeth on the exterior moldings of my home and they are EVERYWHERE in my neighborhood. My .22 airgun dispatches them nicely. I don't enjoy doing it. However, it keeps me sharp and my house in better condition.

Target shooting is much more our bag. I don't consider that strange in any way, shape, or form.

I have no great internal conflict about hunting. I really don’t have problem killing animals that are a potential threat to safety, property or wildlife either. Stray dog? Dead. Feral cats? Dead. It doesn’t have to be dangerous really. Armadillo digging holes in the yard? Mouse in the house? Bunnies in the garden? You guessed it! I don’t have a problem killing whatever is after my chickens (I generally give birds of prey a pass) anymore than I would poisoning a termite infestation in my house.

I don’t condone senseless killing or torture of animals. I hunt for food and I would no more leave a scrap of meat in the field than I would my gun, but I have to be honest and say that I enjoy every part of hunting. I have fun and I make no apologies for liking it. While the killing and butchering is more of a chore, I’m not aware of anything that worth doing that doesn’t have some work associated with it.

I am very thankful that I enjoy going out and getting my own meat. Fresh meat is better than anything that you by at the store. If I didn’t like to hunt I’d be missing that in the worst way.


David

cslinger,

About 12 years ago, a bunch of law students were organizing a hunting trip. I was invited, as I was known to be an avid shooter, ex-military, etc. A bunch of us were at the range when I told them no. That led to the challenges to my manhood, shooting abilities, etc. I explained it as this: I choose to not hunt, but I fully support the rights of others to do so. I do not need to hunt for food, as I have ample supplies in the kitchen, and money to replace those supplies. I do not need to hunt to survive, as the animal in question (deer in that case) posed no threat to me, and I was in no danger. I do not need to hunt to prove my abilities with a firearm, as I can (and did) outshoot every one of the guys casting aspersions on me. And, I choose not to kill for entertainment value, as I find killing to be unpleasant.

Like many things in life, it is a choice. I made mine.

I've been hunting for three years.

I hunt only what I intend to eat. No varmint hunting for me. If it isn't going to the dinner table then it isn't falling to one of my guns. Turkey and deer are the only game I hunt currently.

That being said, I can't see myself ever shooting an animal, because it hasn't happened yet. :banghead:

I swear, I must be the worst hunter on THR.
I've come close alot of times but a clean, humane shot has yet to present itself to me.

Oh well, I'll keep trying.

BTW, like many have mentioned here, to me its about the experience, not the kill. If I spend every day of a season enjoying the outdoors with friens and family, then its worth it.

I guess I am a wuss too

I live in the city, and just enjoy seeing deer, cyotees, bear, ect too much to shoot one when I see them. I love feeding the ducks too. I love eating duck and venacine, but rely on others to do the hunting. I do not oppose others hunting, as long as they are human about it. Rodents are not a problem. I have a rat terrior and cats that will and have taken care of those in the house. Outside the house have not had a problem with rodents (rat terrior again).

I even helped my g-pa build my mothers deer stand up north, and could almost see myself doing it, but would feel too bad. I leave the hunting to the rest of my family, and they NEVER push me to do it, and respect my choices. I do love to fish, but I am a catch and release guy because I am too lazy to clean the buggers

bill (has had venacine, duck, rabbit, turtle, phesant but no wild turkey)

i'm not much on the experience myself..

i don't enjoy freezing my toes off, or sweating from places i didn't know i had... i don't like to walk up and down hills pulling an animal behind me, and i really don't get off on being covered in blood... i don't enjoy processing the meat, and i really don't like cleaning up the saw and grinder when i'm done...

but nothing is better than a fresh fried wild turkey breast, or a week old pot of deer chili.. or jerky, or tacos, or steak, or fish even!!

deer are almost a pest around here, the population is out of control... if you don't think so goto your local auto insurance agent and tell em your zip code is 41086, or 40359...

i would love to eliminate a dog town before i die, sounds like a good vacation to me...

if you don't think so that's fine, i've got lots of paper to shoot too, and bricks, concrete, pumpkins, computers, lp cans, melons, old beer, you name it...

I do not think that an aversion to killing is anything to be ashamed of. As a follower of a nature-based path and as a keeper of a Grove, I understand that killing is part of the cycle of life, and that the things I eat were once alive. But I do not have any particular desire to kill anything myself. At the Grove, we kill very few things on purpose (even ants and mosquitos get shown to the door with an admonishment to find somewhere else to hang about), but we respect the rights of others to hunt and kill for food or defense.

Occasionally one of the cats will eat a moth or a spider. Or a skink. Or (once) a toad. There's nothing quite like discovering the other half of a toad on your bed late at night.

I shoot for recreational and defensive purposes; I have no desire to ever have to use my weapon to kill a person, but as unlikely as it is, I'm more likely to do that than I am to use it to kill an animal. The Grove is in a place where very few of the local fauna are a threat of any kind. The same cannot be said of some of the people who live nearby.

-BP

I've hunted ever since I was a kid growing up in the Appalachians, although there were years I didn't always get to go hunting due to work commitments.
I would describe myself as a consumptive or subsistence user of wildlife. I also take furbearers either by trapping when I have time to run the lines or by hunting them. I enjoy these activities thoroughly and consider it more of a lifestyle for me rather than sport. However, anytime I kill an animal whether the trap killed in my absence, or I pulled the trigger myself, I always feel a bit of remorse for doing so. That's probably how it should be.
My gf is Koyukon-Athabascan and grew up along the Yukon River. Her belief is that when you hunt and kill an animal, that animal gave itself over to you so you could live. Having lived there a few years, I kinda adopted those beliefs and always try and remember them after a successful hunt.

There is nothing wussy about not wanting to hunt especially if you have no reason to or were not brought up in that type of culture. Killing is not an easy thing to do.
But understand that the hunting life/death cycle is how the real world works in the wild. It's where real food comes from. The Walt Disney University school of wildlife management don't fly out there. It's mostly brutal and cruel. Most of the time a hunter's bullet or arrow is the only humane thing in the wilds. There is nothing anyone can do to sugar coat it. It is what it is.

Having respect for one of (place name of creative diety of your choice here)'s creations and having a reluctance to end its life is understandable.

I felt bad about the first mourning dove I bagged. The feeling went away in a minute or two and, when the dove (among with several of his brethren) appeared on my dinner plate I discovered that God's creations can be mighty tatsy. No problems since that first bite. Pheasant was even better and more meat for the shell expended.

Unfortunately, I haven't hunted in years. School. Military service. No $$$. Work+school, simultaneously. Whatever. I plan to rectify that situation.

As far as butchering, I never had a problem. I mean, I also have innards. Every creature on earth has innards. What's the big deal? I wouldn't run around slinging them around yelling "Woo-hoo, woo-hoo" or some such foolishness. Innards just are.

Hunting an animal, butchering it, and eating it is a learning experience I highly recommend.

Nope, you're not a wuss. You are just respectful of life.

When I was a kid, I once killed a songbird with my pellet gun and felt terrible afterwards. Like I had ruined one of God's creations (which I had.)

However, I now REALLY enjoy hunting, particularly upland bird hunting. There is something tremendously satisfying about hunting, preparing, and eating your own food. Makes me feel part of the food chain--part of the cycle of life. We humans are omnivores, right?

Its easy for me to reconcile the two. Killing for no good reason=bad. Hunting for food=good.

Thank you all, very much

I thought I was alone in my feelings on the subject.
Now I feel tons better.

Thank you for that, my friends.
Fud.

I've gone hunting three times in my life (I'm 37). The first two times was when I was in college and I never even got close to a kill. Had fun with the guys though. The last time was in 98. I actually got a deer with a 30-30. My hunting partner was an avid hunter and had the tools,knowledge and skill. He was a big reason why I got something. I have to say I didn't enjoy killing that animal and gutting it wasn't fun either. However I and my family enjoyed the venison. I try not to be too much of a hypocrite. Nevertheless I've never been hunting since. It just isn't in the blood. Probably if it was life and death.

Well, I think of another species that fits the definition of "vermin" a lot better than the prairie dog does.

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My, aren't we misanthropic today. Do you work for Greenpeace?

I like to hunt birds and fish, but, aside from rats and mice, it's kind of hard for me to kill a mammal. I mean, compared to the rest of the animal kingdom, they're practically our brothers and sisters. They have eyelashes and whiskers and warm fur, and their mothers nursed them and loved them...

Deer sure are yummy, though.

A wuss you aint.

Not wanting to hunt just to kill something is not a bad thing. As you said if you needed to hunt for food that would be a different story. But if you would like to enjoy the comradery of the hunting expierence I suggest this. Shoot with a camera. The skill of hunting, stalking, patience, & game knowledge are still needed. Don't worry over it. Besides it is easier to carry a camera over the miles of the hunt than it is to haul the carcass around.

Hunting is not for everyone. Not hunting does not make you a "wussy" - it just makes you someone who doesn't like to hunt.

I've shot animals - and I feel bad, too. But hunting is part of the natural order of things. Like it or not we're part of the food chain like any other animal. Animals hunt. It's been that way since long before we humans were even thought of.

I don't hunt anymore, but I may again some day. I am not against hunting in any way shape or form as long as it's for consumption. Shooting things just for the sake of shooting them is not my cup o' tea.

That said, I fish all the time ... and somehow that's just not the same as hunting - but it really is. Go figure.

+1 on the camera idea. It's a great alternative for folks who want to essentially have the same experience as hunting without actually having to shoot anything. Plus, you can do it all year without regard to any rules or regulations. I actually know a couple of guys who "camera hunt" for deer in the off season to hone their skills and increase their familiarity with the local deer population and terrain. They have a good time.

Hunting doesn't bother me. What really bothers me is picking the dead bugs off the windshield. They didn't deserve to die and I haven't found a good use for them.

John

I love to shoot & carry concealed every day. But after having pet rabbits, & a dear we found that was 4 days or so old. We kept her for 3 yrs until she matured sexually then we had to let her go. So I could never get into the hunting aspect. Kind of like shooting a dog, we had her playing touch football & billards, Doesn't stop my dad or younger brother though...

You aren't a wussy. THIS is a wussy:

Setting up a target in the backyard for BB use, implementing nothing more than an old shoe box with an X drawn on it. Not seeing a bird land behind the target, but seeing the poof of feathers as the BB hits it between the foremost part of the wing and the neck. Running over to see if it's really as bad as I think it is. Seeing blood everywhere, and drawing my BB-version Walther PPK and emptying all 15 rounds into the bird as fast as I can. Going inside, finding a clean rag, and wrapping the thankfully-now-dead bird in it. Giving the bird a proper burial next to Mom's prized Japanese maple tree. And trying to not think about it or feel bad for the next two weeks, but failing miserably.

So you don't take pride in ending life. +1 for you. So you don't mind others that do for good reason. Another +1. And one more +1 for admitting it.

All that being said I just cannot ever seeing having the heart to actually hunt or shoot an animal. Ok ducks maybe but they are just fish with wings...

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No, this is a fish with wings:

http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/expeditions/mariana/dailyupdates-38.htm

I used to live in Crab Neck (Seaford), Virginia. That's almost an island, with a narrow strip being the only way out. There were ducks all over the place.

One day we were going somewhere, my wife was driving, and "THUMP!"

"What was that?!?!"

"You hit a duck."

"NO! I didn't hit a duck. Don't tell me that."

On the way back, she was watching the pavement for signs of the duck, wandered on to the shoulder, and a passel of ducks walking along the shoulder flew up.

"What was that!"

"You ran over the funeral procession."

Prairie Dogs

"My point is I see pictures of some of your folks prairie dog kills etc. and I actually feel bad for the little critters. I know they are pests and I have no problem with hunting or hunters etc. but unless I am hungry or threatened I just cannot see ME killing a living thing."

I moved from Nashville to Longmont, Colorado in 99'. I had only seen "Dogs" in nature flicks showing them as all cute and cuddly and endangered. As I became more famliar with them I realized they are verminous, diseased critters that denude the enitre countryside and what worse is that they are IMPUDENT!

The greenies around here gush about how they are endangered and need protection. The Feds were forced to admit that they aren't endangered after being sued. The enviros use the Dogs like they use any other so-called endangered species to gain control of the land.

That being said, I haven't hunted in years because I just can't bring myself to kill anything anymore.