I think many people are either curious OR perhaps they used to hunt and want to "keep up" with hunting even though they no longer hunt. I am probably one of those. Here is a story that I think might be typical of a lot of non-hunters.
When I was a child I lived on a farm in rural Kentucky. We had chickens and cattle. I guess you would say we were fairly poor. Often, early in the morning my Dad would wake me and bring me my shotgun (.410). We would head off into the woods and return with a few squirrels for breakfast.
We also hunted bird, rabbits, etc. We often relied on these animals for food. We didn't need to ask the neighbors if we ended up crossing property lines. We knew them well and no one cared. Any hunter you heard in your woods was a neighbor who "ended up" at the edge of your property. - again no one cared.
As time passed, things changed. Working on a small hilly farm in Kentucky seemed to not support a family very well anymore. My Dad had to get a factory job. - tough to hunt in the morning when you leave for work at 5am. I (and many of my schoolmates) left for college, etc... at any rate most of us ended up in the city.
I never thought about hunting. It was just something I did. I enjoyed HUNTING but I took no special pleasure in killing an animal. That meant MORE WORK!. If I kill something it has to be dressed!
Anyway, more "strange" people entered the area where our farm is located. Neighbors became distrustful. Posted signs went up. Groceries became easier to get. "Free time" became more scarce.
This is what happened in my part of the country. We have a LOT less hunting than we used to. I "got out of the habit" and didn't hunt anything for many years. Last fall I went Deer hunting with my Dad. I enjoyed the "hunt" but I really wasn't upset that I never got a shot. I don't need the food anymore.
Sorry for the long post! Just thought I'd give you my perspective. (And I am not sure if you'd call me a hunter or not. Most people would probably say I am not.) But I do like to hear hunting stories and keep up with the latest thing in black powder, etc.
FWIW,
Logistar