Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire As a hunter has your view about killing changed any?

My views on killing have not changed much. I never went in for a lot of it. What I killed, where,and how were always a lot more important than tallying carcasses,and I have walked away from lots of opportunities for various reasons.

I have taken part in selective hunting and burned a lot of tags in the process.Most of that was trip-specific,and sticking to standards, win or lose.

In those instances I really missed the meat, which has always been important. But I generally got what I needed elsewhere,and never felt cheated that I came back without an animal.

Observing wildlife without the imperative to kill is a nice activity, but lacks the same levels of intensity, awareness,and attention to detail; it does not drive you to more out of the way places,rougher country, more remote,than the casual observer.Consequently, you do not ever learn as much about the animals,nor see the country exactly the same way.

Interacting with wildlife on a predator/prey relationship involves more intense involvement....it isn't necessary to kill to bring it all to fruition....you always have the option of taking a pass when the time comes. But the opportunity to kill has to be present, if it's "hunting". If it isn't, the activity is something else.

I don't kill possums in the yard to kill possums in the yard. It is as simple as making groceries and I'd sooner eat venison. I don't see that changing and will continue on.

Luckily for people supermarkets abound, it allows them to be introspective and caring...

when i was about 8, i brought home a songbird i had shot with a bb gun. That lead to a azzwhupping by my father for killing something for no purpose, and a one year restriction on the bb gun. I have never been a sport hunter, just what they would call a meat hunter. And even that has gotten harder to do as i have gotten old. I will go again for elk this fall, mainly cause i like elk to eat, but it is not done easily or without respect for the elk. I have always said a little prayer over them, thanking the Gods or God for sending them my way, and they would be used properly. I understand it is part of the process, and ultimately a lot better than how that fast food hamburger is obtained.
Having said that, I am always reminded in these types of conversations of a Edward Albey quote, which i will somewhat paraphrase. He said a young man with out blood lust, probably isn't much of a man, but an older man that still has the blood lust isn't much of a man. I tend to agree with this. It's enough to go out and chase them anymore, I don't have to prove myself by killing anything.

Well, although I almost strictly hunt for trophy animals anymore (with a couple of exceptions), when I go hunting I have every intention of killing something, and I don't see that changing. I also wholeheartedly agree with SH's analogy.

[quote=RoninPhx]when i was about 8, i brought home a songbird i had shot with a bb gun. That lead to a azzwhupping by my father for killing something for no purpose, and a one year restriction on the bb gun. I have never been a sport hunter, just what they would call a meat hunter. And even that has gotten harder to do as i have gotten old. I will go again for elk this fall, mainly cause i like elk to eat, but it is not done easily or without respect for the elk. I have always said a little prayer over them, thanking the Gods or God for sending them my way, and they would be used properly. I understand it is part of the process, and ultimately a lot better than how that fast food hamburger is obtained.
Having said that, I am always reminded in these types of conversations of a Edward Albey quote, which i will somewhat paraphrase. He said a young man with out blood lust, probably isn't much of a man, but an older man that still has the blood lust isn't much of a man. I tend to agree with this. It's enough to go out and chase them anymore, I don't have to prove myself by killing anything.[/quote

I would have thought you were learning how to hunt and shoot and be a provider. As such, he should have been proud of you for accomplishing the feat on your own. A good bird dog starts with lizards and butterflies.

Don't kill as voraciously as I used to.

Exactly. And it allows people to feel superior for not doing the killing themselves. Which is ass-backwards.

Right, and what did the news paper clipping say?

'Hunters suck, they should go to the grocery store where the meat is made'

Stupid people really need to stop screwing.

Gunner

Me too. With the exception of coyotes, cottonmouths, crows, and hogs, I don't shoot much these days that I don't plan to eat. I think part of that has come from getting older, while another part has come from hunting with my young children, as they love watching all the critters. I don't even shoot armadillos anymore, unless they are causing a problem. I'm more of a meat hunter these days than I ever was.

My views on hunting haven't changed a whole lot over the years but I certainly do appreciate the time I get to spend in the woods a whole lot more.

I use to love watching hunting videos but anymore, I just can't stomach watching some buffoon wound an animal and then celebrate while it lays there struggling to survive.

I don't take risky shots either, if I don't think I can get close enough to kill an animal quickly then I simply don't shoot it.

Too many hunters these days only care about putting another notch in their trophy belt, instead of caring more on how it's harvested.

That.

When I was younger I'd kill just to kill like songbirds & rodents & such.

Today I kill only what I eat (with coyotes & woodchucks as exceptions) and never kill non-game animals. I occasionally let game animals and even the occasional varmint walk, and my sons & I even love bird watching as a pastime in & of itself.

I absolutely love to hunt and to put bullets into things. I'm not the greatest at it and I don't know it all, but I love it. I love the physical strain of it, I love putting bullets through meat, I love getting bloody, I love cutting up meat and putting it in a pack, I love dragging dead schit up hill, I love dragging dead schit down hill, and the further I am from the truck, the happier I am, typically....

I love taking other people hunting. My favorite part of it isn't lunch, or the sunrise, or the time spent together, or the cool, crisp, autumn air. My favorite part of it is when the bullet from their rifle sends lung and goo all over the opposite side of the animal we're after. Because to me, that's what hunting is. It's finding schit and killing it and (outside of fornicating) there is nothing more fun on this earth than finding and killing schit.

My heart still pounds when I call in a coyote. Not because I think a coyote is an amazing or majestic creature, but because I love shooting coyotes and I realize I have another opportunity to shoot one. And I become just as thrilled when I hear the "TWHACK" of a bullet as I did when I was 12 years old.

Know what my favorite part of a bird flushing is? When it catches a full dose of #5's out of my Benelli and hits the earth. How's that for romanticism?

I could shoot gophers all day every day for the rest of my life, and then shoot some more. Do I like putting bullets into those cute fuzzy critters? Yes, I do. Does it help the rancher when I shoot them? Sure it does. Do I really give a schit? No. I'm out there to shoot them because I love shooting them.

When I see a chuck sitting in a perfect spot my heart still races. And when the bullet impacts and the 'chuck goes in four different directions, I smile and thank God for inventing gun powder and primers.

When I shoot prairie dogs I love to see them explode and the higher they go into the sky, the higher my spirits are raised.

I always congratulate my fellow hunters when they have succeeded. But in all sincerity, I only do this because I was raised to be polite. The reality is I look a their picture and just wish I was the one that killed it and it motivates me to go back out and find something bigger and better to kill.

So, no. I don't think I've changed any.


Travis

Honesty at its best!

I never killed for "sport," so haven't had to change any on that.

Killing is part and parcel of any REAL life, and I hope to have lived a real life when it's all over. So, I'll keep hunting, and killing, and eating, until I die. No shame in that, ever.

Gettin' rare these days...



Travis

Jeff,
I don't think we disagree at all. I just didn't make the effort to expand my comments to include your position.

To me a hunter is a man who knows a particular animal exists and where it exists, learns its habits and matches wits and skill with the animal. Most deer "hunters" are deer shooters who just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I also agree that the average bubba you meet in the woods can't hit a refrigerator 3 shots out of 5 and 100 yards.

I've declared war on Cowbirds. I'll kill every one I have the chance at. Racoons too but the opportunities ain't as often as I'd like. I'll kill wild hogs too but my Pop killed so many the last few years of his life that there's not too many left around here anymore. But Cowbirds... They are hell on songbirds and I'm the equalizer.

+1

Excellent discussion that I really don't have a definitive answer for although I must admit to admiring Travis' eloquence. I love to hunt, always have and probably or at least I hope so, always will. I am perfectly fine with those that eschew hunting personally, just as long as their views and actions don't interfere with mine. If one is a PURE vegetarian and I mean pure, then I can see the their point to, but if you enjoy a good steak and wear leather shoes and belts, I sure hope you realize how those articles came to be.

Sure I enjoy eating the game I shoot, but frankly, I give most of it away. I am an unapologetic trophy hunter. I just enjoy the thrill the hunt gives me. And yes I pay to hunt for the most part, although this past season, save for the GREAT bird hunt I went with Hatari and Pugs, all my hunts have been DIY.

Good post and the line about bird hunting was the best part.

Seems like a lot of people over romanticise bird hunting to have a built in excuse for not having a full game bag at the end of the day.

If my dogs could talk they'd say the best part of the day is watching a pheasant get crushed by 4's and racing each other to get teeth on the cock.

Maybe it's because I'm young but if I go hunting and I'm not shooting I get disappointed.