NationStates Jolt Archive

I've seen some very.. um... "interesting" views on hunting around here lately.

Let's get them all in one place.

How do you feel about hunting? How do you understand it? Do you have any experience to back this up, if so, how much?

I guess you could say I am from the "waste not, want not" school.

I love animals, don't get me wrong. When I hear about people tormenting them, or starving them, or abusing them, I see red. However, I recognize that man is an omnivore, and that I personally enjoy the taste of meat.

So where does this leave me?

If your aim in hunting deer (for instance) is to bag your deer, and bring it all home -- butcher it and put the meat up for the winter, or give meat to people you know need/will like it, I'm cool with it. Use the hide, use mount the head, whatever you like (though I find the glassy-eyed stare discomforting).

Trophy hunting for the sake of getting antlers/head/whatever alone disgusts me. It's wasteful and, in my opinion, cowardly. It's not as if the deer or bear or whatever has much chance against someone with a rifle half a mile away, has it?

Hunting is great even if it doesn't result in a kill. Being out in the woods in full camo with no scent, as little as possible anyways, and having animals just wander up on you without knowing that you are there is a huge rush. I have surprised squirrels that have wandered into my tree, deer that have wandered up to the rock that I was sitting on and never know that I was there until I blinked my eyes at them or made a slight noise to alert them.


Even if you don't approve of guns or of hunting for food just get out in the woods with a camera and do a little "hunting". It's wonderful.

I dont like it, I've never done it though, it seems kind of cruel though. I dont mind if you eat what you hunt however, only if you kill it and leave it. Afterall I eat meat.

To paraphrase Ron White:

It's just too damn early and too damn cold out when you go hunting.

My father is a hunter so is his brother and so was his father. My mother's father was a hunter. They tried to get me out there, it was boring as hell. I mean just a complete waste of time.
I have no moral qualms with hunting as long as you eat what you kill, or at least stuff it and display it in your living room in an aggressive, attacking pose. But as for me, I will stay home with a good book or go play a game with some friends.
i think my father was pretty disappointed with me over this.

I've seen some very.. um... "interesting" views on hunting around here lately.

Let's get them all in one place.

How do you feel about hunting? How do you understand it? Do you have any experience to back this up, if so, how much?

Personally, I'm for it. I believe that: 1) Hunting SHOULD be controlled and regulated, so as to not thin out the naturally occuring species of an area, and disrupting the environment. 2) You shouldn't do trophy hunting, in which you simply kill the animal for sport, and waste the flesh. THAT pisses me off. 3) In Wisconsin, they allowed the hunting of feral cats, which I'm all for. Reason being is that cats have been considered an environmental vector (Threat to the environment, by being a threat to threatened/endangered species), due to the fact that they hunt their prey rather indiscriminately,and sometimes just for "play", and in doing so, will thin out species to dangerous levels. Their population has grown far too large for the environment of North America to support them. 4) While I've no personal experience hunting, I'd like to experience it, one day. Not for the "thrill of the hunt", mind, but more as a learning experience, and a way to get in touch with humanity's past.

I love hunting!!!!

Unfortunately, 8 out of 10 times the only thing being hunted is me, by the mosquitoes. Occasionally we bag an animal. More often I am fed on for 8 -10 hours. The bugs grow large in the fields too.

I dont like it, I've never done it though, it seems kind of cruel though. I dont mind if you eat what you hunt however, only if you kill it and leave it. Afterall I eat meat.
If its done correctly the animal doesnt suffer. Most hunters PREFER animals to die quickly, because an hour spent chasing a deer around is an hour your not doing something else.
Of course, there are cruel bastards who like to watch things suffer, but these dont represent a majority of hunters.
And Ill agree with everybody else on 'trophy hunting'.
I mean, why exactly would you be PROUD of having hunted down some bear, shooting it from the top of a hill a mile away, cutting off its head/claws/whatever and sticking it on your wall?
Very sporting that.
Not that Im encouraging anybody to get up close an personal with a bear...

My father is a hunter so is his brother and so was his father. My mother's father was a hunter. They tried to get me out there, it was boring as hell. I mean just a complete waste of time.
I have no moral qualms with hunting as long as you eat what you kill, or at least stuff it and display it in your living room in an aggressive, attacking pose. But as for me, I will stay home with a good book or go play a game with some friends.
i think my father was pretty disappointed with me over this.


It sounds as though your dad probably went about hunting with you like my dad did me with fishing. Sit in the boat all day and don't say a word because you'll scare the fish away. Very boring for a young child and even a pre-teen. He could have made it more a learning experience rather than making it all about the hunt and just taught you to enjoy being out in the woods and appreciating nature. Then if you ended up enjoying hunting so be it but that's really not what hunting is all about.

I've seen some very.. um... "interesting" views on hunting around here lately.

Let's get them all in one place.

How do you feel about hunting? How do you understand it? Do you have any experience to back this up, if so, how much?
I think hunting is okay in the "animal kingdom", but the way we humans prey on innocent, less intelligent species, take more than we need, and waste so many various parts of the animals is absolutely disgusting.

Every few weekends, we go north - my dad and brother go hunting while my mom and I just hang out (we accompany the guys very seldomly). They go hunting to kill, bag, and cook. Maybe sell the hide or use it too. They never trophy hunt thankfully. I love animals and all but it's not like I'm a PETA member. It's the circle of life/food chain and I accept it.

It sounds as though your dad probably went about hunting with you like my dad did me with fishing. Sit in the boat all day and don't say a word because you'll scare the fish away. Very boring for a young child and even a pre-teen. He could have made it more a learning experience rather than making it all about the hunt and just taught you to enjoy being out in the woods and appreciating nature. Then if you ended up enjoying hunting so be it but that's really not what hunting is all about.

I love being outdoors, love hiking and camping and sitting and watching the landscape for hours. Watching out for any animal that passes by, but for some reason when it involved tracking said animal or looking to shoot said animal it became work and so became boring. I couldn't let my mind wonder where it wished. Kinda odd huh, because they are just about the same thing, just one involves a bit more focus.

dammit, im all for hunting too, same same as y'all

its a good thing for our wilderness areas. when it comes to humans, we only think of ourselves and our interests. as long as it is in the interest of massive numbers of hunters (even the assholes who dont know what they are doing) to keep wild areas wild, thats what will happen. you cant leave it to the good will of politicians, there have to be people who fight for it. hunters are those people.

I think hunting is okay in the "animal kingdom", but the way we humans prey on innocent, less intelligent species, take more than we need, and waste so many various parts of the animals is absolutely disgusting.

We are animals...

Animals are no more innocent than you or I. Ever seen how a water buffalo reacts to finding a lion cub? It tries to stomp it to death. You'll also never hear of a loving relationship between a male and female deer outside of bambi. It's essentially forced sexuality.

Most prey/predator relationships include differing intelligence... the average impala is not going to be nearly as intelligent as the average leopard....

...Most hunters don't waste anything. What they can't eat or make something out of, they throw back in to the woods for animals to eat. SOMETHING out there wants a nice tasty deer scrotum for dinner.

Most prey/predator relationships include differing intelligence... the average impala is not going to be nearly as intelligent as the average leopard....
Duh... the impala doesn't even have a brain - it's a car! ;)

We are animals...

Animals are no more innocent than you or I. Ever seen how a water buffalo reacts to finding a lion cub? It tries to stomp it to death. You'll also never hear of a loving relationship between a male and female deer outside of bambi. It's essentially forced sexuality.

Most prey/predator relationships include differing intelligence... the average impala is not going to be nearly as intelligent as the average leopard....

...Most hunters don't waste anything. What they can't eat or make something out of, they throw back in to the woods for animals to eat. SOMETHING out there wants a nice tasty deer scrotum for dinner.
I realize that. That's why the phrase "animal kingdom" was in quotation marks.

You may believe what you wish, but humans kill more than is nessecary for survival, unlike the rest of the "animal kingdom". That, to me, is disgusting.

I don't agree with any killing for pleasure

I realize that. That's why the phrase "animal kingdom" was in quotation marks.

You may believe what you wish, but humans kill more than is nessecary for survival, unlike the rest of the "animal kingdom". That, to me, is disgusting.

Many animals kill more than is neccessary for survival.

Chimps, for instance, don't need to kill colobine monkeys.

But they love doing so more than just about anything else.

Many animals kill more than is neccessary for survival.

Chimps, for instance, don't need to kill colobine monkeys.

But they love doing so more than just about anything else.
Chimps don't count, they're only an evolutionary step below humans. :p

Chimps don't count, they're only an evolutionary step below humans. :p

Fine.

Hippos.

Hippos do, occassionally, eat meat, but primarily they just kill you because you show up. They're the deadliest land animal on the planet. They don't just try and scare you off, they bite you in fricking half.

Fine.

Hippos.

Hippos do, occassionally, eat meat, but primarily they just kill you because you show up. They're the deadliest land animal on the planet. They don't just try and scare you off, they bite you in fricking half.
That doesn't make it right.

Fine.

Hippos.

Hippos do, occassionally, eat meat, but primarily they just kill you because you show up. They're the deadliest land animal on the planet. They don't just try and scare you off, they bite you in fricking half.

chimps rape too.

chimps also run around naked :eek:

what relevance does this have to the morality of hunting, i'm confused?

I personally don't know why there is a need for hunting. People who hunt don't actually need whatever meat they obtain from hunting. I could never kill an animal with out a good reason (i.e., self-defense, need of food).
I know I'm sounding like the liberal that I am by saying this...but i really do believe it.

There is no excuse for killing these animals.

I personally don't know why there is a need for hunting. People who hunt don't actually need whatever meat they obtain from hunting. I could never kill an animal with out a good reason (i.e., self-defense, need of food).
I know I'm sounding like the liberal that I am by saying this...but i really do believe it.

There is no excuse for killing these animals.
Exactly. Kiss, kiss. :fluffle: :fluffle:

Exactly. Kiss, kiss. :fluffle: :fluffle:

Thank you!! Kiss, kiss back. :fluffle:

chimps rape too.

chimps also run around naked :eek:

what relevance does this have to the morality of hunting, i'm confused?

He was using the "animals don't" defense.

And baboons also rape. Baboons are jerks. Damn baboons. And chimps. And gorillas for being harem-enforcers.

I personally don't know why there is a need for hunting. People who hunt don't actually need whatever meat they obtain from hunting. I could never kill an animal with out a good reason (i.e., self-defense, need of food).
I know I'm sounding like the liberal that I am by saying this...but i really do believe it.

There is no excuse for killing these animals.

Here's the trick:

I'm going to eat meat anyways.

If I kill a deer, I don't need to kill a cow.

If I don't kill a cow, one less cow in the world will be needed to replace it.

Thus, one less cow will need to deal with the sucktacular life of being a food animal.

The deer, on the other hand, when dead, will simply reduce competition, making it easier for other deer to survive.

This leaves room for one more deer. Who gets to frolick in the woods, rather than be poked with a cattle prod.

Everything dies -anyways-.

As such, hunting actually reduces harm.

He was using the "animals don't" defense.

And baboons also rape. Baboons are jerks. Damn baboons. And chimps. And gorillas for being harem-enforcers.

What animals do is irrelevant, unless we are going to go back to living naked in the woods through faeces at each other.

The morality of the issue is that we, as humans, can make a choice. If we choose to kill for pleasure, we must accept that.

I personally don't know why there is a need for hunting. People who hunt don't actually need whatever meat they obtain from hunting. I could never kill an animal with out a good reason (i.e., self-defense, need of food).
I know I'm sounding like the liberal that I am by saying this...but i really do believe it.

There is no excuse for killing these animals.

http://www.ctsportsmen.com/issues/wilton_deer_committee_findings_a.htm

* An ecologically balanced density of deer is between 10-20 deer per square mile. Estimates from the CT Department of Environmental Protection indicate a population density of between 40 and 60 per square mile for the Wilton region. Some reliable estimates indicate that the population could be considerably higher.

* The white-tailed deer population has the potential to double every 2-3 years. Deer live up to 18 years; a healthy doe produces 2 per year.

* Each deer eats 5-10 pounds of forage each day.

* Deer are destroying the density and diversity of the forest understory. This results in the near elimination of new tree growth , native shrubs and wildflowers, which in turn seriously reduces the habitat carrying capacity for other animals and most notably, songbirds, moths and beneficial insects.

* Lyme disease has grown to epidemic proportions in Wilton. The town-sponsored survey indicates the 54% of the Households of Wilton have at least one case of Lyme disease in the past five years. The national average for the same time period is 3%. The long term effects of Lyme are still not completely understood but must be taken seriously. The population of deer and the incidence of Lyme are directly related.
There were 50 Deer car accidents in the 6 months from May till Nov. in the town limits. This rate is directly related to the high deer density.

* CT Department of Environmental Protection estimates 6,000 – 8,000 deer are killed annually on CT roadways.

* In 1900, there were 12 white-tailed deer in Connecticut, in 2000 there were 76,000.

In short: deer are now vermin in Connecticut. Deer "birth control methods" got us INTO this mess by not culling them in the 80s and early 90s.

Basically, it's time to have MASSIVE hunting within town borders and start stocking the soup kitchens! And really, what's better, a quick arrow though the heart, or getting hit by a Buick at 55 miles per hour?

He was using the "animals don't" defense.

And baboons also rape. Baboons are jerks. Damn baboons. And chimps. And gorillas for being harem-enforcers.
Actually, that would be "She". I am female.

What animals do is irrelevant, unless we are going to go back to living naked in the woods through faeces at each other.

The morality of the issue is that we, as humans, can make a choice. If we choose to kill for pleasure, we must accept that.

Exactly. We're no more a chimp than a chimp is a baboon. We make our own choices. Comparing ourselves with another species is fruitless.

Actually, that would be "She". I am female.

I was gonna say, lovely set of man-boobs.

Here's the trick:

I'm going to eat meat anyways.

If I kill a deer, I don't need to kill a cow.

If I don't kill a cow, one less cow in the world will be needed to replace it.

Thus, one less cow will need to deal with the sucktacular life of being a food animal.

The deer, on the other hand, when dead, will simply reduce competition, making it easier for other deer to survive.

This leaves room for one more deer. Who gets to frolick in the woods, rather than be poked with a cattle prod.

Everything dies -anyways-.

As such, hunting actually reduces harm.

Nicely said!


As has been said many times before, killing for food is fine. Killing for sport is just plain dumb.

I was gonna say, lovely set of man-boobs.
Excuse me? What are you inferring? That there is no possible way I was born female? Because if so, I would love to kick your ass.

i think he was making a joke suggesting that since you are a woman, you have breasts and if you have breasts but were a man he would still find them attractive.

i think he was making a joke suggesting that since you are a woman, you have breasts and if you have breasts but were a man he would still find them attractive.
I certainly hope so. I do not feel like kicking someone's ass through the computer screen today.

Nicely said!

As has been said many times before, killing for food is fine. Killing for sport is just plain dumb.

Agreed. I'm against sport hunting. I -do- engage in sport fishing, BUT, I throw the things back after admiring them for a bit. I also stray away from it because it tends to be a bit rough on the buggers. Hard to be sure if a free shrimp is worth a hole on the cheek and some trauma.

I don't think I've actually fished since I rescued two forearm-sized tiger sharks some jackass left to slowly die on the beach. I pulled the hooks out of their mouths (while carefully dodging teeth), walked them back out in to the water, dropped them, then ran so they wouldn't eat my toes. Really really hate bad hunters/fishers. Mercy kill, or throw it back, dammit.

I certainly hope so. I do not feel like kicking someone's ass through the computer screen today.
Is that even possible? :confused:

I certainly hope so. I do not feel like kicking someone's ass through the computer screen today.

It was a complimentary joke.

It was either that or "Oh, sorry, I really should start groping loins so I know who's what."

Is that even possible? :confused:
It is if you're me. :p

It is if you're me. :p

There are far too many jokes to make of this concept. None of which are for polite company. *grins*

I don't have any problem with hunting because I AM a hunter. My entire family hunts and we always eat what we kill, and depending on the deer, get it mounted. I do have a problem with idiots who blow away deer from 400 yards while hanging out their pickup window, and never even go out to find the deer. Also, I don't like those deer ranches where they have feeders and bait up all over, that's not real hunting.

I'm not a hunter myself but I do support hunting for food. I also recognize, however, that culling is sometimes necessary for non-standard food animals when their populations become excessively large and disease/starvation starts affecting the rest of the wild/plant life (ie. squirrels/raccoons/coyotes/etc.)

bump

I personally don't know why there is a need for hunting. People who hunt don't actually need whatever meat they obtain from hunting. I could never kill an animal with out a good reason (i.e., self-defense, need of food).
I know I'm sounding like the liberal that I am by saying this...but i really do believe it.

There is no excuse for killing these animals.

Untrue. I know people whose hunting provides 90% of the meat they eat year round.