Reply #100: Some mildly graphic detail in this post, skip if your squeamish.

[Nordmadr]

Like you, I have only been hunting for a few years. I got my first deer, a spike horn buck, and felt nothing but guilt after having shot the animal. Furthermore, it required a second close range shot to finish the animal off after it had settled down to the ground from its wound. You see, I did not want the animal to suffer, and once you've reached that point, if you are going to be a "man" about it, there really is no other choice. The animal was going to die either way. I looked the animal straight in the eyes and apprehensively pulled the trigger. A close range 12 gauge shotgun slug has quite an impact. As a military man that had fortunately never had to fire a weapon at another human being, this had quite an impact on me. I hope to never forget it. I had a sense of awe at what I had just done. I whispered up a word of thanks to whatever spirit/God/entity that was listening for what I had been provided. I cleaned the animal myself (removed the internal organs) but did have to have someone else butcher the deer for me as I lacked the skill at the time to do that efficiently myself.

There was no joy in it. Just a sense of pride in having been able to accomplish something for myself. I find the most enjoyable aspect of hunting simply being in the woods and witnessing nature first hand. I do this as well when not hunting. Watching the sunrise as you wait for game. Observing the patterns of behaviour for animals. I think it puts you more in touch with your food source and your environment. You can learn alot just sitting silently in the woods and observing.

I think it is more humane than the commerical slaughter of animals raised specifically for food in the retail world. Like it or not, we are animals, and this is the way we are "wired" to obtain our subsistence. I think the arguement put up that people that do not hunt are more civilized is just a bunch of horseshit. It just means they are more disconnected from the process. Eyes wide shut if you will. If you eat meat and are critical of hunters that hunt for food and use the various parts of the animal for utilitarian purposes, you are a hypocrite in my mind. You're just letting someone do your dirty work for you while you go about thinking how righteous you are. Please.

Critical vegetarians are at least putting their money where there mouth is, so I can respect their view more, even if I decide that is not the path for me. I would expect them to have the same perspective. They have decided that they prefer not to eat meat, because they prefer to not be responsible for another creatures death. Fair enough.

Unless you live in a bubble though, separate from the modern conveniences of this world, do not delude yourself into thinking you are not at least indirectly responsible for the deaths of thousands of creatures that never did a thing except to be unfortunate enough to live in this time.

If I ever lose that sense of respect for the animal, I will quit hunting that very instant.

Hunting is a skill when done right. There are hunters that give the rest of us a bad name, but that likely applies to virtually any actitvity you can find.

So if you want to think me a murderer as you stop and pick up your Big Mac at the drive-thru, go right ahead, for your opinion means naught to me.

Olafr