Hunters.

[bothered]

I've just read tychos seal thread and it got me thinking. First this isn't a debate or argument thing, just opinions please.
I have a brother in law who lives in a very small Welsh village. The first time we visited him it was very nice, surrounded by rolling hills, it's worth going for the scenery. Then he told me about the community, almost everybody in the village is involved with hunting of some sort. I understand that it's their 'way of life' and there's no industry up there but it saddened me to think it's all based on death and torment for all the wildlife. If it was people doing it for food it would make some kind of sense but for 'sport'? This is probably true of all\most rural areas, it's a shame.

[RWB]

Kinda funny how it all works out... I hate the idea of people killing those helpless animals, but yet I love a good Hamburger or Steak, and hate eating plants cuase they arn't very tasty.

On the other hand, killing off populations of animals for sport, or for money is terrible. I hated seeing people I know going hunting with what could be seen as a damned sniper rifle. What is the point??? Any child can shoot a deer with one of these guns, I KNOW! I have seen it... but give a boy a Bow and Arrow and see how well he does then you can be a bit more fair.

I have hunted before with both the gun and the arrow, but I guess around my Junior year in Highschool, I could care less about hunting cuase it wasn't any challenge. The only real challenge is sitting there waiting or going out looking for it, but once seen all you have to do is POINT and SHOOT, and if you miss you probably shouldn't be holding a gun. Granted there is a distance where a gun can be more challenging, but this is why you have tournaments with FAKE TARGETS..

ehh enough ranting I can go on and on about this b.s.

[bothered]

I'm the same, I love meat. Beef, Lamb, Pork, Duck, Chicken Tukey, fish.
A change of topic might be in order.
Are there any animals you wouldn't eat?

[RWB]

If it tastes good, I'll eat it.. Could hand me a Rat Burger and who knows... I may like it and een after you tell me I just ate RAT MEAT, I would ask please gimme some more. :P

[DogSoldier]

I'm a big proponent of hunting (Not sport or trophy hunting), tho with me.. it's more a cultural thing. I never hunt for sport unless it's for rats. hahaha My cousin and I would spend afternoons at the dump sniping rats with 22s. At the end of the day we'd line them up to do a body count, and compare kill ratios. Can't says I ever tasted rat meat before.

[Kwitko]

I'm contemplating sport hunting pigeons. They've become worse than rats here in NY City. At least the rats stay underground and out of the way. Pigeons are everywhere, crap on everything, and carry even more diseases.

As for hunting, I've never gone, but I suppose I'd have to live by the same credo my friend does- if you kill it, you eat it.

[GnomeWizardd]

Never been hunting cept for spider hunting. Kill those dang things! lol dont have to anymore i no longer live with woods If I did go hunting it would be with a bow and arrow.

[csimon]

well being from the sportmans paradise we like to believe in - don't take what you won't eat ...even when it comes to fishing.

[TheSmJ]

I too am torn with my dietary trend. On one hand, I like animals, but on the other hand, I like how they taste as well...

I realize that most of the meat I get comes from an animal that was probably kept in less than ideal conditions from the animal's perspective. I know most of the chicken legs at the grocery store I used to work at (I was a butcher) were broken, and due to the bruising and scarring of the tissue surrounding it, the leg was probably broken while the chicken was still alive. Not to mention that the chicken is slaughtered by being beaten over the head a few times, and/or scalded to death before being plucked.

Despite all this, I still can't stop myself from eating chicken.

After reading PETA's Kentuckyfriedcruelty.org site (despite my hate for PETA… they’re nothing more than political terrorists) I'm compelled to only buy kosher chicken (they're killed with ONLY one stroke of a blade to the throat for the fastest, most painless death possible). Furthermore, the chickens are more often than not kept in much better living quarters before slaughter.

As far as pigs, they used to (and possibly still are) kept in crates so small that they cannot even turn around. The way they are treated, plus the fact that an adult pig's IQ is equal to that of a 3 year old child is rather discouraging... yet, I love eating ham and other pork products.

If I had a way to buy ham products, which only came from pigs that were treated respectfully, I would. But such a thing doesn't exist that I know of, and if it did, it would be much, much more expensive. Therefore all I can do is keep an ear out for such a thing, and until then try not to think about it.

As far as veal calves, their entire lives suck the most. They live in a box (or are chained to the floor) so they cannot move, and are force fed more than they would naturally eat. Now I like my veal parmesan, but every time I go to make/eat it, I cannot help but feel sorry for the poor things.

[RWB]

Frankly they are still animals, and I don't see them as much more than that, be it a dog or even a cat. I joke around about how certain cultures eat OUR pets LOL, but it's just funny, and I know that if I were over there I would be compelled to see what my pet would taste like too ;)

Human Nature, you can't really do anything about it, so why try? If terrorism doesn't work, what makes you think being politically correct will? I've watched documentaries thats how how animals are "manufactured" in a manner of speaking. Lined up and slaughtered.

The point I suppose I am saying is that... I have no idea. Either way, I am going to be able to sleep tonight knowing I should have food tomorrow unless my food goes on strike before it is prepared.

[fudgam]

I have recently gone vegetarian because I cant bring myself to support the farming techniques here in the states(im sure they are horrible elsewhere too). I have a few friends who hunt, but I know that they would never torture animals like those seal clubbers and they would sign that petition if I told them about it. There is a HUGE difference between HUNTING for food, and raising animals for slaughter in a factory farm ( www.factoryfarming.com ).

My $.02

edit:// I do still eat eggs as long as they are FREE RANGE organic.

[TBonZ]

I hunted once, my stepfather took me out with "the boys" when I was quite young and it left me never wanting to kill an animal myself for as long as I live. Although I do respect people who harvest animals for their own food however, I deplore the killing of animals for "sport", it's just cruel, bottom line.

fudgam took the words right out of my mouth except I'm not totally vegetarian yet but have severly cut down my consumption of meat. I don't eat anything meat unless it's organic. At least with organic meat farms the animals are better fed and cared for with much more space for them to roam and aren't plugged solid into pens like they are at farm factory's. I also will no longer eat meat from fastfood places either.

[Rot Katze]

I hunt about 3 or 4 times a year.

Mainly for sport, but we do eat what we kill if that makes any difference lol

[fudgam]

I hunt about 3 or 4 times a year.

Mainly for sport, but we do eat what we kill if that makes any difference lol

Well....I really dont have a problem with that as long as it is quick and painless. Im sure most hunters shoot to kill (otherwise the game might get away).

[tycho]

I don't have a problem with hunting as long as it serves a purpose critical to your survival. For those people who live, for example, out of reach of modern civilization and obviously need to eat, fine, not a problem. However I cannot see how hunting for sport, just so that you can put an animal's head up on your wall or its skin on your floor is justified in any way. Especially if you are not eating the animal or anything. Going even further, those poor defenseless seals are only being killed so that their skins can be sold. That, in my book, is just plain awful.

I have never hunted, nor will I ever hunt.

[fudgam]

I have never hunted, nor will I ever hunt.

I hear that.

[Thrax]

http://trees.citydalton.net/images/JKilmerImages/Tree%20Hug%201.jpg

That is all. heh.

[Clutch]

http://trees.citydalton.net/images/JKilmerImages/Tree%20Hug%201.jpg

That is all. heh.



hahahahahahahahahha :cheers: omg that picture made me laugh for like 15 min, haha I was expecting Geeky to post something like that.

[profdlp]

...don't take what you won't eat ...even when it comes to fishing.
Agreed.

I have a bunch of cousins in southeastern Ohio who farm all day, then it's off to the coal mine for the night shift. Even so, they barely get by.

Every deer (and they are extremely overpopulated there) is another 100 lbs of meat on the table. They would be horrified at purposeless killing, but from a moral point of view see no difference between doing it themselves or paying the butcher to do it for them.

Personally, I think if there is any hypocrisy involved it is with those who think hunting for food is barbaric, yet fill their cart with meat at the Safeway every week. Paying someone else to do the dirty work doesn't relieve one of responsibility.

[pseudonym]

I come from a family full of hunters. I don't have a problem with it, especially here in Michigan where Deer numbers MUST be kept down by hunters, else the herds starve. In that case, what would you rather have happen, starve to death, or get shot, I'll take shot :) I really don't have a problem with any type of hunting unless the game they are hunting is rare, or that they at least use all of the meat from the animal rather than just hunting for a trophy.

What does PISS me off is people that bait by digging a hole in the ground and putting the bait in there, so that an animal will put its head in the hole. C'mon, you can't tell me you are that bad of a shot. (That comment doesn't apply to people who need the meat to survive)

I do kind of have a problem with the current way meat is mass produced. I'd rather open range style than box style, but veal is SOOOO tasty.

[leishi85]

i agree about the deer in michigan thing, last summer i almost hit a deer on the highway. my sister did hit that deer tho.

here is what happened.

early in the morning, me and my sister drivng down souht, we are driving two different cars, so i was following my sister, and we were in left lane, and we see 2 deer standing by the side of the highway and then they started running across the highway, my sister in the front was too close to turn ot do anything, so she hight the deer almost headon, and i turned real fast and avoided that deer, and luckly it was a busy highway.

After the accident, the car my sister hit the deer with had to get fixed, costed about 9000, which was covered by insurance, but still..........

[res0r9lm]

I never new anyone that baited deer. Where I grew up thats illegal. Although I have done my fair share of hunting we would plant oats in the fields and and bury saltblocks this is over 1300 acres so that not baiting but keeping deer population healthy. I haven't shot many deer in my lifetime I only hunt for food and I just have never been hungry enough to eat a whole deer. back when I lived in louisana I would go hunting for rabbit and squirrels almost everyday sometime I would just give them to my neighbor and they were always bring me food after awhile people started calling me "elmer fud". I don't see why people think that hunting with a bow is better for the game. I guess you never seen a broadhead before if you say that and yes they take alot of practice to become accurate with which means more game is gutshot and suffers more.

[bothered]

Very interesting. I never thought of it like that, factory farming v hunting, and i see the point. Factory farming is very cruel for chickens and pigs but I read an article once about how milk cows are the most pressured farm animals. They have to eat constantly to produce the milk, something like 4-5 times as much as they are meant to. I will have to look at buying meat more responsibly and take my share of the blame.

[FormFactor]

IMHO sport is important. Hunting is just that, sport. As long as the species being hunted is not in danger of becoming extinct, I see no harm in hunting.

I am an avid animal lover. I also think its wrong to kill an animal and leave it lay. But hunting for sport is just fine.

[topherice]

I believe you should take only what you will consume and obey Federal, State, local laws. No more, no less. I also believe controlled hunts are needed in certain areas for population and herd control.

[fudgam]

http://trees.citydalton.net/images/JKilmerImages/Tree%20Hug%201.jpg

That is all. heh.


Sorry if this is offensive, but noone seemed to think that the tree hugging thing was, so....

[profdlp]

I might be nitpicking, but the tree-huggers were not bloody and hanging by their heels.

None of the pictures bothered me, though.

[Rot Katze]

I'd rather just enjoy the meat, not worry about where it came from. I'm all for "quick and painless" death, but sometimes it doesn't work that way...and there isn't much we can do about it.

Thanks.

http://www.weatherby.com/images/products/b_rifles/rfl_gifs/mag_lazermark.gif

[fudgam]

...and there isn't much we can do about it.


Rot Katze, we are consumers. As consumers, we have HUGE control over this and many other situations.

[profdlp]

Rot Katze, we are consumers. As consumers, we have HUGE control over this and many other situations.
Absolutely correct. While we may disagree (in a very friendly way :) ), if enough people believe in something and vote with their wallet then it will certainly change the way things are done.

Talk is cheap; I applaud your dedication to your principles. :thumbsup:

[bothered]

I will have to look at buying meat more responsibly and take my share of the blame.

I'm with you on that prof.

[CaffeineMe]

I hunt. I eat what I shoot, I shoot to kill. If I shot an impressive deer, I might pay to have a mount of the head/antlers, but I'd also eat the meat that came from the animal.

Butchering any animal is bloody and messy, if you are going to eat meat, it's part and parcel what you've signed on for.

While I don't necessarily like factory farming techniques, they don't keep me up at night either....like the tshirt says, if God didn't want us to eat meat, he wouldn't have made it so tasty.

Seal clubbing, on the other hands, strikes me as barbaric, but, an argument might be made that the seal clubbers need the money to feed their families. That puts us one step away from those who hunt for meat directly. Sadly, like all things, the seal clubbing story has likely been strongly politicized, so the actual story is buried beneath layers of shock value.

[fudgam]

....if God didn't want us to eat meat, he wouldn't have made it so tasty.

Well, its only so tasty because you were brought up eating it. Like how some people eat bug larva. Im assuming that it would taste horrible, it does not fall into the tasty category. If you grew up in a household that was vegetarian and you followed a vegetarian diet, you would probably find meat products repulsive the first time you ever tried them. They only taste so good because you grew up eating them.

[Leonardo]

Just some factual tidbits to throw out:

- Hunting is much more humane than nature ever was (starvation, disease, predators...)
- More dear are killed in the US by automobiles than by hunters.
- Legal hunting, especially duck hunting, is the biggest boon to conservation ever implimented. Hunters have a vested interest in preservation of wildlife stocks.
- The biggest danger to wildlife stocks is urbanization. With that said, NO, I will NOT move into a highrise apartment complex to save space.

Oh, by the way, I am not a hunter. I do adhere to the principle of what you take you eat - I fish.

[Leonardo]

LOL, just after I finished my last post, my son started watching the Schwarzenegger film Predator . Homo Sapiens meat, anyone! :-/

[CB]

Make Room! Make Room!

lol!