Hunting

[Gril]

I'm not against population control--I would rather see an animal killed quickly and humanely rather than see it starve to death because of lack of food.  Also, when population gets out of hand, especially with deer, they usually come into the city looking for food, and that can get pretty ugly.

This thread sparked some conversation between me and my husband, on the subject of hunting.  He knows a bit more about it, although really neither of us hunt.  He doesn't like the idea of trophy hunting, either, and I don't think you can salvage meat if you're trophy hunting.  Animals have to be "dressed out?" (I'm uncertain of the terminology) immediately, otherwise the meat will go bad from the blood congealing (so I hear).  I believe dressing it, or whatever you say, would damage the trophy.  (priorities, you know...)

I know they do a drawing for elk tickets or whatever--only a few people get one per year.  But the craziest thing I heard was about this one kind of endangered mountain goat thing.  Even though it's on the endangered species list, they still do a drawing and let people hunt it for a trophy (very few people get to hunt it, of course, because it's endangered...   ).  It's an animal that you wouldn't eat, even if you wanted to--it's just not food-meat.  I can't remember what it is.  I didn't read this, this is second hand info from someone who claims to know, so you can all speculate right along with me, but I was apalled.  That seemed over the top.

--Josie

[Varg the wanderer]

"gutting" a deer is necesary to keep the meat from going bad.  It shouldn't harm a mount though.  Not that I see.

[firefox_b]

The raffled hunt for the endangered mountain goat also sounds over the top to me.  It is, like Oscar Wilde remarked about fox hunting, the unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible!   '>

In my area and others, there's something equally deplorable; for a fee, you can "hunt" within an enclosed game farm from which the prey have no chance whatsoever of escaping as it is fenced in.  To me, that is not sport but slaughter!     '>

[Gril]

Wow.     I don't even understand why a sportsman would even think that's fun anymore.  I mean, if hunting is fun because of the hunt itself, what's the point of killing something that's caged?

[Varg the wanderer]

Yea, geeze, at lest give it a chance.  I feel guilty eating beef for that reason.  If you can't  eat it don't kill it.  Hunting for endagered species is just bogus.  Completly stupid.

I live by the motto: "you kill it, you grill it" , if you can't or won't eat it, why wast it's life?  Unless the animal is suffering and is going to die anyway, there is no reason to.

[Tatsu]

I only hunt Wampi.

[TheIronMaiden]

Well, apperently hunters are trying to get the mournig dove changed from being classified as a song bird to a game bird over here in Michigan. I really can't understand this. There is absolutely no point in hunting a bird that is as small as a mourning dove. If someone hit one with a shotgun blast, there probably wouldn't be anything left.

[Varg the wanderer]

they did the the same here in Wisconsin.  You'r right, there isn't anything left.  You hit them and it just rains bird parts and blood and lead.  What a wast, It's not like there are too many of them or they do damage.

[Rosalie]

I dont hunt and never will

[Nohbdy_121]

I'd enjoy occasional hunting from time to time, given the game isn't anything endangered. This doesn't mean I'd kill the best male deer I could find, though. I'm mostly against overhunting any particular gender in a species. It tends to weaken the genepool severely, leaving only the weak.

For the most part, I'd have to say more for population control ATM. We got a massive problem with 2nd generation razorbacks at one of our ranches. Damn things are tearing the whole thing apart, and their bound to go after some calves sooner or later. Plus they pose a serious health issue to me, as pigs - wild and domesticated - are known to maul and devour humans. I'm gonna have to get the suckers whenever I can get down there and devote a few days to it.

[Varg the wanderer]

My thread has been resurected from the dead
*rubs paws together* Yes!! Bwahahahaha, it Liiiivessss!!!


Thanks for reviving it, it will be nice to see what our newer members have to say on the subject.

[lil_pup]

I could never hunt unless my life depending on it and I had to....yes I do eat meat...as for hunting as a sport I am fully against it

[Schizo_Wolf]

Food and Population control.
I don't understand unessesary hunting for sport.

[Wtcher]

People hunt for a lot of different reasons. My father used to hunt, and he would take trophies, but he always took the meat home with him and we'd eat it (yum). Then again, there are a lot of hunters who go out looking only for antlers or bear skins and just throw away the meat, which is really a waste. It's awful.

I find hunting kind of funny, though... in all other predator species, as far as I know, the prey happens to be the old, the infirm, the slow, the weak and ill. Humans, on the other hand, tend to eat and kill the healthiest, best examples of another species available.

Quote (Wtcher @ July 23 2004, 4:55 pm)

... in all other predator species, as far as I know, the prey happens to be the old, the infirm, the slow, the weak and ill. Humans, on the other hand, tend to eat and kill the healthiest, best examples of another species available.

Well, yes, Wtchr, good point.  Predators eat these because they are easiest to catch.   However, the greater efficiency of human weapons (pickup truck & spot light?) has permitted us to go after fitter - and more difficult to catch - prey.  

As Fowler pointed out, too much of any one species is detrimental.  What do you expect overpopulated species to do, use condoms?

Most of us eat meat, and meat = dead animal.  I think its a little dishonest to eat meat and oppose hunting because it kills animals.  The steak or chicken you had last night didn't exactly commit suicide for your benefit.

 I don't think anybody here is advocating hunting threatened or endangered species.  The hunters I know eat what they catch or donate it to a food pantry.  I know people in difficult financial situations who rely on wild meat to live.

I voted for food and pop.
I really enjoy hunting, I think its great fun ....but dont get me wrong, i will only EVER shoot an animal if i intend to eat it or its threatening my life. (I used to live in South Africa and ive come across a few elephants and lions whilst hunting).
Im not one of those people that get some kind of sick pleasure out of killing i just enjoy it.
Though because of Australia and its silly gun laws i have'nt firied a gun in over 4 years '>.

[Humbajoe]

Sport hunting is a huge "no-no" in my book.

But for food purposes it's acceptable.  Every creature needs to kill to survive, and we're no different.

[Rust]

^^^

Pretty much my opinion, as well.