? about hunting animals? how do you feel

[Tatorbones]

Talking to my fiancee about hunting and such. She has grown up hunting with her family and dad and I more or less am getting into serious hunting. Not saying rabbit hunting is not serious because to me it is. I love my rabbit hunting. Non-the-less, She feels that there are some animals that we should not hunt for whatever reason.

I said I only hunt something I am willing to eat or something that is killing off my chickens or ducks. Her statement about these are if we really cared about our animals then we would put them up every night. She feels that there are animals that we hunt for food, such as deer or pigs, turkeys, and bird hunting, and there are animals we shouldn't or it is not necessary to hunt even if we do eat them. more so something to look at its beauty and let it be.

being that i love her dearly I have been trying to think about her point of view, but on the other side to me everything has its taste and i like trying stuff. I have had raccoon that wasn't cooked right so not very good and don't think i will do that again. As well as love rabbits and squirrels, tasty.

What do yall feel her beliefs about hunting certain animals?

[landman]

If I don't intend to eat it I sure won't shoot it.   The only exception is an occasional coyote and I don't always shoot them.   Much as I love to hunt I really do believe that every living thing in the wild has a purpose in its existence and that God made man a steward of all of these things.   And, with stewardship comes responsibility.

I realize that this is only my opinion and that others will disagree and will kill things for the pure pleasure of it but to me the irony of the blood sports is that while I enjoy everything about hunting and all of its fruits, there is always sadness in the death of a creature.

So, to answer your main question, let me say that I agree with your fiancee about caging your chicks and ducks at night to safe guard them from predators.   Heck, I have to watch my young puppies while they are out in the yard to keep them from being hit by hawks and owls....and I live in a large city.

I also agree that if you want to kill an animal and eat it to see if you'll like it, that's fine.   After you've done that a few times you'll probably start letting them walk and concentrate your efforts on the game you really care for, which will probably end up being deer, elk, bear and small game.

[heydeerman]

I have no problem killing certain animals with no intent of eating them. Coyotes, raccoons, opossums, ferrel cats and dogs are all in the cross hairs. Coyotes...no need to explain. Raccoons and opossums are egg eaters and eat and kill game bird eggs and young. Ferrel cats and dogs are basically abandoned to the wild and are very destructive. I usually shoot ground hogs in the summer and leave them for the buzzards too.

[Sixby]

I kind of have a thing about geese. I shot one one time and the mate circled and honked for a good hour. I always felt bad about that. Sooooo I would kill a goose in a survival situation but not just to kill one.  Same thing with elephant. I would never kill an elephant. But thats just me and I certainly do not look down on goose hunters or elephant hunters. However I can understand what she is saying. Just don't go there with deer, elk, moose, sheep, ect or we in deep ,


God Bless, Steve

[Plumber]

I say it is up to her as to what she wants to do who am I to say? If you ask me, I like to eat what I shoot.I will shoot a fox once in a while.It is all about balance.A hunters job has many task one of them is balance.I am no big bear hunter however bears need to be hunted.to each his own.

[Bonebuster]

I don`t hunt waterfowl, because I don`t eat them. There are lots of other hunters to buy licenses to protect them and manage their numbers.

Some animals such as `coons, possum, skunks, and coyotes become cumbersome if not controlled through hunting. I will kill these animals and take their hides, but I will not eat them. The alternative is the mange, or rabies. Either of which will render even the hides useless.

The Ruffed Grouse here in Michigan, is a game bird, with a scheduled hunting season. Some years their numbers are so low, I personally believe they should be protected. Maybe not in all areas, but at least in some. I choose to recognize this, and I do not shoot them. I love the taste of pan fried Grouse, but to kill one when I feel they should be protected is wrong.

All we can do as hunters is what we feel is best within the law. I am aware...I am part of the ecosystem I love so much.

I don`t know about your chickens, but mine would rather choose a roost themselves, rather than me close them in the coop at night. In the summer, they choose when there is enough light to begin foraging. Varmints beware.

Good girls are hard to find. Happy wedding!

[Stumpkiller]

I generally kill spiders that are in the house but let those outdoors be.  Sometimes I capture jumping spiders and release them outdoors.  Fascinating little hunters to watch.

Mosquitoes I kill indiscriminately.  House flies and wasps I even kill over bait.  

I kill weasels, raccoons, opposums and, if I am far enough away, skunks if they are in or near the chicken coop or in the barn.  Did you know a raccoon will get a hold of a chicken through chicken-wire if it can and eat whatever it can off the chicken if it can pull it close enough while holding it through the wire?  Skunks seem to prefer the head and leave most of the rest.  And weasels will kill and kill - aparantly just for the blood.

I have no compunction about killing and not eating certain things.

On the other hand, I don't think I could ever bring myself to kill a mountain lion.  I'd just love to see one.  If it threatened me - that would be different.  But then I'd shoot a human that was threatening me; but probably not eat one.  ;-)

[celticfisherman]

I kill mostly to eat the game I am hunting. But also in that is the responsibility we hold as mankind to the environment. That means that somethings just must be shot for balance.

I never pull the trigger or release the string needlessly.

[sweeney3]

Wow.  Pretty much exactly what Stumpkiller said.

Not sure about her beliefs but I have eaten a porcupine. How was it, you ask? Well, if you are lost in the woods and REALLY hungry then eat one. If your not very bad off yet you should wait.

Bisch

[Ragnarok Forge]

I always find it interesting that people want to draw lines at pretty animals or something they don't think should be hunted for a variety of reasons.  I respect their right to feel and hunt the way they want.

My view is that if your willing to kill one animal there is no difference in killing another type of animal.  If it is a legal game animal in your state then I would feel free to hunt it at will. Hunting is not just about food.  For those who embrace the inner predator, it feeds the human spirit.  For those who love the outdoors it is a great reason to get out in the wild. It provides stress relief. The list is long.  

I eat the majority of what I kill including mountain lion which is delicious.  I don't eat coyotes, badgers, or other varmints but I have put my share of them on the ground. Hunting is in my blood.  It is part of human nature.  I would no more deny it by refusing to hunt when and where I can, than I would choose to stop breathing.

[Tatorbones]

I appreciate what all have said so far and what others will say. I respect what your hunting situations are and what you choose. I am probly going to be the same way as try certain things and i will hunt them if I like the taste. Along with others I will not choose to hunt because I believe that if you shoot it you should eat it, unless it is attacking you or animals getting into my chickens or ducks that I will hopefully have one day.

I love my girl so much and I'm just working to respect what her views are as well as keep up my hunting year round if possible.

Thank you all for your input and for future input.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Originally posted by heydeerman:
I have no problem killing certain animals with no intent of eating them. Coyotes, raccoons, opossums, ferrel cats and dogs are all in the cross hairs. Coyotes...no need to explain. Raccoons and opossums are egg eaters and eat and kill game bird eggs and young. Ferrel cats and dogs are basically abandoned to the wild and are very destructive. I usually shoot ground hogs in the summer and leave them for the buzzards too.

My thoughts exactly! I ain't eatin no coyote or possum, but I do like rabbits and turkeys they are tasty. So the possums and coyotes need to be kept in check so I have more of the tasty game that goes well with mashed potatoes, gravy, and biscuits!    

We all need to do our part to keep the nuisance animals in check and that my fellow hunters is just good Stewardship!

Tatorbones- Show your wife a wildlife video of a fuzzy little rabbit screaming it's guts out while a house cat or a coyote is eating it alive and then ask her if it's ok to hunt coyotes. That may explain the circle of life a bit better than over analyzing it.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Originally posted by Stumpkiller:
I generally kill spiders that are in the house but let those outdoors be.  Sometimes I capture jumping spiders and release them outdoors.  Fascinating little hunters to watch.

Mosquitoes I kill indiscriminately.  House flies and wasps I even kill over bait.  

I have no compunction about killing and not eating certain things.  ;-)

       

[DXH]

I don't like killing something unless it will be put to use.

 I don't like squirrel, but I will kill them for people I know who will utilize them.

I however have no reservations about killing a coyote or an opossum. The coyotes give us too much headache with our cattle, and opossums carry a parasite that is detrimental to horses plus they are nasty vile sob's

[buckeye_hunter]

I can understand to some degree. I personally would not want to shoot an elephant, giraffe, lion, zebra or gorilla and a few others. Just my personal preference on those. Everybody has some thought on it. Including those that would kill every single living thing in bow range.

You can say things that make plenty of sense and often times it still won't change the other person's point of view.

All that being said, you two will find your balance.

[Joseph]

I would love to hunt Elephant and if I ever win the lottery I would spend 6-8 months in Africa doing just that.  In many places hunting is the only reason there are any animals left at all, especially in Africa.  As many have said though it is a personel decision based on an individuals beliefs and desires.  One thing I would like to say though is that everything dies and if in it's death it provides resources that ensure the future of it's kind and environment that is a good epitaph.  Joseph

[moththerlode]

I used to kill anything that moved.. funny I really get more enjoyment out of seeing most things living and breathing these days.
Notice I said "most",, I think age plays in here to some degree

[Leon.R]

I think we need to look at thing from a broader point...

As humans we changed the face of the 'wild' as it was , most of the predators have been managed to the point that humans are the only predators...

I have never liked Elaphant hunting but the numbers have to be controled in some places to give other animals and humans a chance at making a decent living, it as to be done, Crocodiles in certain places as well...nature used to take care of it, now we have to.

Saying all of this I dont like trophy hunting but wont stop those that do...Sable antelope would have dissapeared long agao if it was not for hunting so its never an easy question to answer.

I know from reading here that wolves are hated in the States but surely have a purpose too?

I still eat what I shoot but can see why some shoot what they dont eat.

As long as you can hold your head high at teh end of the day...

[YORNOC]

I think they should all be respected kinda the same. There isnt any one animal that should be held over any other just because its prettier.  They are ALL alive and all of them fight to survive.
 Who is to say one should be hunted or not because of what it looks like?  Having ones own opinion for one's self is what it is all about. But you cant knock someone else's decision if it differs from yours.
What if suddenly someone running the show decided that no cows can be killed because of their sad eyes? I think tomatos are cool looking, and you dont HAVE to eat them. So they shouldnt be picked anymore then right?
Good topic, congrats on the marriage!