Hunting versus Killing

[Headshots]

I agree mostly. The part about “pesting is not to be enjoyed” to me doesn’t sit right, with me anyway. To carefully aim and that pellet lands precisely in an ethical kill zone to me gives enjoyment, or at least a good feeling of accomplishment. But I’m thinking you sort of meant that without saying it specifically.

After they have ruined my trucks hood liner and eating the into the firewall sound barrier... It feels dam good getting rid of the troublemaker. No second chance there. Or we get a crazed squirrel that has to drop every single douglas fir cone from our trees around the driveway.

The mice , moles I catch and what's left of the bunny's and chipmunks the cat ate , I feed to the crow. Circle of life.

 

[SHOMER]

DOMINION; so simple a caveman could figure it out.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26)

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:28)

 

[Filnez]

From reading this thread I come away with the impression that
➧ for some people
▪ hunting is ethically superior.
▪ Pesting is ethically inferior.

➧ Or at least:
▪ Hunting is something to be fully enjoyed.
▪ Pesting is not to be enjoyed — it's a necessary evil.

➧ Some seem to say:
▪ Over a DRT killshot when hunting you are allowed to feel elation, joy, pride.
▪ Over a DRT killshot when pesting you are not allowed to feel elation, joy, pride.



Am I understanding this correctly?
I find this a pretty complicated topic. And there are usually more sides to the issue than I can see at first (or second) glance....
We all like to take the moral high road on this one, of course, including me!

Matthias

There are as many different situations as there people and animals. Each of us has a responsibility to judge the morality of those situations based on those circumstances. There is also the legalities to contend with. Sometimes there are "gray areas". The vast majority of all people, including us hunters and airgunners, are good people who will exercise good judgement. There are a few people who either from lack of proper teaching or possible mental defects won't execute good judgement and they will bring the hatred of those with poor understanding of nature and the cycle of life down on everyone else. Those who run around shooting everything that swims, crawls or flies just because they love killing, dangerous hateful sadistic folks to be afraid of. Same people who run over dogs and cats on purpose, stomp kittens, kill deer out of season to chop of the heads for trophies and leave the carcasses to rot, kill dozens of game birds past the limit and toss them in a ditch, catch large amounts of illegal fish and throw them away, kill piles of squirrels for brags and throw them away, shoot neighbors horses and cows, steal dogs and sell them for fighting, etc. Sociopaths.

 

[Filnez]

There are plenty of situations that could be dubbed as necessary killing. Anacondas in Florida, iguanas in Puerto Rico, coyotes and wild pigs all over North America, other invasive species, rats, mice, too large populations of ground squirrels, prairie dogs, etc. Just a few examples. If they aren't getting shot they will be trapped or poisoned or exterminated by other methods. Sometimes raccoons, possums, moles or voles, ground hogs, armadillos, crows, house sparrows and other animals become pest species and have to be controlled. Human civilization requires it, just as it does insect and germ control, from hunter-gatherer days until now.

We certainly don't want to kill certain species to extinction like we have before, that's why we have laws regulating hunting and agriculture. Humans try to be smart and do things in a controlled manner. Sometimes we fail.

 

[Spartan]

How do you make folks understand that hunting is not about killing something? Hunting is to immerse yourself in the experience. The simple act of being in the in the wilderness is to become one with and respect the forest, fauna and animals that reside there. I've been on many hunts where I never fired a shot, but returned home renewed for the experience itself. A person who takes pleasure in taking a life, simply for the act of the killing has a rotten soul. I hope this message resonates with you all and helps you become a mature hunter.

I leave you now with this quote from George Bird Evans:

"The child tells what he got for Christmas, the mature man tells how he spent the day; the immature hunter tells how many birds he shot, the mature gunner tells of the experience."

Hmmm. I had no idea that there were so many requirements for how I should feel and act while hunting. Or how I should tell the story afterwards when speaking with friends in order to be a “mature” hunter. This whole time I thought these were personal matters for the individual hunter to decide on how best to enjoy their hunt.

Thank you for setting all of us hunters straight on how we are required to feel and behave.

 

[Nomadic Pirate 66]

DOMINION; so simple a caveman could figure it out.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26)

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:28)

Bollocks !!!

 

[qball]

With the current political and culture environment I think it is no longer socially unacceptable or a taboo to……….go both ways.

 

[Headshots]

My little angel .

 

[HogKiller]

I agree mostly. The part about “pesting is not to be enjoyed” to me doesn’t sit right, with me anyway. To carefully aim and that pellet lands precisely in an ethical kill zone to me gives enjoyment, or at least a good feeling of accomplishment. But I’m thinking you sort of meant that without saying it specifically.

Because I don't hunt for food, at least not yet and hopefully never will, just not my nature, I do have zero qualms about killing pests. There is a small exception to this, and that is bunnies, we have a few in the yard/neighborhood, I will allow two in my yard, that is THE LIMIT, beyond that, it's game on. I'm expecting some tangos very soon.

 

[Jon86]

How do you make folks understand that hunting is not about killing something? Hunting is to immerse yourself in the experience. The simple act of being in the in the wilderness is to become one with and respect the forest, fauna and animals that reside there. I've been on many hunts where I never fired a shot, but returned home renewed for the experience itself. A person who takes pleasure in taking a life, simply for the act of the killing has a rotten soul. I hope this message resonates with you all and helps you become a mature hunter.

I leave you now with this quote from George Bird Evans:

"The child tells what he got for Christmas, the mature man tells how he spent the day; the immature hunter tells how many birds he shot, the mature gunner tells of the experience."

I totally agree, it's not about the bagging of game. It's about the experience, everything slows down, eyesight gets sharper, ears turn sonic, heartbeat n breathing are one. . There's been plenty of times, where I've got zero bunnies, and times I've bagged 2 or 3 for a nice stew, makes me appreciate the times I've gotten zero.

 

[jetpopt]

...b

Because I don't hunt for food, at least not yet and hopefully never will, just not my nature, I do have zero qualms about killing pests. There is a small exception to this, and that is bunnies, we have a few in the yard/neighborhood, I will allow two in my yard, that is THE LIMIT, beyond that, it's game on. I'm expecting some tangos very soon.

because if the two bunnies are one male and one female, you WILL get more bunnies!

Time now for someone to step in with their hasenpfeffer recipe. They do taste like chicken.

 

[HogKiller]

...b

because if the two bunnies are one male and one female, you WILL get more bunnies!

Time now for someone to step in with their hasenpfeffer recipe. They do taste like chicken.

I reside in CA, I think they haven't selected their gender yet. IF I were to tell anyone in my house that I killed any my butt would be toast.