Hunting just for the kill

[tipsntails7]

For some killing is the problem. They flat state they don't enjoy the killing. If that is truly the case, you can get game meat other than killing it yourself. I like to kill animals, if I didn't I wouldn't hunt. I don't apologize for that nor do I try to rationalize or justify my position. I like all parts of the hunt, including the moment when I drop the string.

No where have I read in this thread were killing Is the problem. Enjoying it and being able to do it are 2 different things. I don't enjoy working but I do it... To make money, I don't enjoy killing but I do it to enjoy meat. Don't get me wrong when you finish a long tuff hunt with the taking of an animal it's a great feeling, sense of accomplishment and excitement. The actual act of killing plays zero role in the enjoyment of that hunt for me.

Question, if a law was passed that any animal shot while hunting could not be recovered and all meat and antlers are to remain in the wild would you still hunt?

 

[Bar]

I wouldn't. I'd go fly fishing full time.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Question, if a law was passed that any animal shot while hunting could not be recovered and all meat and antlers are to remain in the wild would you still hunt?

Yes. Would I kill? Almost never.

 

[jmez]

Yes.

 

[jmez]

Totally illegal.

I have a tag with my name on it I can give the meat to whomever I wish.

 

[Bar]

I have a tag with my name on it I can give the meat to whomever I wish.

That's not what you said. You want someone to hunt for you, and you'll pay for the tag too. That's not legal in my state, and is actually a felony.

Giving meat under normal conditions also has laws too. You can't just give the whole animal to someone without butchering and packaging it. In the field you can only give away 20lbs.

So, you would still hunt if you had to leave the animal on the ground. I can see why you can't understand us who don't enjoy the kill. You seem to only enjoy the kill. I guess you can justify it by saying you're feeding the coyotes.

 

[jmez]

And yet you would shoot every coyote alive and let it lay on the ground. I already said I don't need justification.

 

[Bar]

Yes, because they need to be shot, and I never said I leave them on the ground. Wardens frown on that. I give them to a friend of mine who's 100% Cheyenne. No idea what he does with them.

I'd eat the coyotes, but I don't know anybody who does that. I don't eat rats either.

 

[5MilesBack]

Not liking the kill doesn't mean we don't do it. It's just that the hunting part is more fun. The kill is just for the food. Why does that have to be fun?

Nobody said it has to be fun. BUT you ARE out there for the KILL.......yes? Otherwise you'd be carrying a camera instead.

As for the fishing analogy, I never said anything about killing fish. All I do is catch and release, but I am CATCHING. When's the last time you actually "caught" an animal while hunting? Not trapping.....hunting.

I think a lot of you are confused with the wording, the experience, or your inner selves. This isn't rocket science, it isn't difficult to understand. There are many reasons to be in the outdoors, but when you have a tag in your pocket and a weapon in your hands all those other reasons are extraneous to why you're now out there. Whether you enjoy it or not, you're now out there to kill something.......not take a nature hike. By calling that "whacko" and "blood lust" and such, makes you sound like PETA founders.......or at a minimum members. Do we have a bunch of PETA wolves in sheep's clothing within our hunting community??? Sure sounds like it.

It also appears that many think that the thread title was "Hunting just for the joy of the kill". I can't find that in the title. It just says "kill".

Also, a lot of folks said they JUST hunt for the meat. Ok, I asked earlier if someone would still hunt if all the meat was already provided and they now didn't need to go hunting, and they said that they would continue to hunt. Really? So it's not just for the meat when it comes right down to it. Meat provided......you can nature hike anytime without a weapon and a tag......same for camping.......gee.........what's left in the equation? The kill.

 

[MuleyFever]

Nobody said it has to be fun. BUT you ARE out there for the KILL.......yes? Otherwise you'd be carrying a camera instead.

It also appears that many think that the thread title was "Hunting just for the joy of the kill". I can't find that in the title. It just says "kill".

The title and OP was meant to bring up people that hunt only because they want to kill something, not for the meat. In my mind that implies that the only joy they are getting is the joy of killing an animal. Many other hunters find the joy in other aspects and the kill the least joyful part.

As far as being out there for the kill you are really just emphasizing one aspect. To me its semantics. Is is like saying I go fishing to cast my line. I you had a daughter that plays volleyball would you tell people you go to high school girls volleyball games to watch young girls in tight shorts? I mean, that is what you are doing. Like I said, to me its semantics. I am not there for the kill. I am there for the hunt and the meat.

Also, a lot of folks said they JUST hunt for the meat. Ok, I asked earlier if someone would still hunt if all the meat was already provided and they now didn't need to go hunting, and they said that they would continue to hunt. Really? So it's not just for the meat when it comes right down to it. Meat provided......you can nature hike anytime without a weapon and a tag......same for camping.......gee.........what's left in the equation? The kill.

Actually, without going back and reading, I am pretty sure some people said they would not hunt if not for the meat. I would not hunt if I could not have the meat. I have given up turkey hunting because I have no desire to do it for that little breast meat. We are not all the same and we hunt for different reasons and thats ok. But, many hunters would quit hunting if not for the meat. I will continue to hunt so I dont have to buy my meat in a store.

Edit: OK I did go back and read and I saw one person specifically answer you question and said they would still hunt and a handful said they would stop hunting if not for the meat but not in response to your specific question. ALso, most never said they hunt JUST for the meat. The consensus was more for the total experience with meat high on the list of reasons.

Anyway, we all hunt for our own reasons and thats great. Some dont enjoy killing and some do. We all agree that as long as the meat is not wasted its all good.

 

[Bar]

Not sure why those who like to kill can't understand those who don't enjoy it? I'm not pushing my ways on anybody. If you enjoy the kill. Go kill something. Simple.

 

[ChrisS]

I certainly wouldn't get up at 3:30am to go freeze my ass off in the cold and rain for no reason. I'm not a wildlife photographer because I don't like putting in the effort and not getting the meat out of the deal. I always tell myself in the offseason that I need to get up early and go wait for those great photo opportunities at dawn and I just can't bring myself to get out of a warm comfortable bed. I don't do it for the kill, just the meat. If I couldn't harvest an animal for meat, I wouldn't go. I'd fish more.

Edited to add: I still enjoy being in the great outdoors. I just wouldn't put in the extra effort to see game animals that I do when I'm hunting.

 

[5MilesBack]

I am not there for the kill. I am there for the hunt and the meat.

Ok, just so I have it right........if the meat was provided to you, you'd never go hunting (with a weapon) again. That's cool, your choice. But you do know that this is one of the animal rights activists greatest tactics against hunting don't you? And they're drooling over having you on their side.

And Bar, I'm not pushing my ways on anyone........I'm just trying to help others get in touch with their inner being. A lot of people don't even realize why they're out there until it comes down to brass tacks. And the argument is always the same, and always ends in only one logical conclusion. And you keep throwing "enjoy" and "joy" in there. That's not the argument........the argument is whether you're out there for the kill or not........not whether you enjoy it.

 

[Bar]

I've mentioned in the past that i'm in the mountains at least 250 days a year. I love it there, and will spend all my free time there. Still, when there's a tag in my pocket, and a gun in my hand it's different. It's more exciting, and more fun. I know it's not because I have a chance to kill an animal, because I always feel bad when I do it. It's something else that's hard to explain. It's a feeling. It's like what I was born to do. The challenge, the chase, and trying to beat the animal at his own game. The animals whole life is devoted to surviving. a hunter is trying to beat the animal from doing that.

I have a hard time explaining the feeling, but I do know it can't be replaced with anything else. I do know it's not the kill, but the hunt. I know this, because I have just as good a time when I don't kill anything. As long as it was a good hard hunt. It wouldn't be much of a challenge if I killed something 100% of the time. The animal needs to win too, and I give them a wave, and say...good job, you beat me this time. That's good hunting.

 

[MuleyFever]

Ok, just so I have it right........if the meat was provided to you, you'd never go hunting (with a weapon) again. That's cool, your choice. But you do know that this is one of the animal rights activists greatest tactics against hunting don't you? And they're drooling over having you on their side.

And the argument is always the same, and always ends in only one logical conclusion.

Even if I gave it up, which I have for a few years once, I would never be against hunting. Even if it came down to just a management tool I would still be in favor of letting hunters hunt. I have a desire to kill a few animals like a sheep and Mt goat. But when it comes to deer I am in it for the meat.

I agree on the one logical conclusion though. We all hunt for different reasons. True, some may not really know why they do it but many of us know our reasons well and they may be different than yours.

I know your beating your head against the desk because the kill is the goal, its why we go hunting.

The kill is part of the goal but its not the reason (edit: for me). We just obviously have a different thought process. I hope you dont feel any personal attack. I am not that kind of person and I appreciate the debate.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've mentioned in the past that i'm in the mountains at least 250 days a year. I love it there, and will spend all my free time there. Still, when there's a tag in my pocket, and a gun in my hand it's different. It's more exciting, and more fun. I know it's not because I have a chance to kill an animal, because I always feel bad when I do it. It's something else that's hard to explain. It's a feeling. It's like what I was born to do. The challenge, the chase, and trying to beat the animal at his own game. The animals whole life is devoted to surviving. a hunter is trying to beat the animal from doing that.

I have a hard time explaining the feeling, but I do know it can't be replaced with anything else. I do know it's not the kill, but the hunt. I know this, because I have just as good a time when I don't kill anything. As long as it was a good hard hunt. It wouldn't be much of a challenge if I killed something 100% of the time. The animal needs to win too, and I give them a wave, and say...good job, you beat me this time. That's good hunting.

Exactly. Except you can do all of what you described 365 days a year without having a tag, and without ever killing anything......and many people do. But they also weren't born hunters. I know what you're describing, every hunter should. It's different because it IS different when you have the possibility of the kill. And right THERE is the difference from hiking around the woods on a nature hike......and hunting.

Watch a cat jump from a slumber when a mouse runs by and attacks and kills it, and then lets it lay and goes back to its slumber. He didn't kill it for the meat, he didn't kill it because he liked getting woken up, he didn't kill it because he loved running across the floor after it, he certainly didn't do it because he liked smelling the flowers along the way. And........he may not have even enjoyed killing it.

 

[realunlucky]

The possibility of the kill changes the experience pretty much sums it up.

Not to sidetrack more off topic discussion you should pm me we could discuss the merits of blood lust vs undercover PETA wolves and which puts our hunting future at a greater risk

 

[tipsntails7]

5 miles , would you still kill if you were not aloud to collect the meat from that animal?

 

[MuleyFever]

I think this is relevant to this discussion. If you did not see this watch it all the way through. Knowledge does not equal understanding. We all look at the world with a bias. Sometimes we cannot change our way of thinking.

In this discussion we viered into talking about the reasons we hunt and what we get out of it. Basically our perceptions and they are different from each others and we cannot easily change them or understand a different viewpoint, even if we have knowledge of it. Our brains are weird.

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?29686-Think-you-could-ride-this-bike

 

[Bar]

Very interesting. I'm sure i'd crash at first too like everybody else. It does get you to thinking about how we see things.