RE: Harvesting vs Killing
I understand where you're coming from. I think the difference lies in the attitude with which the act itself is carried out, and the intentions of what is to be done with the animal afterwards.
Case in point: I responded to a thread about a gentleman taking a raccoon earlier and said that I had been tempted to loose an arrow at one of those critters, especially when bordeom had sunk in, but had never done so because I couldn't bear the thought of wasting a broadhead on one. In reality, that's only a partial truth; the other reason I haven't done so is because I know I'll never gut it, take it home, clean it and eat it. To me, if I shot a raccoon (or any other such animal) it would be merely killing it because I never planned on using it to fortify my family with. I know there are those that love the taste of raccoon; that's not the point. The point is, I myself would never go to all the trouble with one. And, yes, I've tasted raccoon before. That's exactly why I wouldn't go to the trouble.
Deer, and other game animals, like that provide substenance for my family. Do I enjoy the act of hunting? Absolutely. Is the act born out of necessity to feed my family? No way. But -- I know that after I get to enjoy the thrill of the hunt, the animal will also serve a useful purpose later down the road. Hence, a sense of harvesting as opposed to merely killing.
Hope that helps.