Sylvan

The truth is that we humans exploit animals for our own self interests. We always have and likely always will. From the animals raised for the slaughter houses to the high fence canned hunts, trappers, fishermen and yes to the guy on public land stalking a deer with a long bow, we all kill as a result of our own personal desire to do so and/or to satisfy our self interests. Though the methods and the motivations may be different, some apparently have need to feel that their's is quite honorable while others are ethically and maybe even morally wrong. Maybe some deep seated guilt needs to be aswaged there. I don't know but it seems pretty hypocritical to me for a guy, who pays others to kill for him, chowing down a McDonalds burger or some Kentucky fried to be getting up on his moral high horse and condeming someone who killed an animal on a canned hunt. IMO, killing an animal is only unethical if it is done with disregard for the potential suffering one might inflict on the animal but that's another thread.
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[/align]So is high fence hunting really hunting? Why even ask the question? It's winds up just being an argument parsing the definition of "hunt" and like I've pointed out before, one can even make the argument that waiting in a treestand is arguably not hunting so why go there? Is long range rifle hunting more or less ethical than an atlatl? If the definition of hunting hinges on the amount of advantage the hunter has than I guess the only true hunters wear only a loin cloth and kill with a rock. If you don't do the high fence thing and don't plan to do it and it's a legal endeavor then why not just live and let live? It seems to me that the only reason for this discussion is to have a convenient whipping boy for those that want to look down their nose. Well I for one won't play that game.
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[/align]You guys that hunt high fence, I hope you enjoy every minute of it! I hope you derive as much satisfication and joy that I do on my little piece of land in upstate NY. Good hunting!
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