RE: Are hunters selfish??
Yes, deep inside we all are. If we could hunt an entire area by ourselves almost 99% would not even blink an eye. When a picture shows up of a massive animal the first thing that goes through a person's mind is I wish I'd taken that one. It is a sad thing when an animal goes to waste, but how many animals get wounded everyyear and are lost to everyone because of poor shooting or circumstances. Here in Colorado the DOW's estimate to wounding loss is 15 to 20 percent of the total harvest. I'd say they are right on the money. But does anyone think of that when it comes to animals and wasted life.
I hear people saying what a waste of meat and that is true. But how many actually go out hunting with the thought of filling the freezer instead of the thought what if the big one shows up today. I think today's hunters don't have to rely on game to survive its a personal preference to do so. Saying that, in the future game might be what alot of people do survive on when the rich control how you live. But if meat was an issue I'd rather be caught poaching someone's cow than a deer or elk.
Which brings me to my next personal point of hunting. I enjoy eating elk,moose,whitetail,wildboar, and bison. Those are my personal choices of wild game that tastegood to me. Muledeer,antelope,bear, and caribou are not favorites of mine. Saying that do I still hunt the muleys,goats,bear, and caribou? Yes. This is where I become selfish. I will hunt them for the hunt. I still eat them but mostly I won't shoot something I'm not ready to hang on my wall. And to me that's being selfish. But also being conservationist minded to. If I don't see a decent animal I don't shoot. I perfer to let the smaller animals continue on living. But that's where it becomes hunting or counting coue if you prefer.
I'm not a trophy hunter or a waster of wildlife but I'm not one to fill freezers to the brim just for the sake of doing so. I hunt to hunt, I enjoy the challenge because it's not kill. Everyone knows that after the kill the enjoyment last's a short time and the work begins. Meat is the bottom line when everything is over that is how you pay your respects to the animal.