ORIGINAL: Howler
I still say your anology between hunting situations and vehicle situations is flawed. One is an accident, and one has, or should have, a conscious decesion being made! One situation you have, or should have, control over the out come, and the other, you usaually don't have control on the outcome.
As far as the difference between a rat and a duck, one has the "pest/varmint/disease carrying" label and the other doesn't! An animal that does damage, is known to carry disease, and is labeled varmint/pest isn't in the same catagory as other aniamls!
Decision being made. Ok, you have the decision to go back and make sure that animal is dead after you hit it. No matter what that animal is or how you wounded it.. If it was an accident that makes it allright for one kind of animal to suffer and another not??
So it is allright to kill a Rat that carries diseases with a bat and not the duck just because of that?? Ok,The duck has H5N1.. Is it acceptable to use the bat on the duck now??