ORIGINAL: tsoc
I'm late to the party here.
I don't have an interest in hunting over bait,I do understand where in some area's it is the only practical way to hunt or to control populations.I don't like how conditioned and desensitized an animal may become and I believe that to kill an animal under those circumstances doesn't present any particular challenge.To me it is more like shooting an animal for food than hunting.
The biggest objections I had to the seven year old killing the young buck was that the animal was completely desensitized,and that the set up of the weapon being used wasn't sufficient to kill cleanly and quickly,I also question whether a child of the age of 7 should be killing any thing yet,but that is another conversation.
I do see feeders being different than short term baiting,primarily because of the predictability of the response.Animals become quickly habituated.Years ago prior to it being illegal for a couple of winters I put corn out for deer after all the hunting seasons ended.I wanted to help them through the winter.In hind sight it was a mistake even though I fed them regularly from January through april.I would put the corn out in the morning before going to work.The deer actually became habituated to hearing my garage door opening and would come running and wait for me to put the corn out.20 or 30 deer of all different levels of wariness would stand in the field and wait for me.
I know the same thing holds true for the programmed timers on feeders.Do I think it likely a mature buck would come rushing in,no I don't,but if it were during the rut and a doe he was tending came in he would be close behind.
I am not opposed to the practice I just don't equate it the same way as other methods of hunting,taking an animal under those circumstances would not bring any particular satisfaction to me,other than enjoying the meat.
No offense is intended to anyone.
I agree with what you have said but our opinions don't mean much to guy's that have different values and ethics. I don't think it is right to point out another mans ethics and say there wrong when it is perfectly legal in his area. I am sure that there is things in all of our lives that another man want agree with.
A story to show my point (hopefully)............
My father-in-law is from Louisiana, there culture and raising is completly different from anything I have ever had. I'm not saying there bad people, heck, my wife is from there. Anyway, this man, year after year kills as many as 6 fawns (I have seen his kills with spots). I have asked him time after time why he does it. His answer: " There very good eating and it's legal". I cant' remember what there bag limits are but I know he takes more than his fair share (has another fella to check them in for him). It drives me crazy, year after year of this unethical bullsnot. The thing is though that this man is 50 yrs old and set in his ways. He has been doing this stuff his whole life (raised to be like this) and there is nothing I can do about it. I spent the first 3 yrs of my marriage trying to change this mans views. That was three years that I couldn't enjoy my hunting because I was worried about someone else on different land and a different state. I think we should try to educate younger people and try to give them a higher standard of ethics.
As for the the little guy in the video killing the pet, hedoesn't have much of achance, I'm sure his father is the same way. It's kind of like when you have two crack head parents trying to raise a kid, that kid doesn't have much of a chance.
I hope that anyone reading these threads will at least concider your ethics as ahunter and try to mold them to a higher standard (not that I am were I need to be). If you don't though, it's not going to hurt my feelings. I enjoy the company of fellow hunters and appreciate everyones opinions but I draw the line at illegal. If your ethics are such that you think you don't have to obey the law thenI have no use for you as a hunter,and possibly as a person.