ORIGINAL: FtWorthHunter

You know, I can see it a bit of both ways. I know most here are pretty serious deer hunters and treat all game they hunt in the same manner they do deer. Most either lease land and others hunt public lands.

Here in Texas, we landowners face other problems. On different places, I have problems with several nuisance animals including: Hogs, aoudad sheep, coyotes, feral cats, and feral dogs. Even deer can bea problem in some areas, though not mine.

When I hunt game, I do it in an ethical manner. The game I hunt are mostly deer, but also dove, quail, pheasant, and at times ducks. When I'm out looking for these animals, I consider it hunting.

I can also hunt the other animals I've mentioned and would consider many of my sheep hunts to be actual hunts when out looking for big rams.

However, when I go out looking for hogs and the other animals, it's hardly hunting. We kill by any means necessary. Personally, I've never shot a feral cat (though I would) but have shot wild dogs when they were attacking a calf. Maybe it makes me a bad guy, but I could care less about a quick kill when going after these animals. We use assault rifles, firing hundreds of rounds, trying to hit everything we can. We chase them on ATV's, in trucks, trap them, snare them, poison them, and by any other means we can come up with (I've heard of people even using helicopters, but I havent' done it).

So, is what we do humane? That's probably up to others to decide. Is what we do necessary? Absolutely. The fact is, there are lots of wild non-native animals out there that do much more harm to the environment than good. These animals are a danger to humans, livestock, native wildlife, and native vegetation. I don't break any laws and all the means I described above are perfectly legal in Texas.

The fact is, there are laws against fighting dogs. Michael Vick broke the law. If laws are passed telling me I can't fire away at hogs, coyotes, etc., then I'll probably stop. Michael Vick knew better than to do what he did. Then he lied about his intentions and actions. Those are criminal acts and he's being treated like a criminal