This thread really makes me step back and wonder about myself. Even when I was a youngster running through the woods with my beagles and a single shot 20 gauge hunting rabbits, the adrenalin rush was incredible at the kill. Whether it was because of the kill or because of the anticipation of the kill, I'm not sure. That's never changed for me, and it's amplified unbelieveably while deer hunting.

Now, take a look at the way I am when I'm not hunting. My cat's catch a mouse in the woods and bring it in. If it's still alive, I take it back out to the woods. If I find a snake around the house, I don't kill it. I catch it and take it out to the woods away from the house. I have a small decorative pond in one of my flower beds, and I'm always rescuing toads that get in and can't get out. I even try not to kill wolf spiders I find in the house. I scoop them up and throw them outside.

I kind of have a "Klingon" (Star Trek TNG) attitude towards hunting. I believe it's in our genetic make-up. We started out as hunter/gatherers, and I believe it's still in all of us to some extent... some much more than others it seems. The adrenalin rush of the hunt/kill can be and is addictive, but I also know that I'm not a merciless killer. I hate to see the animal I shoot suffer. I want a quick, clean kill. But... I want the kill.