Hunters, ironically, are one of the biggest financial supporters of animal welfare. Their fees they pay for hunting licenses go a long ways to preserving habitat, studies, density studies, disease control, supplemental feed programs and more.
Many bunny-hugger groups don't come near that kind of support for the animals they claim they are protecting. If we had it their way, animals would die a terrible death due to disease and starvation... because if we "saved" the animals like they want us to, we would have to let the ecology be totally natural, which often means animals over-populate to the point where there's not enough food to support the numbers. Then any disease would spread easier when the numbers are high.
Under these circumstances, a bullet would be merciful over disease and starvation any day.
iSnipe