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Emotions
What emotions do you feel when you are walking up to your downed
animal? Myself I feel excitment,power and sadness all at the same time. Im wondering if other people feel excitment and sadness at the same time or am I just an odd duck.[8D] |
RE: Emotions
I know what your feeling cause I feel the same way. So your not an odd duck.
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RE: Emotions
Yep same with me too...I'd also add thankful to that mix
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RE: Emotions
I think that if I ever stop feeling that mix of emotions its time to quit.
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RE: Emotions
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RE: Emotions
Accomplishment. I've beaten that animal at it's own game, in it's own home. I have a great sense of pride in the accomplishment.
Humility. Killing a deer w/ a bow and arrow makes me very humble. That animals sole purpose in life was to die to feed my family. Very humbling indeed. Jubillation. I used to fight fire for a living, but the rush of shooting a deer w/ a bow is far above and beyond that of a fire. Sadness. No, just kidding on that one. I don't feel sadness in the least, I am thankful. God put these animals here for us, and I am thankful for that. Respect. These are very smart critters we're after. Sometimes they beat me, sometimes I beat them. Either way, they deserve nothing but our best. |
RE: Emotions
I know the feeling also. But lately though, I've been feeling more remorse than ever. I sometimes wish I almost didn't shoot. I've taken many deer but think I'm almost burnt out on the killing part of hunting. I like the hunt part and being in the woods. I also love the venison. I would rather let the kids do the shooting, though. Just me I guess, but I understand what you mean.
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RE: Emotions
Humility first,respect for the animal second,gratitude third,hunters remorse last.And there is always who is going to help me drag this thing!(only kidding)
If the experience doesn't go to the core of who you are you have missed something along the way. |
RE: Emotions
Windwalker i feel like you, i'v been deer hunting since 1959 its almost time, the love is still there but my body is starting to say no. Good Hunting Rich
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RE: Emotions
I shoot vermin . When I get one in my sights , and line up on 'em . It's the best part of my day . I send that arrow off , hoping that I have done my job . The next portion of a second seems to take alot longer than it should . In the moment since I drew on the varmint ,,,, everything else in life stopped . Nothing matters except the shot . This is my bliss . All of the thoughts in the back of my head fade away ,,, How am I going to make more money ? So and so needs somthing . The truck needs cleaning . How am I going to go see familly ? I can't hear any of them . The shot is the only thing that matters . I'll take a good archery shot on a varmint over sex any day(been married for awile,, I guess ). I don't feel bad for my prey . In fact - I let the young live ,, to make for tommarows hunt . I do feel bad for a gut shot . But thats why I carry a revolver as well . Once upon a time , I did drugs . Bow-hunting is better than anything that you can put in your nose , or smoke . When an unlikley shot on a varmint lands just where you want it to - there is nothing better . Bowhunting is the best thing since sliced bread . I wish someone had introduced me to it earlier . I could go on ,, but I think I've bored you enough .
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RE: Emotions
ORIGINAL: Windwalker7 I know the feeling also. But lately though, I've been feeling more remorse than ever. I sometimes wish I almost didn't shoot. I've taken many deer but think I'm almost burnt out on the killing part of hunting. I like the hunt part and being in the woods. I also love the venison. I would rather let the kids do the shooting, though. Just me I guess, but I understand what you mean. I feel the same as Mobowhuntr , but respect for my opponent most of all . |
RE: Emotions
I am glad to read that there are so many ethical hunters on here. I talk to so many who just seem to have the wrong idea of hunting that it was starting to make me feel like maybe I was wrong. It is refreshing to see that I am not and there are so many others who feel the same ways I do about killing an animal.
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RE: Emotions
Excitement.....when I first lay eyes on the downed animal.
Accompolishment.....when I appraoch and touch the animal for the first time. Thankful....when I sit beside the deer....for a moment and consider how blessed I am to have the opportunity to hunt and kill a wonderful animal....when I consider how lucky I am to have a father that tought me to hunt and to love the outdoors. The emotions I have when a hunt turns into akill are great. I try to explain my feelings to non hunters or casual hunters, but it's often hard for them to understand. Good hunting to all! Great topic BTW! |
RE: Emotions
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RE: Emotions
When i walk up to a downed animal, the first feeling i go through is excitement, followed my being thankful, then a whole lot more excitement.
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RE: Emotions
I feel like I'm on top of the world:)
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RE: Emotions
In the ten seconds from the time I see the animal, walking up, and touching it for the first time, my life makes sense......
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RE: Emotions
Just reading these responses sends a chill down my spine and a longing for the woods....come on deer season!
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RE: Emotions
You have to remember that animal didn't give his life to you, you took it. It is that part of the hunting expierence that can get tuff at times. As a hunter matures his love and respect for his prey makes letting the arrow fly a bit harder. Thats why I don't over do it. One doe for my farmer, than I trophy hunt. Thats just me. I don't seem to feel that way for quail, phesant, and fish they go in the freezer by the scores. Just something about that big ole deer.
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RE: Emotions
there is so much work to be done after a deer is taken. when i'm the shooter it hits me the next day and lasts a couple days. it goes to my core. i feel a sadness, and an incredible understanding of what it means to eat food, and what it means to share food. eating is a big part of life, and the significance of it is generally lost on me when i haven't taken a life for food in a while.
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RE: Emotions
2 years ago, I killed my biggest buck.... interesting morning.... After hours of seeing NOTHING... I hear my dad's truck start(dual exhaust on a cold december morning, you can hear it from a half mile away), so a wait a few minuteslook around thenstand up in teh box blind to get my stuff together to leave. I finish and out of impulse look around before getting out of the blind and there he was about 90 yds away in the wide open just grazing around! I'd been standing for maybe 30 seconds. I didn't even take my backpack off just sat, sighted and squeezed, and down he went.
In that 90 seconds or less, I felt disappointment, shock, excitement, nerves, relief, exhaustion, enlightenment and joy. Didn't have time for the remorse at first but it came whiledressing him out. As an animal lover, it's always been tough for me to kill animals. I struggled with it as a kid, shooting my first when I was 9. Nothing can compare with hunting though, and taking a life, and knowing what life, and death, is really about. So many people see hunting as barbaric... but It's closer to enlightenment. I don't know anything else on earth that gives you every possible part of the spectrum of human emotion, from perfect peace, tofrantic chaos. |
RE: Emotions
ORIGINAL: Davoh 2 years ago, I killed my biggest buck.... interesting morning.... After hours of seeing NOTHING... I hear my dad's truck start(dual exhaust on a cold december morning, you can hear it from a half mile away), so a wait a few minuteslook around thenstand up in teh box blind to get my stuff together to leave. I finish and out of impulse look around before getting out of the blind and there he was about 90 yds away in the wide open just grazing around! I'd been standing for maybe 30 seconds. I didn't even take my backpack off just sat, sighted and squeezed, and down he went. In that 90 seconds or less, I felt disappointment, shock, excitement, nerves, relief, exhaustion, enlightenment and joy. Didn't have time for the remorse at first but it came whiledressing him out. As an animal lover, it's always been tough for me to kill animals. I struggled with it as a kid, shooting my first when I was 9. Nothing can compare with hunting though, and taking a life, and knowing what life, and death, is really about. So many people see hunting as barbaric... but It's closer to enlightenment. I don't know anything else on earth that gives you every possible part of the spectrum of human emotion, from perfect peace, tofrantic chaos. |
RE: Emotions
The only time that I've ever felt remorse is when I make a bad shot and I know that the deer has to die slowly. On a good shotmy mind is to busy dealing with the excitement and on the job at hand to have time for remorse.
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RE: Emotions
I think if you are a human you're bond to feel all these emotions to some degree at that time. I am glad you brought this one up.
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