Kill or Harvest?
 

When talking about an animal, which do you say?

Did you kill an animal or did you harvest one?

In the age of growing political correctness, I've noticed more and more hunters refering to what they do as harvesting animals.

For some reason it irritates me when people refer to it as a harvest though, because we aren't growing a crop, we're taking a life. Essentially, we're killing an animal.

Not trying to start an argument, though I'm sure someone will make it into one, so please, refrain if possible.

Which do you say?

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

I'm not voting, I use both including took, shot, got, downed, arrowed tug, tagged, etc depending on my mood at the time.

I know Drury's over use the term harvest though in casual conversation I have no problem with it, their videos, although well done, script wise is kinda annoying.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

"Harvest" is what you do to the things that go on the plate next to what you killed .

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

The deer, or whatever animal, heart was beating and it was breathing before I ran a Stinger through both lungs, causing the deer to die.

By definition, I killed it. Harvest is a bogus BS word the deer farms coined.

[Deleted]
 

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RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

Most of the time when I'm talking to some body about hunting I'll reffer to harvest instead the word ( kill ) but they know what I mean anyway.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

I didn't vote, it just depends on who I'm talking to. I usually say "got" one or something along those lines because everyone I talk to about it hunts as well and understands...

I think it just depends on the situation though.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

Ok, I suppose a better question would be;

For those of you who refer to what we do as harvesting, why?

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

Most of the time I'll use the word harvest instead of kill but everybody I talk to abouthunting know what I mean anyways.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

This ought to be the exact definition in the dictionary. Is it?;)

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

Kill.. I am notpolitically correct and never will be.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

I do say both and I'm not aggrivated by either one.. I use harvest quite a bit but also refer to it in a general manner as "shooting" or "taking"... Just depends I guess...

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

If I'm talking to non-hunters I'll say"I got" or "I took".

If I'm talking to hunters I'll say "I killed" or "I shot".

Depends on the audience.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

I'm hoping for both. Team #3!!!

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

There is nothing incorrect about using either word. It really depends on what flavor you want to bring to the conversation. Personally I use the term kill when I'm talking about what I do as an individual but if I'm talking about the total kill in my region I'll typically talk about the harvest numbers. Each word certainly carries with it a certain connotation. If you are talking with non hunters and you are trying to impress upon them that hunters control the population and without hunters the herd population would quickly get out of control then harvest is certainly a good choice. If you look it up you will find population control is one of its useages. It also connotates taking something of value as opposed to something like killing off pests to control their numbers. You wouldn't use the term harvest when it comes to wiping out termites for example but it's certainly appropriate to use the term when talking about triming the deer population and putting x metric tons of valuable venison in private freezers.

All in all I'd say use the term that best applies. I wouldn't consider it a verry mature attitude if you are using the term kill for the sole pupose of irritating some non hunter or using the term harvest for the sole purpose of making what you do "sound" nicer. Each term has it's place, use each in it's appropriate place and don't worry about how it sounds. JMHO.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

I definitely kill deer. Let's not sugar coat it.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

I kill deer, why sugar coat it!!!

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

I forgot to mention... I think the term "kill" can be just as much of a politically correct term as harvest. It just depends on the audience. I think if you are using the term kill to simply make a point then that's no better than using the term harvest to make a point. And if you simply won't use the term harvest under any circumstance then I think you need to grow up. [and i'm not refering to anyone here. I don't think anybody here is that immature] Again, I say use the terms for what they are intended, not to make political statements.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

Harvest or kill? Yes, it depends who I'm talking to. You wouldn't harvestyour mother-in-law, would you?:D
-just joking - okay?

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

IMO it depends on the animal that was killed.

If it was a deer, elk, moose or what ever that lived its life wild and free, grew up on its own, grew its antlers on its own with out the aid of humans feeding it somehow, lived to be the age it was all on its own and not let walk just because it's antlers wouldn't score enough P&Y, etc...thenI killed it.

If it is a deer that was raised, managed, fenced in, fed artificially (yes those huge biologic plots count here), allowed to walk numerous times just for the score it would receive in the record books, etc... then it ws harvested. Becasue in my eyes hunting and killing isn't about artificially growing or raising book bucks. IMO these bucks are more like a crop to be harvested when it is "ripe".

Nope but I would dang sure killthe@#$%&if I lived 200 years ago.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

Farmers harvest their crops......I kill deer !!! Always have -- Always will.

I make no apologies for my hunting ! God gave me the animals of the world to use, and if it is ok with God then it is ok with me. Because I answer to no man, but to our Heavenly Father.

God did not invent political correctness, man did.

BTW - If we, "the hunters", do not have a backbone and stand up for ourselves and what we believe in, then who will? If you, the people who hunt,can't say what you do ( kill ) honestly and without apologizing, then we have already lost " the fight ".

Good Hunting

God Bless

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

I usually say, killed or took, same diff.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

Depends on who I'm talking to. If its a hunting bud I thumped, whacked, spiked or sumpin like that. If it is someone I don't know I usually say I gently pulled back the cellophane wrapper...>>>>>>Whack!!

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

Question: Why do many hunters seem to think that using the term "harvest" is appologetic or somehowan attempt toavoid the fact that hunters kill things? I and many other hunters use both terms where appropriate and appologize for neither the choice of words or the act they refer to. English is a rich language with lots of wordsavailable to be used to give differingnuancewhen communicating. Both "kill" and "harvest" are applicable terms in this discussion and I don't think anybody is dim enough to not realize that harvesting animals includes killing them. People are only fooling themselves if after killing a deer they think they didn'tharvest a natural resource. By the same token if after harvesting an animal you think you didn't kill it you've got real issues.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

Go to the bedroom with your wife.

Take off all your clothes.....and go at it for an hour.

Tell each other what you did to one another.

-----------------------------------

Now......go tell your children what you did.

Did you use the same words?

Gentlemen.....That God that everyone answers to doesn't make laws that outlaw hunting. I'm only trying to make sure the tree-hugger that might overhear me doesn't take offense to what I'm saying. The hunter I'm talking to knows exactly what I'm saying, too. An animal dies when it's harvested. It is killed. Point taken.

Jeff

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

NON Hunter: What did you do this weekend?

BDC: Went Hunting.

NON Hunter: Did you "catch" anything?

Has anyone ever heard this before? LOL.

Maybe we all should start saying catch.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

BDC I hear that one all the time.

My response is usually "Nope, but I killed a big one."

The reason I asked this question is put into perspective by several of the responses;

"It depends on who I'm talking to."

Those are the responses that make me think that the term harvest is replacing the word kill as a more politically correct way of saying things. People are doing it to protect others, namely the non-hunting/anti-hunting crowd.

I feel no reason to say harvest to protect anyone's feelings. I do what I do and I'm not ashamed of it, nor will I try to hide it or cover it up with a differentword.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

My inlaws are big time anti's...when they ask how the hunting is going I usually say "I've taken one" or "I got a nice one". I don't use "kill" or "harvest" with them.

I didn't raise the deer, I didn't harvest it.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

I have always sead "kill, took or shot" thats just what i am doing.
Afarmer uses "Harvest" thats just what he is doing.
If you talk to a few real farmers and ask what they wouldlike for you to do with all those deer eating there crops there awnser is kill them shoot them or take them.
I guess when a prisoner is put to death on death row the government should say We Harvested a prisioner today:D
I understand the reason someuse the wordharvest instead of kill its to keep from offending anyone that is watching these TV hunting shows or people that don`t hunt.
In the Websters dictionary the word KILL-says
1#To deprive of life,slay
2#To slaughter for food;Butcher
3#To destroy;put an end to
4#An animale killed as pray
5# Killed in the act of killing in hunting
Look it for yourself?
HARVEST-The act of of gathering in a crop ect..

[hr]
I`m Not trying to be a jerk or anything But tell it like it is.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

"harvest" in regards to hunting is just a way to soften the reality that animals die when a hunt is successful. The TV hunters I think are responsible for the use more than anyone else.


I always say "Kill" not to be imflamatory, it's just what I have always said.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

I took the liberty of going to Webster on this subject. Here is what I found;
Harvest - 1. The act or process of gathering a crop. 2. The crop that ripens or is gathered in a season. 3. The amount or measure of the crop. (There is more, but it never makes mention of any animal or livestock)
Crop - (I put this one in since one could possibly argue deer can be a crop) 1. Cultivated agricultural plants, as grain, vegetables, or fruit. 2. The total yield of agricultural produce in a given season or place. (goes on, but never mentions livestock as a crop)
Kill - 1. To put to death. 2. To deprive of life. (Again, there is more, but this definition never mentions anything about a crop or harvest)
Hunt - (this is the icing on the cake. Pay close attention to #6) 1. To pursue (game) for food or sport. 2. To seek/look for. 3. To search through, as for game or prey. 4. To utilize hounds in pursuing game. 5. To drive out forcibly. 6.To pursue game or other animals in order to capture or kill them.

So, it looks like, if you'd like to be grammatically correct, you only have one choice on this subject, and it is to use the word "Kill".

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

That's a Kill!!!:)

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

AMEN...... I kill deers and eat'em, they taste good too. Harvest is forfarmers taking thier crops. I rarely use the work harvest as a hunting phrase, I usually say got, shot,or Kill even when i'm talking to anti's and non hunters. They all should know we hunters go huntand weSHOT,KILL andGOT a deerfor dinners.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

Yes the english language is full of words to express the same thing, but that is not what the author of this thread was talking about. Go back and re-read the original post of this thread. The author references the anti-hunters, and saying harvest to keep them off our backs. That is the proper context, and when you use the word harvest in that context, it is apologetic.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

MY Webster's dictionary also gives these three:

Harvest:

1) the quantity of a natural product gathered in a single season
2) the product or reward of exertion
3) to win by achievement

My dictionary ALSO has a defintion for another word: TACT

When your 7 yr old asks where babies come from.....do you tell 'em you were *%^&$ing her mama and she got pregnant. Cause.....that's what happened! Don't hold back!

Jeff

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

I harvest vegetables-I kill animals.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

Same here. I do use the word "harvest" sometimes.

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

i harvest vegetables out of the garden, i kill deer than harvest them into my plate

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

I get so fed up with this polictically correct B.S. It seems like no matter what we say or do, someone will be offended. It is what it is. I am a hunter, not no dang farmer, being a hunter, I kill, sugar coat it all you want. Taking a life of an animal is killing, so be it and accept it for what it is. I'm proud of what I do and what I am, therefore, I call it what it is, without apology.

Bobby

ps. No I did not vote

RE: Kill or Harvest?
 

You have to kill anything to harvest it.