GMMAT

I know it GR8. I once had a big, SC skeeter take a header into my Jeep windshield.....and I had to finish him off with the windshield wipers.

I STILL think I'm a little scarred, from that.

PreacherTony

LOL! Hey Jeff ... great thread man ..

GMMAT

Preach:

We had a REALLY good discussion on this, huh???? NO WRONG ANSWERS! I love those.

Have a great weekend.

dayna0306

I love to hunt, but the moment after the shot is the rush I am hunting for.Now that I think about it ,it's a lot like sex.Good post Jeff.


[/align]

tsoc

There are some really exceptional posts here! Personally for me the kill is just the conclusion of the hunt,the get it done portion so to speak.The end result is enjoyable to me but not the taking of the animals life.I can't explain it in a way that even satisfies myself.Every thing I do in a hunting situation is directed at the result of killing an animal,as quickly and cleanly as possible.From a perspective of dignity and honoring the animal I do not want to see it suffer.Most of us have a great respect for the game we pursue,for me I am pleased that I wrestle with these questions,and that most all of us do!

farm hunter

Some great posts all the way around.

I Agree with alot of what I've read, but I wanted to say that when I kill a deer, and witness the deer's death - I personally do not feel remorse for the deer. (or really any other animal). When I've hunted and Killed a deer - I do have an extreme RUSH of feelings though. Among them are joy, respect for the animal, and above all, a sense of personal accomplishment. BUT it has to be a deer I've hunted, not just "killed".

Some of us have hit deer whith a car - I can honestly say there is no remorse there either - when the deer is killed. But the Joy, the respect, the sense of accomplishment - is not there - not even a little. This tends to make me think that its the HUNT - not the killing that is the primevil force that urges us to want to take the life of another animal.

For most of us - killing a deer is a Personal thing. We might hunt with others - but actually taking the life of the animalwe are hunting is our's and our's alone.

FH

MDBUCKHUNTER

Tough question. If I say I do not enjoy the killing aspect....then why have I been hunting for the last 13 years? 5 of those years I have been by myself.

There is something about taking game that is rewarding....or maybe satisfying. But the act of death itself is not something I enjoy. I always wish for a quick and painless death. That is why I train all year round.

So I guess my answer would be no. I do not enjoy the killing aspect.

iamyourhuckleberry

Enjoy...........X......tolerate.................de test

I'm somewhere here for the most part. A lot has to do with the species of animal I'm pursuing. I tend to drift towards the "E" word when it comes to pests like prairie dogs, coyotes, and squirrels. I go towards the "T" word when bigger game is involved. When I slayed my lion, I cried like a baby. One of the PHs asked if I was crying because I had killed the beast. I answered "DAMN straight", but the tears were from theexcessive joyI felt. A degree of remorse set in days later (after the adrenaline wore off), but the sense of accomplishment seemed to balanceeverything out.

The juxtapositionswithin hunting are so many:

End/Beginning
Beauty/Grotesque
respect/disrespect
secure/doubtful...

You can be a "winner" and a "loser" at the verysame moment. It weird...

Thanks guys for sharing! This is an excellent topic.

Awesome post Jeff!

Northwind~

I guess it is extremely difficult to put suchdeep rooted, abstract emotional feelings that are elements of the hunt into concrete words. We don't really have the words to describe those feelings, and no words couldever do them justice. But I guess we try to put those feelings into words anyway so that others may have a better understanding of why we hunt, and perhaps, so we can learn some things about ourselves and why we hunt. I believe that the kill is a very important element to the hunt, an ultimategoal that every hunter seeks for the rush, the excitement, the instinctive drive, the torrent of strange and conflicting emotions, the touch of remorse, the feeling of respect, the thankfulness,the sense of accomplishment and a deep rooted positive feeling (I would not call it joy) that we feel as a result of that moment where everything comes together. In that moment, something very special happens, something very intense and meaningful. In that moment an animal dies, and part of its life becomes part of the hunter who saw its final moments and took its life. The cycle of life comes full circle, for out of the death of that animal the energy for new life springs. The body of that animal ultimately serves as sustenance for the hunter, and other things get a share of whats left. But these special feelings do not result solely from killing. In order to feel those emotions resulting from the kill, the other elements of the hunt are necessary. It is the kill resulting from the hunt that we seek. So I suppose it could be said that we hunt to feel the rush of emotions resulting from the kill, and we kill to have truly hunted.

tsoc

Well said Northind!