I know that a lot of you super macho guy's will laugh but i was wondering if anyone else goes through the same things that i do. Call me a softy but i can't stomach to watch a deer that i shoot fall and flop around on the ground in pain until it eventually dies. I know that it's an easier way to go than most cattle get to. I have been in slaughter houses and seen those graphic YouTube videos and i know that the meat that kill got an easier way out than the meat i eat at McDonalds. I love bow hunting with a passion but i still have days when i think back at the animals i killed and feel bad for having to do it, but i know that i love meat and i love the thrill of the hunt. I guess my question is do any of you ever have those moments where you feel bad after a kill or when you watch a hunting show. I recently read a post on hear about shooting doe's with small fawn's and i was shocked at the amount of people who seem to be able to do it so easily. I'll never stop hunting because i love Venison and the outdoors but i'm sure that i will always feel conflicted about it. I feel like i just came out of the closet or something! Now go ahead and make fun of the sad little soft city boy.

city boy......j/k

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dstubb--you have respect for the animal, therefore you have my respect. You are not soft, you have character.

No , you're not a nancyboy, you simply have a love and respect for Gods creatures, and that is a good thing. We all have things like that happen at some point in our hunting lives, but it is how you respond to it that becomes your character and who you are.

After every kill, I say a prayer of thanks to God, over the animal... clean qiuck kill, or not. Then, if not a clean kill, I ask God to help me to become a better hunter, and to sharpen my skills and help me to make goood decisions.

But I also go back and do my part by practicing more.

But I am honestly glad you are not callosed towards the life of the game you take.

God bless,

MET

The first deer that i ever shot haunts me still to this day. Before the season had even started i had a few close encounters with a young buck at a feeder of mine. After a few encounters with him he began to trust me and would even walk up to within 10 yards of me to see what kind of goodies i was bringing him today. Finally the season rolled around and i was having no luck at all and really wanted to tag that first deer and put some meat in my freezer. Well sure enough with only about a week of the season left i'm walking back to my truck and i jump him while he's bedded. He tkes off and stops to turn around at 40 yards and whack, I hit him to far back and he was gone. I backed out and went home to get a flashlight because it was getting dark and i knew that it was a poor shot and he needed time to expire. I get back to the spot and there is not a drop of blood to be found. I ended up staying out in the woods until the next sun came up before i went home for some rest. I ended up looking for him for about a week and never found a droplet of blood. I try to block that experience out of my mind because it pains me so much. He was almost like a dog to me!

I had a little 8 pointer come within about 20 yards of my stand last season and fall asleep on me... I watched him for 45 minutes...he became my eyes and my ears because he lay facing me so I couldn't move. And besides I figured he would see/hear something before I would. But anyways, I watched him for so long and got such a kick out of watching him fall asleep over and over that I couldn't bring myself to shoot...I just smiled and shook my head when he finally got up and walked towards me and then walked away...I think if I saw him again this year, I probably still wouldn't shoot that buck in particular...

One reason I say it takes a higher level of maturity to be a hunter. They live with the difficulties of taking a life for the greater good. Not many can do that.

This is one of the reasons that I practice as much as I do and make sure all of my equipment is in top working order. I also wait for the best possible shot, that I know I can make.When I shoot an animal, I want the quickest kill possible.

It hasn't always worked out that way. But more times than not, it has been a quick humane kill.

It is out of respect for the animal. Another reason I like to take good respectable pictures after the kill.

That is very good advice right there!!!!!!!