Remorse?
07-20-2008 | 12:48 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,006
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From:
Remorse?
While reading an article in last month's issue of EBJ, I found myself actually feeling a bit sorry for the animal harvested. The author was discribing a bachelor group of Mule deer that he and his grandson had been watching for some time before season. He noted how two of the deer seemed to be identical twins, though one year apart. Just about every scouting session he and his grandson went on he would find at least these two bucks together. The article ended with the author killing the bigger of the two bucks, while the smaller ran a few yards and thenstopped to inspect his fallen comrade.
Odd though it may be, I find this happens every so often while reading certain articles or seeing certain things on hunting shows. I can't help but feel a bit sorry for the animals being killed. I know it goes against our nature as hunters to feel this way frequently, so it had me wondering...
How soon after a kill do you begin to feel a twinge of remorse for the animal, if at all?
Do you find yourself feeling this at all while watching hunting shows or reading articles on hunting?
Odd though it may be, I find this happens every so often while reading certain articles or seeing certain things on hunting shows. I can't help but feel a bit sorry for the animals being killed. I know it goes against our nature as hunters to feel this way frequently, so it had me wondering...
How soon after a kill do you begin to feel a twinge of remorse for the animal, if at all?
Do you find yourself feeling this at all while watching hunting shows or reading articles on hunting?
07-20-2008 | 01:54 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,120
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From: Spring Grove, Pa. USA
RE: Remorse?
I respect a deer for what it is,but that's about as far as it goes.I don't idolize them or feel any remorse after a kill.I've been hunting for over 35 yrs and I just always felt this way.I love watching deer and I pass up many more than what I take,but I've never had that feeling of remorse or guilt.If a deer gives me the shot I want to take and it's a clean,quick kill,I'm ecstatic--I did what I set out to do
07-20-2008 | 04:18 AM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Joined: Feb 1997
Posts: 10,485
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From: Cheasapeke and Delaware Bay Region
RE: Remorse?
The only remorse I have ever felt as a hunter was one darkened morning entering the woods and hearing this gosh awful scream. Waiting for daylight I went searching for the source. I found it in a creek bed. A fawn was being eaten alive by a dog. The dog ran off and I was thinking how I dreaded putting this fawn out of it's misery when about 10 minutes into watching it, it got up and wobbled down the creek bedafter it's genital area had been eaten away. Never found that fawn so I presumed it survived.
07-20-2008 | 07:25 AM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Joined: Oct 1998
Posts: 18,322
Likes: 0
From: Hughesville, PA USA
RE: Remorse?
That moment is a very personal event. The one thing I do know, when I walk up to an animal and I kneel down and place my hand on said animal, I thank my creator knowing I'm the very first human to lay hands on this animal. A small twinge of remorse does come but there is more thankfulness and admiration than remorse.
07-20-2008 | 07:50 AM
#7
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,965
Likes: 0
From: Southeast, Va
RE: Remorse?
I always feel a bit of remorse with every deer. Always have and probably always will. Im human, not a machine, I can't just take a life and feel nothing. I know it's not a human life, but it is a creature and you wonder sometimes why you even killed something so pretty. I don't dwell on it, and I usually don't feel the remorse until several hours later, but then I do realize Im part of this ecosystem and Im just doing my part.
07-20-2008 | 10:13 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,244
Likes: 0
From: Deer Country
RE: Remorse?
Ya, I think it's more of your respect for deer than feeling sorry. Which is awesome, some people are only in it for the "thrill of the kill", they don't care about the inbetween feelings.
07-20-2008 | 10:19 AM
#9
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 9,445
Likes: 0
From: Central Minnesota
RE: Remorse?
ORIGINAL: Rob/PA Bowyer
That moment is a very personal event. The one thing I do know, when I walk up to an animal and I kneel down and place my hand on said animal, I thank my creator knowing I'm the very first human to lay hands on this animal. A small twinge of remorse does come but there is more thankfulness and admiration than remorse.
That moment is a very personal event. The one thing I do know, when I walk up to an animal and I kneel down and place my hand on said animal, I thank my creator knowing I'm the very first human to lay hands on this animal. A small twinge of remorse does come but there is more thankfulness and admiration than remorse.
07-20-2008 | 10:24 AM
#10
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,867
Likes: 0
RE: Remorse?
i did just reading your post but it is the food chain and were on top
ORIGINAL: Washington Hunter
While reading an article in last month's issue of EBJ, I found myself actually feeling a bit sorry for the animal harvested. The author was discribing a bachelor group of Mule deer that he and his grandson had been watching for some time before season. He noted how two of the deer seemed to be identical twins, though one year apart. Just about every scouting session he and his grandson went on he would find at least these two bucks together. The article ended with the author killing the bigger of the two bucks, while the smaller ran a few yards and thenstopped to inspect his fallen comrade.
Odd though it may be, I find this happens every so often while reading certain articles or seeing certain things on hunting shows. I can't help but feel a bit sorry for the animals being killed. I know it goes against our nature as hunters to feel this way frequently, so it had me wondering...
How soon after a kill do you begin to feel a twinge of remorse for the animal, if at all?
Do you find yourself feeling this at all while watching hunting shows or reading articles on hunting?
While reading an article in last month's issue of EBJ, I found myself actually feeling a bit sorry for the animal harvested. The author was discribing a bachelor group of Mule deer that he and his grandson had been watching for some time before season. He noted how two of the deer seemed to be identical twins, though one year apart. Just about every scouting session he and his grandson went on he would find at least these two bucks together. The article ended with the author killing the bigger of the two bucks, while the smaller ran a few yards and thenstopped to inspect his fallen comrade.
Odd though it may be, I find this happens every so often while reading certain articles or seeing certain things on hunting shows. I can't help but feel a bit sorry for the animals being killed. I know it goes against our nature as hunters to feel this way frequently, so it had me wondering...
How soon after a kill do you begin to feel a twinge of remorse for the animal, if at all?
Do you find yourself feeling this at all while watching hunting shows or reading articles on hunting?