Tough Question
 

This is always the hardest thing for me to explain to someone about hunting so I'll ask how you guys explain it.

Do you ENJOY killing a deer?


People that know me find it very hard to compute that I hunt because my love of animals is so great that they can't imagine me hurting or killing one. The last thing in the world I want to see is an animal being hurt or mistreated.......but I LOVE to hunt.

On the flip side there are people who just don't understand hunting and they can't get past the fact that something gets killed on a successful hunt........they just harp on that fact and say "Why do you LIKE killing things?"

So how to respond??

I really don't know to tell you the truth........I just know how I feel inside. I don't ENJOY killing anything.....the fact that something loses it's life at my hands has absolutely no appeal to me and is not why I hunt...........I would NEVER kill anything I wasn't going to eat and think that anyone who takes pleasure in killing something is pretty sick.

Having said that I don't hesitate for even 1 second when I see a deer. I take my shot, trying for the quickest, cleanest, most humane kill I can provide........and that's that.

When I approach a deer I have killed I am fully aware that I just ended a life........and that is sad. I am also very aware that the deer will not be wasted and will provide many meals for my family and friends.........this knowledge rinses away the sadness quickly. I do not pretend that I don't feel anything inside when I kill one because I do.......I just understand that it is part of the deal and I treat it with as much respect as I possibly can and move on.

My father always said I would be "One and Done" once I killed a deer myself because he knows my love of animals. He figured when I saw one go down by MY own hands it would bother me too much. Obviously that didn't happen.........and he is still surprised to this day.

So as you can tell it is difficult for me to explain to some people.........they see me bending over backwards to make sure the deer in my backyard have food and taking pictures of them and talking about how beautiful they are............then they see me shooting my bow and bringing back deer in my truck and butchering them in my garage.


How do you guys explain it??...........or am I the only one who feels this way (I hope not)

RE: Tough Question
 

I enjoy hunting. I hunt because I am a predator. I kill because that's the function of a predator. There is a feeling of gratification when all my hard work pays off with a freezer full of good meat. But I do not enjoy the act of killing.

RE: Tough Question
 

I like that Arthur.........the last 2 sentences is EXACTLY how I feel.

RE: Tough Question
 

I love animals and killing them is part of keeping and protecting a healthy population in check. I don't HAVE to personally do it but I can't just assume everyone else will so I need to do my part. I am usually sad when I watch any animal die. It's a natural reaction, but dying is part of living. It 's not the killing that we enjoy, it's the culmination of many hours of hard work and money that we have invested into the sport that is rewarded when you put a deer down. It's a combination of feelings for me; confidence, satisfaction, relief and reassurance to name just a few. Thanks for making me reflect on this a bit.

RE: Tough Question
 

I like the way Arthur put it. But I'll add a little more.

I don't like to see animals suffer and i feel bad when a deer gets hit by a car, but I kill 3-4 a year. It turns my stomach to see people mistreat a dog, but I love fox hunting. Many people don't understand this. I do not enjoy nor do I dislike killing. It is a means to an end. I will be a upset at myself if I screw up and don't get the job done quickly, so I try to make every effort on a quick kill.

I have no problems hunting varmints/pests that I have no intentions of eating and some people think that isn't right. But there is a reason these things are considered pests. If its got good meat, I'll eat it, if its got fur, I'll sell or make use of it. If its a groundhog or crow, it'll feed other scavengers that are all a part of the ecosystem.

RE: Tough Question
 

I have had this conversation more times. I dont think there is an answer that someone who has not experienced what we have will understand. Hunting is not about killing its about the stalk. Its that thrill you get when you see a deer coming down the trail. The kill is the completion of the stalk. Very few hunters i know enjoy killin.

RE: Tough Question
 

The act of killing ,NO, The act of assuring the animals continued existance on earth ,Yes.

RE: Tough Question
 

PSE,

Well said. I totally agree. It really parallels life. This is cheesy but true. It's all really about the journey; not the where you end up.

RE: Tough Question
 

it may sound bad but I love the hunt and I love the kill. I am a predator and next to getting out hunting I feel great pride in watching my prey go down, but I also have great respect for my prey(the only time I get disapointed is if I happen to wound an animal.)

RE: Tough Question
 

It drives me crazy when I see hunting referred to as a "sport". It's more than that, it's a way of life. I love wildlife, spend my whole year hiking or backpacking with a pair of binoculars around my neck. I hunt to fill my freezer, and along the way to get some kicks.

Now that said, I'm not going to lie. I do enjoy the kill. I like to watch'em fall. I'm just a wee bit disappointed if my prey runs off and falls out of sight.

I won't defend it, but there it is. I think it's a primeval thing. You think a caveman who hadn't eaten for 12 days didn't exult over the death of a deer on the 13th day?

RE: Tough Question
 

I think you have summed it up pretty well atlasman in terms of how I feel. I love the thrill of the hunt, the planning, the being outdoors, the completion of the kill. I love the challenge that hunting brings, and the freezer of meat that I am rewarded with. But I also feel quite sad when I am standing over that dead deer, and it is not until I begin gutting him/her that my sorrow leaves. However, the respect that I have for the animal remains.
Thought I might be one of those "one and done" types too initially. Glad I wasn't. Can't wait to get out tomorrow - only 16 days left in the season to get that big ole buck!

RE: Tough Question
 

from atlasman

Guess I never answered the question. No I don't. It is the only part of the hunt that I dislike.

RE: Tough Question
 

I believe that the hunter becomes attached a great deal to his prey. The hunter becomes aware of the animals functions as well as anyone he/she will ever meet. Respect will soon follow suit.. followed by love. This love is unconditional, and will go to great lenghts to see it survive. Whether through winters cold, or a car hits misery.. deer become tradition.. family.. almost friend.

WWW.HUNT-BLOG.COM:eek:

RE: Tough Question
 

If I was anywhere near the same situation as that caveman I could relate to that more..........but somehow getting into my 4X4 and driving back to my heated home and throwing in a DVD keeps me from relating to cavemen.

I do believe that the urges to hunt are in our DNA.........some people just choose to ignore them.

RE: Tough Question
 

Game animals were put on this earth to hunt and eat. Providing a meal was the most important part of the hunt in the beginning. Now all you have to do is go to the grocery store or fast food place to get a meal. I think most people kill animals now for the thrill of the hunt. The food it provides is just a bonus. IMO this is just a natural part of being human. I would feel terrible if I ran over a dog or cat but I feel no sadness when standing over a deer I have killed. This is what we were created to do. The people who are against it have never had to worry about there next meal, and neither have most of us hunters, so they don't understand why we would 'murder' a defenseless animal. So if someone asks me if I enjoy killing deer I tell them no, I enjoy hunting and killing just happens to be a part of it.

RE: Tough Question
 

So many good replies already that it almost seems like a waste of cyberspace to add to this being that I don't believe I can say it any better than has already been said.


No....I love to hunt.

I don't.....I love to hunt.

The thrill of hunting like so many things in life, is in the chase, the journey, not the destination (kill). That would include but not be limited to:

An attempt to put pieces of a puzzle together correctly. A puzzle that requires at least some understanding of natures vague clues. A crisp track, a faint trail, a tuft of hair blowing in the wind on a barbed wire fence, a sapling with missing bark, a broken branch above some freshly scraped soil, or even a bloody antler laying on the thawing earth. All tell a story, and add to the experience, your journey.

To be a consistently successful hunter, it requires some familiarity with prey that survives and thrives by instincts and senses that would make even the infamous "Spiderman" envious. Time and logic mean nothing to this quarry. Those are qualities that apply to "our" world and usually hinder us on our journey.

Hunting is interacting with nature in such an intense way that you fear the beating of your heart will betray your position, yet your presence is no more noticed than the morning mist fading with the advancing sun light. Hunting is competing in an arena where you are always the visiting team, a huge underdog, and there are no time outs. It is the thrill of a few victories and the memories (not all bad) of many defeats. Though the game is played for keeps it is all part of a magnificent journey, in the end, for all the competitors.

The kill is really anticlamactic. It is the part of the hunt that is the least "enjoyed". We don't have a catch and release option when we speak of controlling numbers in the herd. Killing is a necessary evil for lack of a better word. But if you think about it, there can be no sustaining life unless something dies. That is the law of the land. Death is a foe we must all face. It is part of the "circle of life". Being that we are at the top of the food chain we play a significant role in that circle and not just with wild animals.

RE: Tough Question
 

I love to hunt and watch the deer. Hunting is mostly about watching the wildlife. That is what I say when asked. I don't say I enjoy killing deer though. Truth be known, I do enjoy the kill as much as the hunt. I choose not to 99.9% of the time because I don't usually feel like dealing with the kill afterwards.

RE: Tough Question
 

I am always getting picked on because I am a vet and I hunt. I do not "enjoy" the kill. I enjoy the fact that I have accomplished an extremely tough task. I also like helping the animals out. If hunting had no good side, (it keeps the population balanced so all of the deer have food) I wouldn't hunt. There is no reason to kill for the fun of it. If this were the case, I would still "hunt". I would jump out of the bushes and see how close I come to grabbing a deers tail! That's hunting isn't it?[8D]

RE: Tough Question
 

Im the type of person ,that swerves to miss a rabbit in the road,or a squirrel.I love see deer in the woods they are mistic. But when the time come to kill one , it all comes together,and i Know why im in the woods . its about the trill of the hunt friends, the woods and meat you can't get from my local butcher..A clean kill and a good meal. Thanks to God for such a beautiful Animal.

RE: Tough Question
 

ORIGINAL: kao yssom
My feelings exactly.

RE: Tough Question
 

All very excellent answers! This thread is a good read.

I feel the same as each of you. I take no enjoyment out of killing yet I have a deep love and respect for deer.

I'd like to take this question a step further...

My 4 year old daughter loves deer meat and enjoys watching hunting shows with me. However, I feel ashamed every time she asks me about killing an animal. "Did you kill it and make it bleed Daddy?" - said in her saddest voice. It hurts all the way to my soul when she asks that question.
Does anyone else feel shame about killing the animal or do I just need a higher dose on my prescription?

RE: Tough Question
 

The blue pills, Hazcon. The blue ones. ;)

I spent much of my childhood and teenage years on my grampa's farm, so I've always known where food comes from and what you have to do to get it. A farm kid knows there's no shame in killing an animal for food, either wild or domestic. Nor is there any shame in eliminating animals that are a threat to your crops or livestock. Some animals die so others can live. That's Nature. As bad as a lot of people try to pretend it ain't so, humans are still part of nature.

Even if you live your life eating nothing but veggies and fruit, you are killing animals. There is no telling how many ground nesting birds, rabbits, gophers and such are killed by farmers plowing their fields to plant crops. Even though you didn't kill the animals yourself, by eating the produce from those fields you had a hand in it. It's a fact of nature.

Now, that's not to say I don't think there are some shameful reasons to kill animals. For instance, the guys who do it to take a big set of horns and leave the meat and hide to rot...[:@]

RE: Tough Question
 

Great point Arthur P. I never looked at the veggie thing that way. I agree with all the other points on here also. I always look into the eye of the animal in which I have took and thank the power above for giving me the opportunity to be involved in the cycle of life. I always return the animals heart to the earth. Part of my beleifs. The animals spirit does not belong to me. Call me wierd but it is just my beleifs.

This topic however makes me wonder about the wolf issue here in the west. The wolves too are culling out the sick and the week and keeping the herds in check. Are we as hunters displeased with the wolves for selfish reasons or is there truth to what some say about other animals going extinct because of the wolves. Personally I don't like them because it may readuce my chances in future years of being part of the cycle of life. But this one has really got me thinking. Please don't turn this thread into an anti wolf post as there are enough of those. I just wanted to let you all know that you really got me thinking on this one.

Dammit Jim, I am only a doctor!!!!!!

RE: Tough Question
 

NO I don't love to kill, thats why I don't shoot just any deer or animal, I will shoot a doe after bagging a decent mature buck. But I don't shoot any young bucks at all. The best part of hunting is just being out in the woods, and not having to deal with people, and being in your own world out there. I don't care whether I see a deer, or not, if I do it is a bonus. It is just being out there.

I have a couple of friends that shoot anything that walks buy, I hate the way they practice their hunting, there is no thrill in that, it is not called killing it is hunting for a reason. The thrill of hunting comes from the chase or all those patient days on stand waiting for that monster buck or maybe just a doe. Each animal deserves respect, whether a buck or doe. I grew up being taught that hunting is just not to kill. When I harvested my 1st doe, after tagging a nice buck, it did not feel the same, I did not keep the doe, I gave it to the outfitters father for meat during the winter. Wounding deer, is possibly the worst feeling ever, I can't stand wounding deer, I have before, 2 times, in 2yrs, and I looked for those deer forever, and without finding a trace of them, I thought that would make it the rest of the year, and which they did, as I saw them later in the season. Which made me feel better that they lived.

I enjoy being in the wilderness, it kind of solves all those stressful problems and lets you get away from that boring ole' working life.

I have had many people at school ask me how I can kill animals, especially those cute deer as they call them. They think I am just shooting everything, but they don't the managment practices, and if hunters weren't there, what would keep that deer herd in order? And every non-hunter thinks your killing Bambi, haha, I doubt many people shoot fawns or yearlings, and if they did, they should have a good cause for it, because there is no need to shoot that young of a deer!

RE: Tough Question
 

I don't "enjoy" the kill, but I take pride in a good, quick, clean kill which leads to great eating, and good memories. I think the whole hunt is part of the kill not just the shot. I love retelling the hunt, the shot, and the bloodtrail. I do not enjoy thinking of the deers last few gasps for breath, but am glad that it happened.

RE: Tough Question
 

At first thought I feel in a way that I enjoy the kill just because it is part of the accomplishment when taking a whitetail. On the other hand, I pass shots on most deer I see and will go without a deer for the year if necessary in the attempt to take a mature deer. So this tells me that the kill is very unimportant to me.

Thinking through this further and remembering all my experiences I realize that the kill itself is not enjoyable. What made me realize this is remembering the 3 times I have shot a deer in the spine and had to shoot another arrow to finish them. The first time I was waiting for the deer to expire and then realized I needed to finish it. I walked up to it and drew back from about 8 feet as it was staring at me. I put 2nd arrow through its lungs and it was done in a matter of seconds. I did what I had to do but it was not a good feeling to shoot them while they are trying to stand up and looking right at you. I have done it 3 times and it is quite a strange feeling just sitting here thinking about it.

RE: Tough Question
 

This is a easy one for me. I view animals as just that, animals. Don't get me wrong I don't go through my neighborhood shooting everyones pets but killing a animal doesn't effect me in the least. I've had to kill wounded deer, feral cats and dogs, and just about everything else and I'm just it just doesn't bother me. Maybe I need to go on Oprah and talk to Dr. Phil about it.

RE: Tough Question
 

For me it is all about providing for my family. Sure I can run down to the local market and pick up some steaks or a roast, but it is full of who knows what kind of steroid. I dont like the kill. I always kneel and give thanks beside the animal that I have taken.

I am a huge advocate in providing for your self as much as you can. If you can hunt, then go do it. If you can fish tan go do that. If you grow veggies than do that, casue they will taste real good next to my venison.

RE: Tough Question
 

3 Shot, just so you will know when you are arguing with the anti's, Bambi was a buck... a BIG buck. Tell them you wouldn't think twice about shooting sweet innocent Bambi - he would be a great trophy! Then laugh when they give you their disgusted look.

Like someone on here has already pointed out, if you don't try it you will never understand. You are better off arguing your point to the wall than with an animal-rights activist. Nothing you can say will change their ignorance... Now if you are debating with a sensible non-hunter who has legitimate questions about our passion (not sport), then you might want to try to be a little more sincere and tactful.

RE: Tough Question
 

Now this was an excellent thread! I couldn't agree more with everybody. I admit that I DO like to see the deer go down; however, it's not in the joy of killing something that I enjoy it. I like to see the deer go down because it assures me that I've done my job with a QUICK, clean, and efficient kill...nothing more. I'll admit, I've had to call game wardens on more than one occasion to come out and kill a deer (always doe) that I had to sit and watch suffer before WI encountered CWD and earn a buck. The only reason I wouldn't shoot them outright was fear of PROSECUTION. It would litterally flip my stomach to see it, and an even more so after a half hour to an hour nobody coming looking for it. I love to watch deer, in the animal world, they are without a doubt an almost perfect example of beauty, power, and grace in one package.

RE: Tough Question
 

when i killed my first deer i cried i will admit, i understand how you feel, but when you look at it in the long run, when you see the freezer full and can provide your family with food thats inviting. On another note there is something lately that has been really irking me, these wolves, when we "kill" and elk or deer, we put in an effort all around, stalking, sneaking, taking aim, and shooting, we track, we pack it out, we quarter it, bone it out, cook it, eat it. but these wolves, they "sport kill" they attack it and finally it dies and suffers and they leave it thier for the next scavenger.