Anti-hunting

[DH]

This is a quote from another forum. This guy claims not to be against hunting. His statement is sort of like somebody saying 'I am not against *** as long as it is used for procreation'.

Since this is a hunting group I would like some comments about the hunting/ anti-hunting feelings of the statement.

"To the end, though, I'll maintain that there is something fundamentally wrong (sick, disgusting) about someone who enjoys killing animals for anything other than food, and that includes trophy hunting, game farms, and the jerk-offs who shoot wolves (and other endangered species) out of fear or hatred or some misguided macho attitude. And it *appears* to me that Wyoming is run by that type of person, since that's what they're proposing as their new management plan (predator status outside of YNP/GTNP and *some* adjacent wilderness areas). Maybe I'm wrong, but it sure looks that way from here."

[Kevin]

Yup. He's not anti-hunting. In another news flash, the Pope is not Catholic.

[pointer]

I wouldn't say that he is anti-hunting, just that for him 'hunting' is a process in collecting food. The other types of hunting is disparrages are just variations on a theme, of which is doesn't like.

I think your analogy with *** is pretty spot on, and I know many (raised Catholic in a predominantly Catholic town) who feel that way.

[Kevin]

Right, he's not anti-hunting, he's anti-hunter. And his logic would further extend that since we don't really need to hunt for food, we shouldn't hunt either.

There is no practical difference, just different words to mean the same thing.

I understand the "come from" but it has a very anti-hunter flavor to it. Most hunters put a lot more into the hunt than just putting meat on the table. It's a little bit like telling me I shouldn't ride my bike unless I have someplace that I "have to go". What if I "want to go" so I can enjoy the ride?

[razorsharp]

DH,

Couldn't you have substituted 'coyote' for 'wolf' to keep things mov'in?!! Kidding.....

Okay, I see a couple of issues. First, I think the guy is somewhat honest in that he differentiates meat hunting from trophy. Seems he should be entitled to that opinion. I, personally, can see why someone would take offense to certain types of hunting just as I can see the arguments for both sides of many issues. Some people like to watch and study birds, snakes, monkeys, etc. Should they get off on killing them too?
So if someone sees a bull elk as majestic and beautiful and maybe only gets a chance to see one every five years, or so, then it would seem normal to me that they would be troubled by those that want only to remove that animal from it's element and hang it on the wall.

However, since you brought up the *** analogy I would add that I do see trophy hunting as a sort of perversion, just as I see pornography as a perversion of the gift of intercourse, or drunkeness a perversion of the gift of wine, or gluttony of food, slaughter of the buffalo, slavery, etc. etc.
Man's tendency is always towards greed and pride.

Those that believe in a Creator have a different worldview than the evolution crowd and it often shows up in their outlook on killing big game animals, at least that has been my experience.
I support the right of others to hunt what they want and why they want and I don't judge them other than to note that I can't help but pitty so many who miss what I believe is the spirit of the hunt.

RSD

RSD,

Very well put ... Ahmen to the spirit of the hunt.

[shu]

RSD-

I did not realize that creation and evolution were mutually exclusive....

[razorsharp]

Shu,

Now you du!!

[imported_Randy]

Hey guys,
This is an interesting thread along with the one below entitled 6th sense. What I have to add ties into both sorta, so here goes.
I started hunting strictly as a meat hunter and was always slightly amused by guys that were after the biggest set of horns they could bag, heck some of them didn't even seem to enjoy the meat of their harvest. I started guiding as it was the only way I could afford to be in country and out of FBKS for longer than the typical 10-14 day hunt. The longest I have been in country was a 6 week stretch and the ONLY thing I missed from town was my family. Most of that time I ate caribou 3x's a day I was o.k. with that but the hunting clients didn't care for it much. Plus as most of them were really interested in the trophy aspect of hunting they had a tendency to look down their noses of my view of hunting as a means to provide tablefare. However there were exceptions, mostly deer hunters from Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin who understood the value I placed on the meat and I thank those guys for some wonderful days afield with them! I hope for the others that they came away with a little better understanding of my position of hunting, I know that my views have changed from my experiences because of the guiding. My wife is 1/2 Athabascan Indian and having been exposed to that culture I have much respect for the elders of those people and their reverence and respect for all game animals. To this day I have yet to kill a nuisance squirrel around my house or a moose for the freezer or a sheep that I don't experience a yin/yang sort of sensation, I am glad to have accomplished what I set out to do, but for me there is always a sense of remorse or sadness for taking that life.
But my views have evolved concerning trophy hunting and here's why. With moose if a big trophy moose is properly taken care of and aged the meat is every bit as good as a younger moose, which at one time you couldn't have convinced me of that fact. And if you are going to take the time to skin a moose and butcher him it's just a bit more work to do a larger animal but more meat goes in the freezer as a result. Secondly an animal is only in their prime for a short period of time, part of the trophy aspect is just a result of genetics and feed availability, but most moose hit their prime at 6-8 years of age and then begin to fade in both antler quality, meat quality and physical prowess
(sound familiar any of my 40+ comrades?) they participate in the rut vigorously at the 6-8 year period and thus have less fat and less energy to make it through the winter they are far more suceptible to winter kill, through starvation or as prey to wolves than most of their younger comrades. If elk are similar then the odds of someone that only gets out every 5 years seeing that same magnificent bull elk again are nil whether someone takes it during hunting season or not! Even if in defiance of all odds that elk were still alive they would not recognize it for the same elk even 3 years later if elk are as moose are. By very definition of attaining trophy status, the animal in pursuit has been wary enough and physically competent enough to survive, so the pursuit and taking of such animal is in all likelihood a greater challenge to harvest.
So if that wonderful specimen of nature that through genetics, good feed and the ability to stay alive is to be immortalized in his prime his only chance is to end up on someone's wall. The Disneyland version of some people's view of nature is pretty far removed from the reality of nature, the moose is not going to lay down peacefully in his sleep after watching his grandchildren play and die. He most likely will die from starvation or in his weakened state be eaten alive by wolves, not very happy endings but that's the reality.To me it's sort of like would I rather be struck down by a heart attack and have it end or languish for years with cancer and Alzeimers? There are worse fates than sudden death IMO. AK's game laws are set up just for this theory, the perpetuation of the species is more readily assured by only harvesting those animals that fit the trophy definition whether they be sheep, moose or bear. So as an individual I have certainly evolved in my acceptance and participation of trophy hunting even if some of it has been mandated by law it just makes sense for the game populations. Just my long winded view from AK and I have really enjoyed this thread and the 6th sense one. Thanks, Randy