Neck

OK, here goes. I was once an animal rights activist and vegan. I was vegan for 2 years until I finally realized that I was just looking for a place to belong and I really didn't care about being "cruelty free". I grew up in rural MI and moved to the city when i was 11. My dad took me small game hunting a few times but it was never a regular thing. He had back problems so I never went bowhunting. When I was 18-19, I discovered straightedge. Straightedge is a lifestyle based on the ideals of no alcohol,no tobacco and no drugs. There are many offshoot beliefs in this movement and vegatarianism and veganism are very prevelent. The straightedge scene is also based on hardcore/punk music and there are many bands that preach veganism violently. I subscribed to the required beliefs and put them out there for everyone to see. I ran around and blathered about not eating meat to anyone and everyone. The whole time I knew I was just running my mouth and that I really didn't care about the crap that I was spewing. One Christmas day I had enough and I went to a Chinese place for some orange chicken. Loved it. I realized that my identity was based on falsehoods and that I was brainwashed if you will. The next fall I got invited to a deer camp for gun hunting. I had a blast even though I didn't get a deer.The next year I started bowhunting and I harvested my first deer with a shotgun while still hunting. I've never felt more alive. That was 6 years ago and I've been hunting ever since. I can now argue and debate with antis and use their ownbeliefs against them. To wrap up, I was wondering if there are any other former knuckleheads like myself out there.

rybohunter

That is an interesting story and pretty brave of you to admit to it. Welcome to “our side”.

About the only story I can relate, is a female friend of mine who is a vegetarian but it’s more for what she perceives as being a healthier diet as opposed to not wanting to kill animals. Anyways, she goes fishing, and loves hearing about hunting but she’s never gone herself.

GMMAT

Not the reply I thought I was going to give, but here goes.....

Too many people get caught up in what you were.....searching for a reason/cause in life....and never finding it. I'm glad you were one of the ones that found their way (and I'm not saying your groupthink belief was WRONG......just that it wasn't YOURS).

Here I sit....with a dip of Skoal in......having eaten chicken, last night. Lisa also made me a "very light" wild turkey and coke last night.....after a 17 hour workday. So take my ramblings with a grain of salt.

I'm just happy you've nowexperienced what "we" do. Come on in....the water's fine.

mahunter

Thats a cool story and 100% honesty.

Only vegetarians I really encounter are those who don't "like the taste" of meat, whatever that means.

Only one Anti i ever encountered was a Peta member at a bar. I was explaining how I love to play BIG BUCK HUNTER PRO and she asked why I explained cause its challenging and that I hunt. She started to laugh and I said why, She goes, "I am an active Peta member." I said " Oh I'm sorry, well I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on that."

That was it we went on talking and never brought it up again.

StrutNtom

I would have asked her to go hunting with me!!!!!

quiksilver

I wish I was a vegan.

My cholestrol would be about 100 points lower, and I wouldn't have porked up 5# in the past year. Oh well, I keep telling myself it's all "muscle mass." LOL

I've tried to cut out meat and dairy, but I just can't do it. Not sure if it's the protein cravings or their stunning white plumage, but I just can't resist a chicken. That's one delicious animal.

I could cut out red meat tomorrow,but the thought of all those delicious little chickens hopping around at Purdue Farms... Mmmmm.... Makes me hungry just thinkin' about 'em.

Rob/PA Bowyer

A human being a vegan is totally unnatural. We are meat eaters as a species. Meat won't put that weight on ya quik...it's everything else that you ate with it and probably more so the potatoes or dishes that goes with the meat. I eat meat like it's going out of my ears....all kinds and I've lost weight. All I did was cut out whites...ie pasta, bread and potatoes.

Meat is a protein and your body burns it immediately. Whites are starches and carbs...your body burns what it wants and then converts the rest as sugars and stores it as fat in the body....

Anyway,

Neck, congratulations for findin the truth. I never condemn anyone for being a vegetarian for what they deem as health reasons, which I honestly cannot fathom however, I have zero tolerance for anti meat vegans holier than thou in your face it's my way and your evil rightists.....

whitetailhunter01

Let me guess....Minor Threat and Fugazi? lol Did you put black X's on each of your hands?

Meat is yummy!

quiksilver

You're definitely right Rob. You can't have red meat without a huge pile of potatoes or some kind of starch or gravy... And you can't have chicken unless it's deep fried, breaded, or slathered in Ranch dressing.

I can hear myself getting fatter just thinking about it.

whitetailhunter01

STOP GUYS...I am a diabetic and you are raising my blood sugar just talking about my favorite food, FRIED CHICKEN!

But I do love me some steak! Gonna have a big steak burrito today for lunch at my local Tijuana Flats!