MasterBlaster

You don’t get buck fever? If it wasn’t for the excitement of the kill I would not hunt. I believe that to be the primal instinct in all of us that drives us to hunt.

Zak sounds a lot like a tree hugger.

If you are a hunter zak and u don’t like the killing part of hunting, go to the grocery store and buy your meat. That would be hell of a lot cheaper than hunting. You could even buy some antlers off ebay. Maybe you could take up pottery or something so you would not have to worry about the "mommie" and "baby" little animals.
Sounds like a 7 year old girl describing deer like that.

BTW, your sentence doses not make much sense.. You say killing is not fun but say killing a buck is rewarding. How can it be rewarding to you if you hate killing it so much? Does it make you sad?

HighDesertWolf

buying meat at the grocery store is cheaper then hunting??? what grocery store is that??? Back in missouri id kill 3 doe a year, I'm a meat hunter, I do enjoy the hunt but my primary reason for hunting is I'm addicted to venison. as far as the money i saved from harvesting meat by deer hunting I have saved alot of money eating venison, lets see how to put this the first tag is 15 dollars the second and third are 10 dollars = $35 + bullets ( handloaded 308) 3x 30 cents = 90 cents + $0 for processing i do it myself and get roughly 50 to 60 lbs of meat per deer, so 150 to 180 lbs of venison for $35.90 thats equivalent of 4 to 5 cents a pound, tell me where please??? where you can buy beef at a grocery store that cheap??????? I thinks its hilarious when tree huggers try to use that as fuel to argue against hunting. BLAHAHAH If a treehugger had half a brain they would still only have half a brain.

tocs

Ethics are personal,as long as someone isn't breaking the law we have no gripe with them.Some of the responses to Zak123 are beating him up pretty good.He has a right to his opinions,he has stated them politely.Those are his ethics.I certainly have no problem with that!
I understand when he says he doesn't enjoy the kill.As a hunter I have a drive to kill the game animal I am after,there is certainly satisfaction in the taking of an animal that I have directed an arrow or bullet towards.The feeling that I have upon successfully killing an animal is one more of gratitude and being thankful than joy.I always have hunters remorse,thankful that I took the animal,sad that this animal will no longer live and roam in the wild.(Now after I have had time for that type of reflection I may have a grin that I can't wipe off my face)
Before any of you theorize that I must be a person that enjoy's the hunt but rarely kills,I assure you that is not the case!

thesource

I'll stand with Zak on this one.

I love to hunt, but I don't like to kill. I am remorseful every time I am succesful. This doesn't stop me from hunting, though.

It is a confusing paradox, I agree, and I believe many hunters have to come to terms with it if they are to continue to hunt. That doesn't make the conflicting emotions any less real.

I think that most hunters have an overwhelming respect for the deer they pursue. That is what drives both their emotions and their ethics. That is certainly the case for me, and sounds like what Zak is feeling, too.

Mattiac

Im with Tocs and Thesource on this.

The hunt and the challenge of getting close to the animals is the fun part, and the part that keeps me coming back for more. The kill is exciting, but it is a real letdown after you track and find the animal. You can no longer match wits with that animal, you took the life of a magnificent creature that roamed those woods. I dont see anything to be happy about.

Im always grateful though, and kneel beside the animal and say a little prayer to thank the Lord for the food, and for the beautiful animals life. Its a time of reflection, a time to remember all the effort put into taking the animal.

As far as ethics goes....

I hold myself to some strict "rules". Not so I can look down on others, or act like Im better than someone else, but because I couldnt live with myself if I did it any other way. If I were to do something that cheapened the sport, or made me feel like I was cheating, I would lose a lot of sleep and eventually quit hunting. Cheating in general is bad, but this isnt cheating at checkers or monopoly....this is cheating to take the life of an animal. Now only each individual can define what they think cheating is in their own minds. Though the law does set limits on what we are allowed to do, I believe most hunters wouldnt need those limits. Knowing and respecting the animal, and never doing anything to lessen the joy of the chase. I know for me, the law has little effect on my ethics because most of what I believe in, is well within the limits of the laws. Im not sure I can think of a law that actually prevents me from doing something I wouldnt do already. Maybe the seasons I guess.....I wouldnt mind hunting in August or something....but thats illegal so, thats where a limit comes into play.

To verbally beat someone up because his ethics are different than yours is rediculous. I could see if his statements were unethical, but they arent. Zac shows a great love and respect for the animals. Knowing he couldnt bring himself to kill in certain situations. Should he be called names for this? He shows more respect for the animals than a few of the members on here turning hunting into a macho mans killing sport.

The attitudes that some of you take towards this leaves me feeling sick inside. Perhaps our sport is on a downward spiral because we cant even accept each other when it comes to higher ethics. To berate someone because he holds the string on more animals, or refuses to hunt certain ways is absurd.

I dont think he was looking down on anyone, or saying hes better because of his ethics.....it was more like "hey these are the things I cant do to take an animal, because it would bother me"

Zac you bunny hugger.....hahahaha.....just kidding. Calling another hunter a bunny hugger...now thats funny right there.....I dont care who you are.....oh and thats also damaging to the sport.....I dont care who you are, that NOT funny right there!

datamax

Zak isn't a bunny hugger ...... I just think he's using words that aren't chosen well ! I've responded to enough of his posts (this and my former HNI lives) to know that.

I don't "like" the killing either really. I kill, I accept the kill, but the "thrill" of killing doesn't exist in me. It doesn't. The thrill of the HUNT exists in full force.

Put it this way, if I could catch and release whitetails, I would probably participate. The THRILL is the hunt and all that encompasses, the Kill ? The Kill is the ending of the Hunt, a neccessary ending but an ending none the less. Killing is essential to the Hunt, not everyyear, but without it we'd all be wildlife watchers instead of hunters.

So I kinda know what Zak and thesource and Mattiac are getting at. Don't anyone else fell sad when they walk up on a deer they just killed ? Elated ........ but sad too ? If you don't ............ then I would question the core reasons that you hunt.

zak123

I don't care what I sound like, since I'm not the best at picking my words as datamax explained. I know what I am and that's all that matters.

So your telling me that you think killing the animal is fun? I hate killing the animal, but I love the reward of outsmarting it. Tocs, Thesource, Mattiac, and datamax understand how I feel. They too, from what I understand, love hunting but hate killing. This is how I am and I won't change. I don't see the fun in ending a life.

I was not looking down on anyone for their ethics. I thought it would be interesting to see what others do or don't do. I just didn't think that it would get turned around this much.

datamax

Zak I wouldn't use the word "hate" in killing animals. Animals are here for us to kill and eat, and to use, and we are the stewards at keeping animal populations in check (suppose to be anyway). I don't "hate" killing an animal ......... its sad in a way when you hunt for a big buck, find one, hunt it and then after the shot find it dead. Glrious, magnificent animal - and you killed it. Kinda sad really, but thats what we as hunters do. Don't "hate" it - just embrace that its what we do, its a part of the Hunt that has to be and hey, if it wasn't for killing animals what would we grill on Saturday evening ?

Some animals I don't have sadness in killing - varmits especially, rodents, squirels and rabbits etc. But deer are different. A dog can be different. Any upper food chain predator thats got intelligence or wary prey animal ? Thats different, a bit of sadness comes with the hunt sometimes.

We're hunters - its what we do. And most often the death of the animal is much better than what nature would do.

Oh, and someone said I was being critical of you. I wasn't meaning to be critical, just responding to your thoughts on ethics

zak123

No worries datamax. I did use the word "hate". I do not like using that word for anything. I am trying to use dislike more than hate now.

BOWFANATIC

You pretty much nailed that one!!
I'll only add , after the kill , excitement is followed by remorse , which is quickly followed by thankfulness , which is followed by excitement again.


Treehugger? No , just different ethics I guess!