What are you're thoughts on recreational hunting?
Have you ever wondered why we still hunt? Or better yet, why do we do it for fun? Scientifically speaking, we our omnivores and hunting wild game is not necessary. Especially considering all of the processed foods that we have today. I'm not going to lie..I love venison. lol I just find it completely ridiculous to actually make a sport out of hunting.
There are various reasons most people give for going out hunting this time of the year. Most people say it is to enjoy nature. My thoughts are...cant you enjoy nature without killing it? People often go hunting because of family tradition, or maybe just the thrill of it all. you know, as if being a complex being with a gun is a fair fight.
Also, I find it a little disturbing how desensitized people are to killing living things. We are all living things, what makes a human more sacred? And what is it about the human mind that gets pleasure out of making the kill? Is it an acomplishment? A right of passage? Probably. Personally, I just think that it goes to show us how barbaric we as humans still are. Some of us in particular have a lot more evolving to do.
Here's something else. I find it interesting how our government gets to make a profit off of our licenses to go hunting every year. The department of conservation even says that hunting is necessary to control the population of wild game. What exactly are they afraid of? Natural balance? Why do they feel that we have to play god?
I used to go hunting. I grew up into it. Every male member of my father's side of the family has been hunting ever since they were twelve years old, and until recently, I was no exception. I never really liked it. not because I'm vegan, or obsessed with animal rights or anything, I just never enjoyed getting up early in the morning and freezing my ass off in the woods for hours on end. That's another point. What kind of hunting is it when all you have to do is sit there with a loaded firearm? ah, but I am getting off of the subject again. anyway, the reason I went hunting when I was younger was because of our family tradition, but mostly because my father worked a lot of hours and the only time I got to spend with him, were our hunting trips to the cabin.
Well, that was my rant for now..I'm sure I'll have more to add later.
I'm looking forward to everyone's opinion on this mater.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on -
Native Americans coexisted for over 13,000 years here without guns, they managed to spread from the tip of Alaska to the tip of South America without them.
And yes, I thought you were referring to wars when you said we owed our survival to guns - your statement followed my post regarding gunpowder, bombs and such, and it seemed to be in response to it.
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Permalink Reply by Arcus on -
Native Americans were mainly hunter/gatherers with some later turning to agriculture. They also waged a war, though war is usually the result of populations "bouncing" into each other and the pre-Columbian era saw a very sparsely populated Americas. The more densely populated Central America saw more war than the lesser so South and North America. Some of them also believed in human sacrifice for religious purposes.
Definitely not the cauldron of peaceful coexistence and general kumbaya-ness you seem to believe it to have been, later anti-Western propaganda notwithstanding.
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Permalink Reply by James Lee Wilson on -
Thank you. You said exactly what I was thinking. People think the natives were so peaceful, but they were actually very gruesome in many ways and were hunters similar to us. There were still plenty of natural enemies before land development that needed to be guarded against.
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on
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@Arcus - I never said they sat around their campfires roasted marshmellows and sang, "Michael Row The Boat Ashore," I simply said they got along just fine without guns.
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Permalink Reply by Arcus on
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That depends on the definition of "fine". They got along as well as any pre-gunpowder civilization, utilizing the other weaponry such as bows, edged, and blunt weapons.
On the whole I doubt it matters to the animal or person being killed whether it's by musket or tomahawk. I think the "being killed" part is more important than the tool involved and its effectiveness.
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Permalink Reply by Kat Parks on -
Ever try to negotiate with a grizzly bear or mountain lion? it's not a winning proposition. Just saying, negotiation and compromise only works within our species. outside of our species, if there's a mother griz who thinks she needs to protect her cubs or hungry mountain lion, there are no amount of words or platitudes that will do any amount of good.
Of course, I grew up 25 miles from Glacier Park in Montana, so we had to take these things into consideration every time we went for a walk, especially taking the shortcut through the woods to the mailbox 1.5 miles away. It's by virtue of living where the wild predators still exist that makes me love and appreciate them even more. I'm not afraid of a bear or mountain lion, but I'm deeply respectful of their capacity to do great harm if they feel threatened or are hungry and looking for an easy meal.
Now I live in AZ and even in the "wilds" of Scottsdale, I find 4-legged predators. Now I just shoot them with my camera. - Attachments:
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Permalink Reply by Ron V on -
IMO, meat is overrated. I think there is far too much animal death than is necessary to support us (at least in America, where the country on the whole probably needs to lose 20 pounds/person). I stopped eating meat ~2-3 years ago - there are so many alternatives and meat substitutes now, it is not that difficult to have a meatless diet and still enjoy nice meals.
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Permalink Reply by James Lee Wilson on
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I'm glad that's what you "think," but it doesn't change anything, nor does it make such excess of eating wrong. My dog has food consistently in front of him, but if he were to see a squirrel, he would kill and eat it. Killing to have excess isn't just in humans. People consistently try to speak of how horrible humans are, but ultimately we are animals, so we have the same instincts. If we completely get away from that, we may easily loose our place at the top of the food chain.
There are tons of meat substitutes, but explain to me why I want substitutes when I can have the real thing? How about you eat what you want, and I'll eat what I want? That's not good enough for you though is it? If you had it your way, everyone would be a vegan/vegetarian. That's what pisses me off so much! It's one thing to eat what you want, but it's another thing entirely to force others to eat what you want them to eat. That's the sickest thing I've ever heard, not killing animals.
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on
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<moderator's note: comment removed as a violation of forum policy -- no personal attacks>
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on
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Admittedly, and beneath me, but I didn't see him take issue, it was more like, "Hey, when he's right, he's right!"
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Permalink Reply by James Lee Wilson on
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Wait, were you referencing to people marrying inside the family? What the hell does that have to do with anything? That literally doesnt deserve a response whatsoever. And I'm the sociopath? Right.
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