# why do people go hunting?



## delude

ive asked myself this question many a time. Im from England and this is not a popular past time. over in the USA its a different story. I go fishing over here but pu all of my fish back. including when I fish in Florida. Only on a rare occasion do I eat what I catch in Florida.

I don't mean to offend anyone but why do u do it? is it a macho thing? or for food? I don't see the point in shooting a deer just for a trophy? 

delude


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## mantriumph

Because we can


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## delude

very clever answer... did that take all of ure one brain cell to come up with that?


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## delude

can any hunters answer my above question?


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## mdram

well i for 1 enjoy the taste of my harvest, but its also the thrill of the hunt as they say

plus it helps with population control, there are a ton of deer in my area, without hunting the population would skyrocket to a point where disease would set in, and has in some places.
not to mention crop damage, vehicle accident damage, ect.

i believe that if you dont eat it kill it, and i really hate trophy hunting, the only way to control the population is harvest the females.


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## Talapia

delude said:


> can any hunters answer my above question?


It is a sport like any other. For some
the meat is a supplement to their
food. For others it is a nice vacation
away from the troubles of every day life.


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## delude

thats what I thought but I don't like the attitude of "because we can" don't see the point. thanks for the explanaition mdram.

delude


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## mantriumph

Delude,Can you hunt in Great Britain?


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## delude

they do often hunt down south where there is a large population of deer. They prodominatley hunt for food though and I think trophy hunting is not a popular pastime.


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## Finger_Mullet

*Why I hunt???*

Well, there are several reasons. But I don't have the time to elaborate at the moment.

One of the reasons I hunt is to get away from every day life with my friends and family. You get out of the hustle and bustle of the fast paced world we live in. Back to nature, peace and quiet. Spend a few hours in a deer stand or walking in the woods looking for squirrels. It is peaceful. It is relaxing. I have been doing it since I can remember. It is a tradition that I plan on passing down to my sons and grand childeren. I started out rabbit hunting with my dad and grandfather. It was a yearly tradition to go rabbit hunting on certain days of the year. It formed a bond between friends and family. And the rabbit sure tasted good when grandma fried it up and made gravy and biscuits.

Another reason, there are way too many deer. The population has exploded in recent years. Cars collide with deer. I hit one early last year and my wife hit one in November. When you have so many deer and so little land for them to roam on you start having problems. Deer destroy crops, shrubs, gardens, etc.....

In my area there are no predators to control the population except hunters. Hunters help control the popuation and help to prevent disease such as black tongue, Wasting Disease, starvation, etc..... Disease will run rampent. 

Hunters contribute to the local economy by paying for license, purchasing deer stands, corn, guns, bullets, etc.... Wild turkeys would be gone from my area if it was not for the Wild Turkey Federation. This is a group of hunters that banded together to help the turkeys all over the country. They brought the turkey popuation back up in our area.

Darin


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## delude

i don't know the first thing about hunting. But I understand what you say about getting away from it all and finding peace. I live in the north of england where the woodland is few and far between. But whenever I get the chance to go to the wood or countryside I love it. Thats why I love fishing purely for sport. There is nothing better than spending a couple of hours beside a lake on a summers day (quite corny I know lol). I suppose in away we have the same problem with overpopulation in england as you do in the states. Our rivers are being overrun by signal crayfish and have driven our native crayfish to distinction the same with grey squirrels overrunning our red squirrels. 

the one thing I can't comprehend is the killing of Bears? are their numbers running out of control please correct me if they are.

delude


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## fishinmama

i don't hunt -- but my 'men' -- son & hubby -- do.
obviously, it's not a catch & release thing like fishing... you can't really release a dead deer...
we do enjoy the venison (or other game or fowl)...and as others have said, there are other reasons...population control of the herd, etc. & simply because it is a sport.

i have often wondered why the british don't seem to hunt like the americans do & since it has always seemed that hunting is often passed down from generation to generation - you learn from your dad who learned from his grandad, etc.

i may be wrong, but wasn't hunting once a sport reserved only for royalty in England? -- because the royals owned all the land, only they could hunt it. wonder if maybe the following generations just didn't have it in their background & therefore really developed no desire to participate...just my stupid theory.


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## delude

you probably have a point actually. I was having this conversation with my grandad last week (Hes a history buff) and he said that lords and ladies were the only ones allowed to hunt on their land and as a result it was seen as a royal sport. He also said that quite a lot of people go feasent shooting at the right time of year. He is a member of a golf club and the owner shuts the course down for a week each year to go pheasent shooting (again over population and they taste bloody good). 

It was also the British Aristocrates that brought the sport to India and far off lands to hunt big game like tiger and leapord. enough said about how that turned out.

Delude


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## F I LetsGoFishin

delude said:


> you probably have a point actually. I was having this conversation with my grandad last week (Hes a history buff) and he said that lords and ladies were the only ones allowed to hunt on their land and as a result it was seen as a royal sport. He also said that quite a lot of people go feasent shooting at the right time of year. He is a member of a golf club and the owner shuts the course down for a week each year to go pheasent shooting (again over population and they taste bloody good).
> 
> It was also the British Aristocrates that brought the sport to India and far off lands to hunt big game like tiger and leapord. enough said about how that turned out.
> 
> Delude


Here in lies the the majority of your answer. Please do not take offense. But our country was founded by people who were determined to gain the freedoms that were not present in their mother country. One of the freedoms was the right to be self suportive which in this new land ment living off the land. 
In the european nations of past they could not have done this as the land was owned by the kings or queens and goverened by the nobles. All game belonged to the king or queen and they decided who could orcould not hunt. control the food and you control the people. 
This traditional freedom has passed odwn for generations to come and for many of us is an inharent right.
todays True hunters do more to preserve the wildlife than any government ever could.


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## uncdub13

F I LetsGoFishin said:


> Here in lies the the majority of your answer. Please do not take offense. But our country was founded by people who were determined to gain the freedoms that were not present in their mother country. One of the freedoms was the right to be self suportive which in this new land ment living off the land.
> In the european nations of past they could not have done this as the land was owned by the kings or queens and goverened by the nobles. All game belonged to the king or queen and they decided who could orcould not hunt. control the food and you control the people.
> This traditional freedom has passed odwn for generations to come and for many of us is an inharent right.
> todays True hunters do more to preserve the wildlife than any government ever could.


...and to add on to that, i bet it has something to do with the fact that the native americans that were here when they arrived hunted to survive.


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## F I LetsGoFishin

Well looking back on what I have written it was a knee jerk reaction and with a little reflection there is a much better way to descibe it.
I hunt for the mere fact that I love nature it simular to a photographer. I do not "Trophy Hunt" but rather I hunt for the thrill of the fair chase. yes I could just photgraph them as there is no real thrill in the KILLING of an animal as I was taught that once you pull the trigger the fun is over then what is left is work. I Harvest the deer because me and my family love venison if my family did not then chances are I would not hunt deer just as I do not hunt turkey or bear.(do not care for either one) The meat helps offset the cost of my endeavor but not by much. Another reason I hunt is the comrodory that comes with a time honored tradition that has been passed down among freinds and family. 
Humans have been a part of the chain of life for a long time and are a natural preditor of game. it is a natural requirement to keep the ecology in balance. while some may say that other preditors could do the same if we were to have left them alone, I can not believe this as humans and even prehumans if that is what you belive in have existed and subsisted on meat for 100's of thousands of years.


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## saltandsand

Because deer are very tasty food.


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## Moon

It's Genetic. Man has always hunted, its natural and its just a part of life in many rural areas. Had some beagles pups once and never taught them how to hunt. I just let them run free and they learned to run rabbits on their own. Some humans are just like those pups. They just have an internal need/drive to hunt. I have hunted all my life and my dad did, his dad etc. Just a way of life and its not all about killing the animal. More about the experience and getting back to our roots and enjoying what nature provides. I feel more at peace hunting and in the woods than anywhere else. Hunting for a trophy deer is much like fishing for a trophy fish. Its about the challenge. Not hard at all in my area to just kill a deer, but very difficult to kill a trophy buck.


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## cygnus-x1

Another aspect. I do not hunt now but I have in my youth. Learning survival skills is a very important thing. Having a stable society is never a sure thing and if things got bad in a hurry for a few months of years I would like to know that I could feed me and my family.

As far as trophy hunting goes I strongly disapprove but that is me and my opinion. When I speak of trophy hunting I am more aiming at those types that like to go hunt endangered animals in other countries not 10 point deer.


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## surfchunker

Moon touched on one point I was going to make ... man has been a hunter / gather it's a basic human instint .... i also love to be in the woods whether it's just hunting morel fungi , or deer hunting ... I do eat what I harvest .... Free range game is so much more healthier than the store bought meat ........ here they feed chickens cow manure and all kinds of hormones ... God only knows what else ..... i also love to eat fish ...... it's just part of the wonderful bounty God has supplied for us ...


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## F I LetsGoFishin

cygnus-x1 said:


> As far as trophy hunting goes I strongly disapprove but that is me and my opinion. When I speak of trophy hunting I am more aiming at those types that like to go hunt endangered animals in other countries not 10 point deer.



My guess is you mean those guys that only harvest what somebodyelse has hunted. I fully agree. That ranks right up there with PLACED Different from planted)bait. again no longer hunting but meere harvesting. 
The two worst things that ever happened to our sport are televised hunting and Ted Nugent:--|


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## RuddeDogg

*I can only answer this for me*

I hunt for the sport, food and what my havrest provides me. When I harvest game I use the whole animal. I have several friends that make their own flies so I give them the feathers of the birds I harvest. Deer antlers are made into rattles, deer hair goes to my buddies who make their own bucktails, meat of course goes into the freezer and the front hooves get made into gun racks. The rest of the animal goes to a local pig farm. Plus I enjoy hunting. It's one the very few tings that I have been good at.


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## EDMboarder

I hunt becuase u can, and cuz deer taste good


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## Billy J

ted nugent is an awesome asset to other sportsman he does more to help preserve our rights to hunt than most even think about and is a huge part of the nra who fights for us every day


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## saltandsand

*Controlled Hunts and Natural Predators*

Here's a more detailed answer as I have a few minutes.

Deer are, by some estimates, more populated that when the country was founded. Reason is that deer live in the buffer zone between the woods and fields and with development occurring there is more buffer zone.

With grass growing and farming there is more food. Couple this with the elimination of most natural predators and they thrive immensely.

Deer are beautiful animals, and also healthy meat to eat. Hunting, done properly, is humane. 

Without removing deer from the population they become pests. Causing crop damage, damage to shrubs, spread disease (lyme and others), cause pets to die (from eating droppings), cause automobile accidents leading to injury and death, strip forests of undergrowth necessary for other species, and a host of other factors where balance is left unchecked.

Hunting is but one of the last ways to keep the balance in check. It is a noble and honest pursuit, again if done properly. Some are poachers, raiders, and the like and this I do not agree with.

In our area deer have gotten so far out of control that the State has hired snipers to take them out. They come in and kill dozens at a clip and haul them to the dump in dump trucks. This is a waste and is intolerable to my opinion. Instead of spending the taxpayer money to hire a sniper to protect the McMansion owners they ought to provide for controlled hunts. 

With controlled hunts fees can be charged. Thus instead of spending my hard earned tax dollars on wasting the flesh of animals that can be consummed they are gaining revenue. Many hunters donate animals to local charities, I have done so.

Controlled hunts are done in other areas of the country. A deer stand is built, lotteries are held and a hunter stays in the stand. Controlled boundaries are enforced and notices are made. Hunters must pass safety courses and little, if any, risk occurs.

Just my opinions....I'm sure there are those that disagree.


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## Billy J

i like to trophy hunt for big bucks they are crafty amazing animals as someone said its a challange to outsmart an old buck i dont shoot the little young bucks let them get big as far as the does go they need to kept down to manage the herd so i shoot all the does i want man they are good as far as the big game hunts in other countries i dont have a problem with it at all its the same concept there they need to take so many animals to keep the herds in good condition plus it bring in revenue to the people there


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## red_fish

This is why i hunt

















the best part about hunting is hanging around the skining house help everyone clean up there kill and tell the story of how it happened and drinking lot and lots of:beer:


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## saltandsand

Nice buck. Better than the one I dropped last year.


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## TreednNC

To answer you question on bears.... because they taste good as well. The grease from a bear makes awesome baked goods. Theyre populations are higher now than they have been, not out of control, but theyre range is larger now than it has been since they were exploited in the early settler days.


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## squalus

Good point Treed! You knew that bears are actually related to pigs, right? That's why the meat tastes sort of like pork.

Lard comes from pigs, too, and makes the best baked goods, especially pie crusts, justlike bear grease.

I grew up in New England for the most part and hunting was a way of life in my family, primarily to put food in the freezer - venison, duck, goose, pheasant, grouse, and woodcock. It also gave me a good reason for getting out into the woods for a little communing with nature.

When I married back in 1995, hunting as a pasttime for me went by the wayside, as my wife was not a meat eater and nobody else would eat what I brought home. Backpacking took over hunting for me as my get-out-in-the-woods sport.

I hope this answered the original question as to why some of us hunt.


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## TreednNC

Steve, Id hafta say no to the relation part on bears and pigs.... there is no relation in their taxonomy until you go back to Class which is mammalia....theyre bears are in the order carnivora, and family urcidae, pigs are in order artiodactyla (even toed ungulated) and family suidae (possibly where the call for pigs to come feed at the farm SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUI!!! comes from? lol) Theyre both omnivorous though.  (wildlife mgmt degree )


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## TreednNC

Woodcock and grouse....talk about makin a man put skid marks in his drawers at dusk or dawn.....or middle of the day even lol


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## saltandsand

Pheasants are fantastic and duck is divine, vension is a mainstay. Wild harvested turkey is eons ahead of any farm raised turkey. Haven't hunted wild boar but I hear they are scrumptious.


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## squalus

TreednNC said:


> Steve, Id hafta say no to the relation part on bears and pigs.... there is no relation in their taxonomy until you go back to Class which is mammalia....theyre bears are in the order carnivora, and family urcidae, pigs are in order artiodactyla (even toed ungulated) and family suidae (possibly where the call for pigs to come feed at the farm SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUI!!! comes from? lol) Theyre both omnivorous though.  (wildlife mgmt degree )


Thanks for that! All these years I believed it! LOL

My grand dad told me that many moons ago when I was a young'un learning the ways of the woods and I guess it just stuck. Guess I believed him because the males are boars and the females are sows, but using that logic, I'd have to say that Stripers are related to Cattle    

Bear loin oven roasted sure does taste like pork chop to me, at least what I remember pork to taste like. (Haven't eaten "meat" or "poultry" since 1997)... 

Makes the saying "learn something new every day" really hit home - thanks Treed!


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## TreednNC

lol any time.


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## Darbyman

Saltandsand- Yes duck is divine, especially smoked. Smoking a whole bird on the grill, hmmmm! Venison is awesome.
Definitly got to hunt wild boar. I killed one a few years back up here in OH, fantastic meat. I know they are bad news for wildlife and crops but I like having them around. Hunt them anytime and good meat to go with it.


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## saltandsand

Smoked duck and smoked vension quarter...ohhhh yeahh.


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## Moon

Yes, wild hog is good to eat,but a large boar is very strong. Friend put one ( about 250 to 300 pound boar) on the hog cooker a few years ago and after many hours of cooking it was too strong to eat and smelled really bad. A good eating hog is about 75 to 125 pound. Best is a small size gilt. Big sows are not real strong, but really tough. They are good for sausage. We are overrun with hogs and see/kill quite a few each hunting season. They are an invasive species and will destory habitat and native species.


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## saltandsand

Moon said:


> Yes, wild hog is good to eat,but a large boar is very strong. Friend put one ( about 250 to 300 pound boar) on the hog cooker a few years ago and after many hours of cooking it was too strong to eat and smelled really bad. A good eating hog is about 75 to 125 pound. Best is a small size gilt. Big sows are not real strong, but really tough. They are good for sausage. We are overrun with hogs and see/kill quite a few each hunting season. They are an invasive species and will destory habitat and native species.



We all should do our duty and take a few out. Where do you hunt for them and I wonder if there is anyway I could become involved? Always looking to fulfill my civic hunting duty!


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## Moon

Sorry, all my hunting is on private land. I do not own the property and property owner only allows me and my son to hunt. There is a large tract just down the road call Howell Woods which is owned by Johnston Community College. They do have hog hunts for a reasonable price.


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## Carolina Rebel

As is clearly illustrated here, the reasons are numerous. 
I hunt because there are so many good reasons to do it. It keeps deer populations in check, which in turn allows for things they compete with to prosper. We have a thing here called the Pittman Roberson Fund, whereby a small percentage of the money spent on all sporting-related items we purchase goes into a large fund which in turn helps ensure we have places to hunt in the future. Of course if land is huntable, it is also useful for aesthetic value for non-hunters, and it is exceedingly useful for everything that coexists with game animals. 
Win-win, see?
I also hunt because the meat is great, its tasted good and its alot healthier than anything you can buy at the store. 
Most hunters, upon seeing a deer, will experience excitement not found anywhere else. I still get shakey when I see that first doe of the year, and it does not matter if I have seen 50 deer that day, if a large buck walks out I am instantly immersed in an adrenaline-fueled daze. Everything becomes slow-motion, my heart rate increases, auto-pilot kicks in as the rifle is shouldered, the safety comes off, the crosshair goes where it should and the rifle goes off. Usually I do not even hear the shot, I am aware of it due to the recoil on my shoulder.
Honestly, the primary reason I hunt, and this one might be hard to grasp for someone that has not partaken in the practice, is that it allows me to be one with nature. Hikers, birdwatchers, campers, all of these people enjoy nature. Hunters though, they are part of the cycle. When I'm sitting in a tree, not moving, perfectly aware of all my surroundings and set on taking the life of one of the ecosystem's inhabitants, I AM such an inhabitant. I am no longer watching the process from the outside, I am part of it, and I have just as much part in the habitat as each tree, each bird, squirrel, bobcat. When I am part of this system, I have finally escaped from my phone, my debts, society as a whole, and this is an amazing feeling. From the comments I have observed on a number of internet forums, I feel the vast majority of both Europe and America has lost awareness of this facet of human nature, this ability to escape for a little while, and such explains the down-snout approach to hunting by so many nowadays.


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## RuddeDogg

Well said, well said indeed.


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## saltandsand

Just my opinion but anyone who eats meat of any variety, or drinks milk/eats cheese for that matter, has no business taking issue with hunting.  And, even vegatarians hunt...they hunt for those stalks of aspargus that took years to grow and those poor little baby peas snuggling happily in their pods.


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## saltandsand

Carolina Rebel said:


> Most hunters, upon seeing a deer, will experience excitement not found anywhere else. I still get shakey when I see that first doe of the year, and it does not matter if I have seen 50 deer that day, if a large buck walks out I am instantly immersed in an adrenaline-fueled daze. Everything becomes slow-motion, my heart rate increases, auto-pilot kicks in as the rifle is shouldered, the safety comes off, the crosshair goes where it should and the rifle goes off. Usually I do not even hear the shot, I am aware of it due to the recoil on my shoulder.
> Honestly, the primary reason I hunt, and this one might be hard to grasp for someone that has not partaken in the practice, is that it allows me to be one with nature. Hikers, birdwatchers, campers, all of these people enjoy nature. *Hunters though, they are part of the cycle. When I'm sitting in a tree, not moving, perfectly aware of all my surroundings and set on taking the life of one of the ecosystem's inhabitants, I AM such an inhabitant. I am no longer watching the process from the outside, I am part of it, and I have just as much part in the habitat as each tree, each bird, squirrel, bobcat.* When I am part of this system, *I have finally escaped from my phone, my debts, society as a whole, and this is an amazing feeling.* From the comments I have observed on a number of internet forums, I feel the vast majority of both Europe and America has lost awareness of this facet of human nature, this ability to escape for a little while, and such explains the down-snout approach to hunting by so many nowadays.



EXCELLENT!


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## ghrousseau

Recreational hunting is the most effective way to manage and maintain healthly animal stocks. As others have noted, populations of natural predators such as wolf, mountain lion, and bear in North America have been severly depleted. Additionally, they have been driven out of most of there historic ranges. Deer poplulations as a result have increased somewhat. Hunting and game management is an effective way to keep populations at healthy levels. Also, one of the most important aspects of recreational hunting, is all the wildlife management it supports. Most state Fish and Game departments are funded by license fees. These fees are used to support research biologists, habitat restorations, water guzzler programs, and law enforcement. Hunting Organizations also support habitat restoration. A lot of non hunters and anti-hunters do not realize that Ducks Unlimited has been responsible for the preservation of over 20 million acres of waterfall habitat in the North Americas since it's founding. There are other groups that are hunter based that do the same type of habitat restoration such as:

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Quail Unlimited
National Wild Turkey Foundation
Ducks Unlimited
Safari Club International
Trout Unlimited

There are many others as well. 

Some people, like me, were raised with hunting and we are responsible stewards. I enjoy bird hunting with pointing dogs. The feeling I get brings me back in time to a more simple period in the United States where people were connected to their surroundings. Often..........like fishing, hunting is just that................"hunting." We don't allways get to harvest an animal, but the experience of being outdoors is still rewarding.


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## Striper4life

because we can and we will


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## fsuadam

I hunt as much for the "getting back to nature" part as for the kill...more so actually. 

There's just something special about being away from it all watching the sun come up and watching nature come to life with the new day. Like most hunters, I pass up many more than I shoot. Responsible hunters, like responsible fishermen, only keep (in this case, kill) what they need.

Don't let me downplay the thrill that comes over you when a huge buck appears...because not much tops that in my book. But there is so much more to hunting than just going and killing. It's a return to simpler times...if only for a few hours.

As mentioned...our license and other fees fund the conservation efforts and provide for many of the state parks. Hunters are often criticized by treehuggers...but without the hunters, they wouldn't have all these nature trails and preserved forests.

A hunter's work is never done...


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## chrly brown

*Hunting*

Baar, Terky, Pheasnt, grous 'n all thos othrs taste good too!


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## saltandsand

Why ain't ya'all learning that cows bread by backward industrial heardsmen are bad for your heath? Gee whiz.


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## mantriumph

Get your answer yet delude,,,,Redcoat:--|


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## JerryB

delude said:


> There is nothing better than spending a couple of hours beside a lake on a summers day (quite corny I know lol).
> 
> delude


You already know why I hunt, replace "beside a lake" with "in the woods" and summer with fall. its the same. I consider the venison dinners to be a great bonus when i am fortunate enough to bag a deer. 

cheers
jerry


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## delude

mantriumph said:


> Get your answer yet delude,,,,Redcoat:--|


well to be honest mate I was just trying to find out why u all go hunting, I wasn't having a go.

and if u r to much of an idiot to not see that maybe the term man against beast, in hunting lingo, should be retard against beast. as quite clearly u can't tell the difference between an insult and a question.

shove that in ure pipe and smoke it u ignorant fool.

I think Ill stick to my fishing.


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## subdude

One other point I didn't see mentioned. In Virginia, hunters donated over 300,000 pounds of venison to needy families. That's a lot of protein. There are A LOT of deer in northwest VA. Tight lines!


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## RuddeDogg

*take it easy*



delude said:


> well to be honest mate I was just trying to find out why u all go hunting, I wasn't having a go.
> 
> and if u r to much of an idiot to not see that maybe the term man against beast, in hunting lingo, should be retard against beast. as quite clearly u can't tell the difference between an insult and a question.
> 
> shove that in ure pipe and smoke it u ignorant fool.
> 
> I think Ill stick to my fishing.


take a chill


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## jerkjigger

i hunt because of the same reson you fish. its hobbie. i like being outdoors. you said you dont keep what you catch, but alot of other people do, do you consider that wrong? hunting is not just to kill animals, take this for example. say people couldent hunt deer no more. because no one is controlling the deer population, more and more deer come around. more deer means less food, whitch ends up killing deer. hope that helps you understand a lil bit


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## rattler

In virginia as in most states, the tree huggers an just mismanagment has led to an over population of deer that is becoming a real problem...as people move into their territory with more houses, malls ,etc. they have no where to go...they become a problem...they need to be culled...shoot a deer for the "rack"...not me...nor do I fish for "paper"...I use what I catch/hunt...the USA and the UK are entirely different...we have lots of wilderness areas...but they are getting smaller...


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## Shooter

Name calling and personal attacks will not be put up with so keep it civil or keep it to yourself.

Thanks, P&S Staff


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## Redhorse

Didn't have time to read the entire thread, but just to add one of my main reasons for hunting...it reduces our grocery bill. I harvest 2-3 deer a year, and my son harvests 1-2 now. My oldest daughter will be 10 next year and she is very excited to go on her first deer hunt. We put on average 175-200 lbs of venison in the freezer each season, sometimes much more. We have processed as many as 7 deer in my building in one season. Meat grinder and all...even calculating at the price of ground chuck from the grocery, this translates into huge savings. Consider the finer cuts of meat, and the value increases exponentially.

I love the fact that my children want to go hunting with dad too. Can't buy that sort of memory in your old age. My son getting his first deer...priceless!


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## bivalvebill

I believe that what ever people do within the limits of the law is there business. I don't agree with anyone telling me that I'm wrong for killing something (legally) that I will eat.

but I think the reason I like hunting so much, is because it gives me a chance to get away from those liberal a$$ peta loving, tree hugging, tax creating pukes:--|


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## saltandsand

*Trophy Hunters (and Poaching Fisherpersons)*

Alot of good views. Can't believe the thread has survived the attack of bambi lovers. 

All I can say is that my kids, daughter in particular, thought that deer should live forever (as kids think that all living things do.) [But what does a non-hunting complainer of hunting think about that steak, bacon, or chicken breast?] As the past couple years have gone by she listens to the matter of herd management and understands. She hears that deer are as much food as is a visit to Outback. She takes note that I cull the herd not destroy it. Then one day the perfect buck appears. She asks why don't I shoot it. My response is that he is as much of the balance as my decision to let him be. Maybe I'll take him next year, maybe not. A respectful hunter knows when to take and when to let go. Even if legal IMHO taking an animal that is a well learned and top gene contributor is akin to poaching. Trophy hunters simply are non-sensical.

On this note a poacher of fishing is someone that does not respect the ocean's field. We may sit and debate whether the rules of fishing are reasonable. Unless you know the details of all species and the interaction within the local seas it's best to abide by the rules that the local department of natural resources has set.


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## Entropy

delude said:


> I think Ill stick to my fishing.


why do you fish?









you can make any point you want, and im sure the idea of C&R would come up, but cant that apply to hunting as well? we spend hours in a tree stand to see a deer... and i can say personally ive watched them just pass by. it not so much the killing of an animal that we go for, its so that we can escape every day life and return to our "roots". man began as a hunter/gather.

on the other hand, the deer i have taken were either injured or genetically inferior. i wont go into that so much, but its about heard management. someone hit it on the head, the population HAS to be preyed on, or else it will cause undesired side effects. (a lot of trophy hunters will donate the meat from the kill to various cherities and such that will not waste it)

as long as the animal is not being wasted, i dont see a big deal. its just the same principle as fishing; go out and enjoy nature, and maybe harvest an animal.


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## saltandsand

One of my hunting buddies does practice C&R with regard to hunting. He is also an avid photographer and enjoys sitting in a stand to photograph deer as well as other wildlife that he also hunts.


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## ilovetherock

"Some people ask why men go hunting. They must be the kind of people who seldom get far from highways." - Gordon MacQuarrie


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## Entropy

saltandsand said:


> One of my hunting buddies does practice C&R with regard to hunting. He is also an avid photographer and enjoys sitting in a stand to photograph deer as well as other wildlife that he also hunts.


see.... "hunter" doesnt imply blood thirsty, trigger happy, *******.

though i do know people who live by the moto, "if its brown its down." not the way to think IMHO.


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## OBX Jay

*Gordon MacQuarrie*



ilovetherock said:


> "Some people ask why men go hunting. They must be the kind of people who seldom get far from highways." - Gordon MacQuarrie



What an awesome outdoor writer he was! I have three of his books and have traveled the same trails as he has in WI many times.


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## big joe

*Hunting is a forgotten heritage*

I do a lot of outdoor activities with my children. My daughter who will turn 11 in a few weeks has been going hunting and fishing with me since she was a toddler. I look it as a special time that I can pass on something that my father passed along to me. As his father did with him, and so on. Hunting in its purest sense is for food. I have a rule in my household to harvest, clean, prepare and eat what you take.

Now, not everyone has the stomach to do that. But I will tell you this, wildgame is better for you than store bought meats and farmed raised fish.

Think that through when you bite into your next piece of store bought steroid injected ribeye, chicken etc.


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## big joe

*Hunting is a forgotten heritage*

I do a lot of outdoor activities with my children. My daughter who will turn 11 in a few weeks has been going hunting and fishing with me since she was a toddler. I look it as a special time that I can pass on something that my father passed along to me. As his father did with him, and so on. Hunting in its purest sense is for food. I have a rule in my household to harvest, clean, prepare and eat what you take.

Now, not everyone has the stomach to do that. But I will tell you this, wildgame is better for you than store bought meats and farmed raised fish.

Think that through when you bite into your next piece of store bought, growth hormone, steroid injected ribeye, chicken etc.


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## wolfva

I've thought of taking up hunting but there is one small problem....
I don't like venison.

<ducks assorted thrown objects>

Dunno why, just not a fan of it. Maybe I'd do better with some hog; put that grinder of mine to use.


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## saltandsand

Venison is great, maybe you need some preparation pointers...


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## Marksworld

Hey Wolfva, you may want to think about looking into hunters helping the hungry and donate your kill to feed a homeless shelter or family that might just need help in the grocery department?? Dont let the fact that you dont eat what you kill keep you from the possibilities of enjoying nature and the outdoors. Over the yrs I've donated plenty of venison to people I know that could use the help. I look at it like after I put 2 in my own freezer why not try to fill someone elses up so they can also eat good for the yr!!


heres the link for NJ's and if you do a search I think every state has there own organization

http://www.huntershelpingthehungry.org/


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## Al Kai

Delude.
Hunting and Fishing is part of my religion.


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## 13lbflounder

I ate them. :beer:


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## wolfva

Oh, I enjoy nature. When I go back country camping I like to see how close I can get to the cute, cuddly, viciouse creatures <LOL>. Last time I went to Shenendoah, got about 5 feet from a large buck. Really not used to looking UP into a deer's eyes.... We decided to go our seperate ways and minding our own business. Which is just as well...hard to get into Valhalla cause a deer kicked your arse....


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## MRLsurfisher

*in defense of trophey hunting (both 10 and 12 point deer and exotics)*

i hunt because it's the chill of the cold mountain air that gets into my lungs at 5 am when i step out of my car and throw on my camo that smells like doe pee. throwing my treestand on my back and taking my bow in my hand with me and hiking a mile or 2 into the woods in search of serinity. not many people have seen what i seen. have you ever had a forest full of animals come to life right before your eyes and they not know you're there?
it's also my main hobby during the summer. because i do have to keep my bow in tune and keep it shooting straight not just for a humane kill but also a short tracking distance cause anyone who has had to help someone track a gut shot before knows it's a pain(basicly like gut hooking a fish).

and for all of you guys out there that oppose trophey hunting look at it this way most of those guys that trophey hunt manage their populations to the point where they can grow their deer so to speak. and if your talking about the ones who just take the head and not the carcuase lets just say the deer will help grow vegitation and more acrons if there are any trees around.

now for the exotic hunters they have to in order to keep the population in balence and not wreck their land such as in africa where they DO hunt bull elephants and giraffes and all other great and magnifacent beast's of the wild. and it's not like they waste anything either because most hunting trips are based out of the villages there and because of the USDA regulating all imports so most hunters decide to give the meat to the village that the guides come from and a lot of times there is a celebration of the animals in the village so all in all it's a good thing for world. until you get to poaching.


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## Darbyman

"and if your talking about the ones who just take the head and not the carcuase lets just say the deer will help grow vegitation and more acrons if there are any trees around."- MRLsurfisher


Sorry, no defense for that. It's called wanton waste, and it's illegal in most states. I hunt religiously every fall-duck, deer, and dove and I will never take more than I can eat and I will make every attempt to use as much of the animal as possible. That's called respect for nature's bounty. 
Use it, don't abuse it.

BTW- I agree with the rest of your post.


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## MRLsurfisher

no problem darby here and maryland they never gave me the name of wanton waste so i just merely thought of it as unethical and i just tried to look at it in a positive way. and thanks for further educating me and i'm not sure about anyone else.


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## davehunt

There are many reasons,

1) First and fore most, it is a great deal of fun. I'm sure you've heard the term "buck fever". Well, imagine the adrenaline rush you get when you're line comes tight with a big fish, now multiply by 100. That is the rush you get when you SEE a deer in the woods under hunting conditions! I hunt with rifle as well as bow. let me tell you, when you have a deer within 20 yards of your stand and your trying not to be seen, hoping the wind doesn't shift, and trying to control the shakes so you can actually draw your bow without getting busted - you feel alive! Whether or not you can actual close the deal and take a deer, you've already had a great experience (and I have failed to kill a deer much more often than not :redface.

2) Even though hunting (at least white tail hunting) is a mostly solitary sport, the comradarie of a hunting camp is also a major draw. Good food & drink as well as good company is a very pleasant way to escape the reality of the "work-a-day" world.

4) I do enjoy venison and eat what I kill, however I have no issues with anyone who trophy hunts (though I hope they are donating their meat to a local food bank).

5) It may sound self serving (and maybe it is), but there are situations where in hunting provides a service to home owners/land owners. I have hunted several times in Westchester County, NY. Essentialy in bed room communities of NYC - true suburban hunting. It's a win for the hunter as it presents close by oportunities and it is a win for the hoe owner since the very large deer herd wreeks havok on landscaping and more importantly, create a significant threat of auto-accidents.

6) Time away from the TV/PC is good for me and my family.

I'm sure I can go on for a while, but this reply has gone on for a while already

Cheers!


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## wolfva

13, you ate Marilyn Monroe??? What seasonings did you use?


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## incucrash

delude said:


> ive asked myself this question many a time. Im from England and this is not a popular past time. over in the USA its a different story. I go fishing over here but pu all of my fish back. including when I fish in Florida. Only on a rare occasion do I eat what I catch in Florida.
> 
> I don't mean to offend anyone but why do u do it? is it a macho thing? or for food? I don't see the point in shooting a deer just for a trophy?
> 
> delude


Who is to say the fish you hook don't create a blood trail and get ate by the bigger fish? So then what is the difference between that fish being in your stomach or another fish's stomach?  

I don't really get in to the population control, the game of it.... I feel an instinct with it , humans are evolving towards a more and more lazy and weak population.

It's wired in our DNA. I have not been hunting long, but I could care less about the size of the animal I kill, if I kill it, it will become food for me or someone else, never to waste. I'm going to take pictures of the animal and smile just as big regardless.



Our ancestors did not survive from letting fish go and challenging other people from hunting. While it's true you can go to the supermarket and buy 5 lbs of meat/poultry and feed your family WITHOUT taking the life of an animal yourself, but someone killed that animal, and I highly doubt it was humane. Not to mention, I rather know what i'm eating and where it came from, then be poisoned by the supermarkets "butcher" - none of that stuff in store is good for you. 

Fact: We would not be alive right now if not for hunting. Meats were available 24/7 for our ancestors, plants and supermarkets were not. If the first humans on the planet were vegetarians, I highly doubt I would be typing on a laptop right now. =]

but not to worry, one day we will stop walking because people keep coming out with clever ways of transportation, and meat will be grown in laboratories from cells, animals will stop being raised, injected with hormones and steroids to fatten them up quickly, and slaughtered for your dinner plate.


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## hunter9

i hunt for food! and i hunt for a big buck too i have hunted for 5 years and killed 12 deer all of them have tasted nice!

if you dont like deer hunting thats fine you go eat your hay bale i'll stick to my deer meat!

"most of my best memorys have been in the woods"


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## 2000Chevys104x4

delude said:


> they do often hunt down south where there is a large population of deer. They prodominatley hunt for food though and I think trophy hunting is not a popular pastime.


thats not true. hunting was a big past time in great britain and the settlers brought it over with them. we also learned it from the native americans. i hear that the rich people were the most common to hunt pheasants. they would let a dog loose to scare the birds into the air and them blast em with a 10 or 12 gauge. they would even have several guests over to join them. 
we do it for relaxation, food, occasionally a trophy, to keep the deer/hogs/doves/turkey out of the farmers crop, to keep the population down. in some species and animals it is to exterminate such as: feral pigs, nutria, alligator in certain places, raccoon, squirrel, dove, bear, even deer.

so in short we hunt for population control, tradition, game, and food
which is a lot more humane than trapping a deer for food


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## delude

2000Chevys104x4 said:


> thats not true. hunting was a big past time in great britain and the settlers brought it over with them. we also learned it from the native americans. i hear that the rich people were the most common to hunt pheasants. they would let a dog loose to scare the birds into the air and them blast em with a 10 or 12 gauge. they would even have several guests over to join them.
> we do it for relaxation, food, occasionally a trophy, to keep the deer/hogs/doves/turkey out of the farmers crop, to keep the population down. in some species and animals it is to exterminate such as: feral pigs, nutria, alligator in certain places, raccoon, squirrel, dove, bear, even deer.
> 
> so in short we hunt for population control, tradition, game, and food
> which is a lot more humane than trapping a deer for food


yes but this was when the hunters of britain where pompous fools who shot untold amounts of game and brought them to the brink extinction, you dont see a wild wolf in britain anymore and the wild boar population is ridiculously low. its a very old and not very popular activity with the majority of hunting taking place when the lords and ladies dressed in tunics.

Britain dosnt have the resources to uphold animal populations such as that in the states so hunting is only kept to population control and to stop the spread of disease. rabbits and miximotosis is one reason. 

in my opinion hunting is a very backward pasttime and killing a large proud deer/ram/boar/bear is an insult to its natural beauty. u say that you admire the animals and wat not, take a pair of binoculars and watch them from affar! you can't tell me the beauty of an animal can only be fully seen with a bullet/arrow through its heart?????

animals like the ones mentioned above should only be shot by camera in my opinion.and no i am not a peace pipe smoking hippy i love a steak and i eat fish but i would never take enjoyment over killing an animal just to watch it die.... thats how johnny cash got put in folsom prison.


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## GreenFord

I hunt because they won't let me shoot politicians or cameramen.....


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## bullisland

delude...i can understand how you might not see why people do it or they find such joy in it...but its just ignorant to say "take a pair of binoculars and watch them from affar! you can't tell me the beauty of an animal can only be fully seen with a bullet/arrow through its heart?????" when you're on a FISHING forum.

I'm not saying you are ignorant so please don't get me wrong, but thinking that hunters are because of hunting game is a bit much. I live on a farm that was established by some of the first English that came across from the Eastern shore, and my family has hunted for hundreds of years. Its a tradition that was pasted down from my English ancestors and I will keep passing down through my family.

Some people will say "oh how can you kill that sweet little croaker or cobia"...a LOT of it has to do with the fact that you're looking at it from the outside. People who hunt will be able to relate to the pleasure of sitting in the secluded woods, no city noises, and waiting patiently for the sound of a twig snapping for your heart to start racing...

I guess try to think of it as you catching the fish of your life...thats our feeling of tagging a big ol' buck!

And deer populations cause vehicle accidents where people die regularly. And if population is not controlled only do harm to themselves. take Yorktown, VA for example...they stopped hunting that land years ago, and disease has swept through the woods there almost wiping out the deer population (which has now ALREADY grown back to ridiculous numbers).

Guess to sum all my rambling up...its what we do, what we love, we're not hurting anyone else, its legal, and its actually GOOD for the environment. hope all my ramblin made sense...and please don't think I was trying to insult you, just trying to make my point :beer:


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## bullisland

GreenFord said:


> I hunt because they won't let me shoot politicians or cameramen.....


you forgot hippies!!


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## Fish Hunter

I hunt and fish for sport and for the food. My kids have been raised on deer instead of beef and burger. If I do not have the time, as has been the case recently, several friends will cull their deer herds and bring me does. Rather if ever will I personally kill a buck for the table.

Most of the fish I take for the table are panfish, spot mullet, pomps.

I hunt to get out of the studio and be alone in the woods. I hunt because it is a damn site less expensive than therapy.


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## delude

bullisland said:


> delude...i can understand how you might not see why people do it or they find such joy in it...but its just ignorant to say "take a pair of binoculars and watch them from affar! you can't tell me the beauty of an animal can only be fully seen with a bullet/arrow through its heart?????" when you're on a FISHING forum.
> 
> I'm not saying you are ignorant so please don't get me wrong, but thinking that hunters are because of hunting game is a bit much. I live on a farm that was established by some of the first English that came across from the Eastern shore, and my family has hunted for hundreds of years. Its a tradition that was pasted down from my English ancestors and I will keep passing down through my family.
> 
> Some people will say "oh how can you kill that sweet little croaker or cobia"...a LOT of it has to do with the fact that you're looking at it from the outside. People who hunt will be able to relate to the pleasure of sitting in the secluded woods, no city noises, and waiting patiently for the sound of a twig snapping for your heart to start racing...
> 
> I guess try to think of it as you catching the fish of your life...thats our feeling of tagging a big ol' buck!
> 
> And deer populations cause vehicle accidents where people die regularly. And if population is not controlled only do harm to themselves. take Yorktown, VA for example...they stopped hunting that land years ago, and disease has swept through the woods there almost wiping out the deer population (which has now ALREADY grown back to ridiculous numbers).
> 
> Guess to sum all my rambling up...its what we do, what we love, we're not hurting anyone else, its legal, and its actually GOOD for the environment. hope all my ramblin made sense...and please don't think I was trying to insult you, just trying to make my point :beer:


I understand what your getting at by saying the natural beauty can only be seen when the animal is dead. The only thing I have a problem with is the fact that you can see a fishes true "beauty" at close range and then, you can always put it back. in fact, the majority of the bigger fish have to be put back anyway due to state laws.

its a clear clash of cultures and i do realise this! i know your not trying to insult me and you do make a good point.


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## Al Kai

bullisland said:


> you forgot hippies!!



Nice one


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## Al Kai

Wild game and fish help provide food for my familly.


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## Carolina Rebel

Delude, there's really no sense in what you're posting. You're taking a childish angle to a childish, wholly unrealistic debate, it just surprises me that you keep coming back for more. Its simple: If you haven't spent days on end in the woods patiently waiting just to catch a glimpse of a deer, much less known the incredible feeling of actually taking a deer, even a small doe, with a gun or bow.......you, like the vast majority of anti-hunters, have no place even contesting this. The pursuit of the quarry is bigger than anything you could ever even fathom.


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## Shooter

OK folks, lets remember the number one rule,,,,, No personal insults or attacks

Just keep it friendly


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## brian88

among other things, it's a skill. good to know i can support my family if times get really really bad (and with this economy, that time may not be far off) the thrill of the hunt is why i got into it.

<a href="http://www.MyBinocularHarness.com/">Binocular Harness</a>


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## Bob Strepka

*Reply*

Got a chance to go hunting this weekend. It was fun with friends!! Its basically a sport with a purpose.. Also it is a known fact that hunting is to help manage the wildlife and it indeed takes skills to hunt.In fact, I believe learning how to handle guns in a safe and responsible manner is a good thing.

Saltwater spinning reels


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## 2000Chevys104x4

think this way: take away your thoughts that killing an animal is unethical and whatnot and think about the adrenaline pumping through your veins as you come across a 12 point buck or a flock of geese. then you raise your gun and kill it. this is sending another surge of adrenaline running through your blood. you go out and dress it and take your trophy.
then you get it home. cook up the meat. mount your antlers. this reminds you that you are king. the amazing taste of the venison wipes away any unethical thoughts crossing your mind. 
now think if that had been a photo. What do you reckon film paper tastes like?


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