Killing animals for sport

[orioles93]

People who don’t know anything about wildlife conservation and hunting and how they go together, are usually the people who cry about killing animals.

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by orioles93

People who don’t know anything about wildlife conservation and hunting and how they go together, are usually the people who cry about killing animals.

and eat hamburgers.

[barrysloate]

Sometimes animals that are shot don't die quickly. Some are only wounded and die in agony. And I despise the poachers who kill elephants purely for the ivory.

That said, last night my wife and I split a cheeseburger, and in the last couple of weeks I've had a lobster roll, flank steak, and eaten chicken four or five times. So am I any better than the people I despise? Probably not.

Life is complicated and full of contradictions. I get it. I'm a flawed human being.

[jerrys]

It is the purpose of killing. Food/Pleasure. Please don't unite the two.

Pulling a trigger and watching a great animal bleed to death in pain for personal pleasure so as one can place his/her foot on it for a heroic photo shoot. Make handbags out it - perhaps cutting head off to hang in their home. That's a Sport?

Torture a bull by spearing it, then as it's bleeding, drive a sword-blade through its brain for the pleasure of watching. Cheer the swordsman.

Nothing to do with hamburgers.

bd-bull1.jpg

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by jerrys

It is the purpose of killing. Food/Pleasure. Please don't unite the two.

Pulling a trigger and watching a great animal bleed to death in pain for personal pleasure so as one can place his/her foot on it for a heroic photo shoot. Make handbags out it - perhaps cutting head off to hang in their home. That's a Sport?

Torture a bull by spearing it, then as it's bleeding, drive a sword-blade through its brain for the pleasure of watching. Cheer the swordsman.

Nothing to do with hamburgers.

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So you have never hunted or fished with friends/family?

No matter what, think about this. We as older men pay money, sometimes a lot of it to buy pictures of younger athletic men in uniforms. Let that sink in, then bash other peoples hobbies/sports.

[Leon]

I can't stand bullfighting. The matadors should all be shot in the head if you ask me. Period. And the people cheering them on should all be in jail.
As for killing animals in the name of conservation, I say bull crap to that too. There are other ways to keep populations down. That said, I do eat meat so am a hypocrite in that sense. Maybe those shooting these animals should have the same thing done to them and see how they like it?

And back to the bullfighting for a second. How does any human take joy in seeing a matador slowly kill a bull and show all of that pain and misery. It is no wonder other cultures are the way they are towards dogs and other animals. Absolutely despicable if you ask me. It is outrageous. Actually, it would be nice if all of the matadors were impaled with a sword through their abdomen so everyone can watch them die a slow and painful death, just like they do to the bulls. Then we can see how well that goes over for the crowds. My guess, they would still be cheering as they are freaking low mentality idiots.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Leon

As for killing animals in the name of conservation, I say bull crap to that too. There are other ways to keep populations down.

Not a hunter, but....

What would those ways be? I'm sure it's possible in other areas, but in most of New England, deer have few natural predators left, and haven't for decades.
In some areas, especially some of the state parks, their population will easily get way out of hand, and an unchecked population is damaging to the environment.

I grew up in areas where hunting for food wasn't uncommon. My 5th grade teacher hunted regularly, but hadn't killed deer in several years. Either he didn't find one, or in at least one instance tracked one for most of the day, briefly had a shot, but it was one of those "large buck backlit by near sunset" moments and he just didn't shoot.

When I was in college one of the smallish parks near Hartford had a yearly hunt that was closely monitored. The place could support maybe 250 deer, but was usually figured at a bit over 300. Every year there would be protests.
That year they had a new ranger, who was a bit harsh. At the inevitable public meeting he gave opening remarks about how in winter deer died, and it was part of his job to remove them to keep the park looking nice for the people that used it. Followed by a slideshow of some of the more grizly ones from the previous winter. I won't give details, but it was said to be pretty disgusting. He offered to call off the hunt if he got enough volunteers to help with the cleanup caused by not allowing it.
No takers, hunt proceeded.
He was somewhere else the next year.

A lot of the conservation that happens wouldn't happen without funding from license fees, federal duck stamps etc.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by Leon

As for killing animals in the name of conservation, I say bull crap to that too. There are other ways to keep populations down.

I have never personally put a condom on a wild animal (let's just be clear on THAT,) but I suppose it could be done.....

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Yeah many of the organized hunts in Africa are a good thing, for wildlife and economies. I do have a problem with hunting endangered species for any reason. Giraffes are currently listed as vulnerable and like many things in life I'm not sure where you draw the line.

I do have a problem with hunting any creature, let alone a non-aggressive creature, with a high powered rifle and acting like you've achieved something great when you kill it, but that's personal preference and not something that should be mistaken for law.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by orioles93

People who don’t know anything about wildlife conservation and hunting and how they go together, are usually the people who cry about killing animals.

Yes.

Here in Minnesota we have tens of thousands of cute deer with their cute Bambi babies, and when the DNR decides that there are too many that are eating crops and getting hit by cars, they encourage hunters to go into the woods and farms and thin the herd. Not because they hate the animals, and not because they enjoy inflicting death and misery.

I would never hunt. I wouldn't even shoot a squirrel. But when I see what happens when human lives are lost in automobile-deer accidents, I am glad there are people who do keep the deer population manageable.

I've hit several deer myself over the years. They are really stupid animals. You can be driving towards them, they are along the side of the road looking right at you, and at the last moment they will run in front of you. In fact the last deer I hit actually hit me - it ran into the front driver side tire well, causing damage to the car and probably leaving the deer with damage too.

I could never be a hunter but I am glad some can.

[barrysloate]

Deer can be a really bad problem. There is an infestation of them on Eastern Long Island, and countless times I would be driving early in the morning and see one or two dead ones on the side of the road. They are very dangerous to motorists, no doubt.

[jerrys]

Professional marksman are hired to thin the population of herds are absolutely necessary. I believe, most times the animals are slaughtered and used in State intuitions. Again, this is not done as SPORT - for the pleasure of killing, for trophies, taxidermy, or other personal rewards.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by jerrys

Professional marksman are hired to thin the population of herds are absolutely necessary. I believe, most times the animals are slaughtered and used in State intuitions. Again, this is not done as SPORT - for the pleasure of killing, for trophies, taxidermy, or other personal rewards.

The purpose, at a high level, is to conduct a hunt for a beneficial purpose.

But a lot of the hunters ARE out there purely for sport. Some will cut it open, roll up their sleeves and put their hands and arms into the bloody, dead animal, pull out the entrails, heart, kidneys, whatever else they don't want, and drag the rest of the carcass back to their truck and home to process. That, I think, is certainly justifiable but there is no way I could imagine doing it.

But many deer hunters do just kill for sport, cut the heads off to mount on their walls as a trophy so they can point at it and say, "I killed that," with pride in their voice.

So how is that different from a controlled hunt at an African preserve? At a high level a decision is made that they have a few more giraffe, or elephants, than optimal, so they sell some hunters a license to shoot one, which makes thousands of dollars for the preserve to care for the other animals?

I doubt those hunters are doing so for elephant meat. Look, I could never do it, and I think it doubtful that I'd have much in common with someone who would do that, but if a higher goal is achieved, as with the deer hunting example, then overall it isn't always a bad thing. Animals do reproduce...

BTW I do agree with Leon - Bull "fighting" is torture, as is the "sport" of dog fighting.