After killing an animal? What are your thoughts/opinions/stance. I have copied a post my cousin sent me he got off another forum, and thought it was worth sharing. This is the response to the same question.



“Kind of hesitate to comment. It's personal, and with me, somewhat situational. Not totally rational.

When my son was approaching the age of being old enough to actually kill something besides fish (first shotgun), we had a little talk. Well probably two or three. But the gist was that we should always feel some remorse at killing. We have snuffed out the life that God breathed into one of his creations. That is our station in life, to use and have dominion over His other earthly creations, but NOT to disrespect or squander or waste them any more than we would waste the gifts and legacies of our earthly fathers.

Of hundreds of days hunting, fishing, guiding with my son from the Sea of Cortez to Alaska, two days I will never forget were when he killed his first dove with his single shot 20 ga. at age 8. We were celebratory and happy and riding home he fell silent and then said
"Dad, you know what's the only bad thing about shooting stuff?"
I said no, I didn't.
"You can't let them go afterwards if you want to". (He was already a good fisherman).

And after he battled his first marlin to boatside a couple of years later and the Mexican deckhand drew his finger across his throat in the classic question. I explained to Pete that it was his decision to kill or release the fish. It wasn't his vehement answer as much as his look of disbelief that i remember.

I still enjoy gunning birds. I have really enjoyed the hunts I've been able to make since my heart attack, especially those with my son, and old friends from the "brotherhood". But I can say, back in the day, when Rockport was on fire and I was running hunts down there three days a week and holidays and part of my vacation and putting groups on 30, 36, 42 birds per day after day, I did get burned out. Especially knowing many clients used those birds for nothing but a target and then a photo prop.

So, say what you will, I believe you turn a corner at some period. Sometimes it's a single event, sometimes it's an accumulation, sometimes a single event tips the scales. And I think many people, like me, need some adversity, some reason to miss it, to fully appreciate it.”

Yes.

I believe it is instilled compassion. I hunt, but the justification is i eat what I shoot. I cannot stand to see an animal suffer. It hurts me to see that. Hunting hogs with dogs.....gets to me. my hang up......I don't judge it's just not for me. The dove,it's off with the head as quick as possible. I practice and practice to make a clean and accuraute shot. To me it's the least I can do. I am a hunter. I enjoy it...death comes with the territory.

Is hunting wrong? No, but everything in moderation, IMO.


Shane

I don't and don't care to shoot anything anymore except pointed birds. I only do that for the dogs. Call it remorse, or whatever you want to call it, but something came over me, and that's the way it is.

I don't have any remorse for killing an animal but I do say a Prayer thanking the Lord for allowing me to!!!

There have been times that yes, I think I have felt remorse. But 99% of the time, no, but I do not let the meat go to waste either. They should be harvested for a purpose.

I pull the trigger for only 2 reasons. Food and protection. I am not a trophy hunter (I'm not saying there is anything wrong with Trophy Hunting, so don't hear what I'm not saying) I don't feel remorse per say, I do feel a sense of respect and awe.

Not necessarily remorse but I don't think I've ever killed any type of game animal without pausing for a minute to think about where it's been and what it means to me. Even the nuisance animals have a moment when it was necessary to kill one. I always take a little time to get right with nature.

Although I get excited when a big rack bucks walks by I don't shoot anything just for a trophy - no eat/no shoot for the most part. As I've mentioned in several posts....."I guess I'm just not mad at the deer (animals) anymore".

i hate to see people killing any animals and letting it go to waste, i see it alot with hogs, guys kill 8-10 hogs and then just throw them into a field. They could dontate them and at least get some food on the table for ones in need

I have remorse when I kill any animal and I am not saying that I am going to quit hunting or that some animals do not need to be killed, but when it is my choice to take the life from another living creature, it is a big decision. I think this is one reason mankind has a conscience. Killing is the ultimate taking and all animals are more adept at making a living in the wild than man is. You have to have some admiration even for the nasty hogs on nights when it is sleeting and snowing and they are making a living under less than ideal conditions. It is not going to keep me from killing them, but I do admire their toughness and it does point out how inept man is in their world. As you age, you realize your own frailties and with those frailties, you become more vulnerable. Your vulnerability should make you more compassionate towards certain situations and these situations are different for different people. For a long time,I never could understand why my Grandfather never enjoyed taking us rabbit hunting. We did not eat the rabbits, just shot them. Now, I know why he did not enjoy it and I have no justification for hunting rabbits except that youngsters have to start somewhere and with that in mind, maybe I will take a youngster rabbit hunting when I have no desire to go. Most hunters/sportsman grow into and out of different phases of hunting, but hopefully respect for life will be involved in all of those phases. Different strokes for different folks. Personal decisions are just that, personal.

I eat what I shoot or catch. no remorse, it's the way of life.

ya i feel a little sad sometimes, till im chewin on a piece of jerky, animals are majestic, sucks to kill them, do it cleanly and and dont waste it. Give thanks for the life the lord gave you to take, so you can eat.

There is a sadness sometimes and lot of respect for the animal when I kill them, but I know that in doing so I have made room for the new ones that will come the next spring/summer. A balance of sorts I would say.

This is something I have talked to my 2 sons, age 7 and 5, about at lenght. When we are sitting in a blind and watching instead of shooting I use that as a teaching momnet to explain that once the trigger is pulled the animal is no longer able to be let go because it was killed. I use this to explain why we don't shoot the the yung deer or possumes or ...... dead is dead! It is now great to hear the boys tell people how we watch way more animals then we shot because once they are shot they get dead.

I have more remorse when I fail to get a shot off in time.

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we are predators and what we kill is prey. i never have remorse for anything because i eat everything i shoot. its the circle of life. do coyotes or bobcats or mountain lions have remorse for killing a deer or rodent? no, that is just food and life. therefore when i kill something its food for me and the family. dont get me wrong i love to horn hunt and get the biggest buck in the woods, but even though he goes on the wall all of it is used for the table.

Not much remorse for me I eat what I kill most the time deer hog etc but I'm not gonna eat coyotes and bobcats and I've never shot a raccoon or possum armadillo cause there no reason to in my opinion

I've killed game with guns and farm animals with knifes and did not feel any remorse. I killed a deer with buckshot once and he droped. I waited for 30 min to go get him, but when I got close he was still alive and was gasping for air. My issue was that I could not pull the trigger at close range to finish him off. I did pull my knife and stabbed his heart and cut his throat. I just could not pull the trigger at close range.

Not really remorse, but I do give thanks to that animal for the experience of the hunt and the meat that it will provide. I do, however feel genuine regret if something goes wrong that causes an animal to suffer unduly. Several years ago I shot a doe that spooked right as I was squeezing the trigger and the high-shoulder shot hit her just forward of the rear quarters, breaking her back and she started spinning so that I couldn't get off another shot. I had to let her wear herself out so I could finish her off and it literally made my heart ache to watch her suffering.

I have been hunting for many years, and from an early age my mother always taught me.. "only shoot if you plan on eating it". And that goes for the blackbirds in the backyard too. She made us eat one when I was about 7. Not good. Well three weeks ago my son, 14, shot his first. A nice spike. Good clean shot. The buck shook around some, kicked a few times but by the time we got down the steps of the blind he was dead. I hugged my son, congratulations and we walked over to the dear and thanked the Lord for the opportunity to harvest this animal. He asked me about that later. I told him, I will teach you just as I was taught by my father 40 years ago. My mother asked about that deer, but I had to tell her that the steaks were great and the burgers were just as good!!

I worked in a packing house (slaughter house) for 16 years.

Saw a lot of killing and yes I felt bad when I watched the animals being led up to the ramp to be killed and they sensed, smelled and heard what was about to happen to them.

That said, do you have remorse when you go the meat counter at the grocery store?

I don't think so! It's part of life, and man's dominance over the animals, and the earth that provide for man's existence, and they were given to us for the purpose of our own survival, and we shouldn't waste it.

Anyone who has a problem with remorse for killing an animal needs to take a tour of a packing house just once, and you'll be cured. Hunting is quite humane!

Last buck I killed was close enough that I could hear him take his last couple of breaths. That one got to me for a while.

It affects my son more than me, but he's only 8. When we kill it we eat it so I don't feel bad about it. My boy puts grass or corn in deers mouth after he kills em,I've never told him to. The first deer he shot he stuck grass in its mouth,so I ask what did you do that for he says it's for their last meal. Seemed like a good idea to me so now everything we shoot gets its last meal,it makes him feel better and me too I suppose. Respect I guess.