First hunting experience, thrill or remorse? Hunting experience thereafter?

[MikeTF]

If it's brown, it's down. If it flies, it dies.

 

[Sewer Rat]

My Dad wasn't a hunter.. he only took it up because I wanted to. Our youngest killed his first animal at 7 (a hog).... but I do not think he is going to be a hunter. Shooter, yes; but not a hunter.

Re hunting, I feel no remorse, the dead animal is going to feed my family. I have felt remorse at putting down family pets, the two times I did sucked big time; do not think I could do it again.

 

[Respen33]

Not everyone is meant to hunt and killing without remorse is not a good trait. Though I hunt deer, turkey (badly) and soon to hunt rabbit, I still let many go for emotional or youth reasons. Hunting is meant for food collection, not to take down whatever you can. This is why I don't like duck or goose hunts.



That said, you are correct. Some children won't like hunting. They won't like shooting, either. Respect their wishes and love them all the more. They made a decision on their own and that is more important; personal choices are better.

 

[Crow Bait]

It is not remorse. It is RESPECT.

 

[rwbow1969]

No remorse, just thankful for the food.

 

[MikeTF]

It is not remorse. It is RESPECT.

Every time someone consumes meat an animal was killed to provide that meat. Many have become so far removed from the process that they forget that it needs to happen.

 

[Chris]

I'm a meat hunter that's hungry. Never had remorse as I have and will let some pass, prefer a nice fat doe over a skinny buck. Even with my first deer killed all I could think of was the roasts. I don't get out as much as I would like. But going out this Friday down Eastern Neck Island shotgun. Nice deer on the island. Chris

 

[Uncle Duke]

No remorse here. Just a sense of awe and appreciation and thanks that began at a young age, and that developed over the years with countless hours spent in the woods or fields. Mostly what I feel is a great deal of amazement and respect for nature, and the animals that inhabit it. I long ago made peace with the idea that it's the natural order of life that some animals die so others can live. Meat for human consumption doesn't originate packaged in styrofoam and cellophane, though if that's one's preferred method of obtaining it for one's self and family, then I have no issue with that being another man's choice. I do however take great issue with others who would make their own choice, but would then see fit to attempt to define and dictate my choices for me.

 

[wilcam47]

I'm a meat hunter that's hungry. Never had remorse as I have and will let some pass, prefer a nice fat doe over a skinny buck. Even with my first deer killed all I could think of was the roasts. I don't get out as much as I would like. But going out this Friday down Eastern Neck Island shotgun. Nice deer on the island. Chris

We are to be top of the food chain for a reason. Animals are here for us to consume, next to the mashed potato's and green beans .

 

[HeatSeeker]

If it's brown, it's down. If it flies, it dies.

These phrases are exactly the type of thing that fuels people to oppose hunting and hunters. This just makes you sound like you are in it simply to kill. I find that some poachers I have known in the past say things like this as well.

 

[SRD]

I hunt and fish for 2 reasons; The enjoyment the peace/solitude bring me and for food.No remorse here but I do have respect for the game.

 

[MikeTF]

These phrases are exactly the type of thing that fuels people to oppose hunting and hunters. This just makes you sound like you are in it simply to kill. I find that some poachers I have known in the past say things like this as well.

You're right to point that out. I can assure you that I'm not a poacher, and that the people I hunt with laugh when this is said because we are all ethical and law abiding hunters.

I guess that I have to be more mindful of the fact that PETA could be monitoring these boards. My apologies.

 

[mr phil]

I hunt and fish for 2 reasons; The enjoyment the peace/solitude bring me and for food.No remorse here but I do have respect for the game.

What he said A day spent in the woods is a day well spent.

 

[Mooseman]

Hunter, naturalist, political analyst, adviser to the gods, card counter, tiddy watcher, rocket scientist and sometimes brain surgeon..........

I have also been known to dabble at Acey-deucey.

I also heard that you scored four touchdowns in a singe game.

 

[BlackBart]

I also heard that you scored four touchdowns in a singe game.

Actually it was 5, one was called back due to mercy score.

 

[durkspunk2112]

My first deer was almost my last. When I started hunting in my late teens, I shot my first deer with my Winchester 30/30. It was a doe about 75 yrds. away. After what I thought was a clean shot, I ran down to check it out. My excitement ended when she lifted her head, looked right at me, and let out this alien like groan. Right there and then, I swore I'd NEVER hunt again! It took a little bit of time to get over that one.

After many years and many deer later, I now enjoy taking my 3 sons out hunting. I've got to the point in my life where I'd rather watch one of my sons shoot a deer than actually doing it myself. Although we eat what we shoot, we also share the meat with those that may not be as fortunate as us.

Nobody lies on their death bed wishing they had worked more and spent less time in the woods with family and friends!

 

[RebelYell]

I think Steven Rinella expressed my feelings about it best in his book, American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon:

"Killing a large animal inevitably gives me a sense of sorrow. I know it will hit me before it does, the way you go to bed drunk knowing you'll be hungover in the morning. It hits as I run my fingers through the tangled mane of the buffalo's neck. The animal feels so solid, so substantive. I feel compelled to question what I've done, to compare the merits of its life with the merits of my own. It's not so much a feeling of guilt. There's no moment when I want the buffalo to stand back up and walk away, no moment when I wish that the bullet would retreat back into the barrel. It's more complicated than guilt. Seeing the dead buffalo, I feel an amalgamation of many things: thankfulness for the meat, an appreciation for the animal's beauty, a regard for the history of its species, and, yes, a touch of guilt. Any one of those feelings would be a passing sensation, but together they make me feel emotionally swollen. The swelling is tender, a little bit painful. This is the curse of the human predator, I think."

Sorry for the long quote, but Rinella captures my feelings of "the kill" exactly in this excerpt and puts it much more eloquently than I could.

 

[DrCatt]

I really appreciate the story. It hits close to home. Every creature deserves life as much as we do, but no life lasts forever. It's our responsibility to eat or donate what we as hunters kill.

 

[r3t1awr3yd]

Thank you guys for sharing this thread. I didn't grow up around hunting and definitely starting shooting late but last year I took the hunter's safety course and next month I'll be heading out with a friend for my first hunt.

I'm extremely scientific and methodical when it comes to everything I do so I have no issue with the process or taking a dear, but the fear of emotion that might overwhelm me was something that has really been bothering me. Reading this thread is a huge encouragement to me. Thank you.

 

[Derwood]

This is a good discussion. My father took me fishing often but he never hunted. I very clearly remember catching a catfish when I was 7 and learning that those things do not die quickly. I felt really bad about it gasping for air, so my dad told me I should kill before fileting it. I hammered a nail through its head to kill it. A lot of blood came out and I felt really guilty.

My great-grandfather was a hunter, but he died when my grandfather was only five years old. So my grandfather never learned to hunt, and as a result my father never hunted and I never went as a kid. When I was 20 my house was broken into several times while I was home. I was in college and recently two students had been murdered during break-ins, so I decided to go buy a gun. I went to a gun store outside of Baltimore and ended up with an Ithcca Model 37 12-gauge full choke.

Since I now had a shotgun I decided to investigate hunting. I always figured I'd be a hypocrite if I couldn't handle killing animals since I love eating meat. I asked around and it turned out one of my friends from NJ went hunting with his father often and had a lease on a farm that season. I took a safety class in MD and got a NJ and MD license. We drove up to the lease in northern NJ and within five minutes of stepping out of the car we spotted two squirrels chasing each other in a tree. I shot one of them. It fell from the tree and I ran over to check on it. It was shot well, but as I came up to it it gave one last little rattling breath, like "hehhhchhh" from between its little ratty teeth and then stopped moving. I felt bad for about 3 seconds and then thought "woah, I got one. This is great!" I skinned it on the spot, built a small fire and roasted it on a stick. We quickly ate the squirrel and then went out to a field where my friend managed to shoot three doves, which were delicious.

I've since gone waterfowl hunting about 20 times, and deer hunting 20-30 times. The worst I've ever felt is when I shot a bufflehead duck and when I retrieved it from the river it was still very much alive. I quickly rung its neck but accidentally twisted it so hard that I pulled it's head clean off and the bird's body went flying back into the water. I ended up with just a "buffle" instead of a "bufflehead." I really felt like I disgraced the beautiful bird and didn't like that one bit. I finally killed my first deer last year and again, I felt that twinge of remorse followed by deep satisfaction and anticipation of a good meal.

I think that feeling of remorse/appreciation/reality check is part of what makes hunting such a great activity. No one feels remorse for the chicken they buy on a styrofoam tray or the vacuum-packed pork shoulder.