Why it is called "Hunting" and not "killing"

[willtill]

Ya... crap...

This is why they call it hunting and not killing:

Got in my stand at 0630 this morning.... didn't see anything except a couple of whitetails that flagged me from afar; as they pranced on land adjacent to me that I can't hunt. Sometimes they do come back. The spot that I hunt is a good spot; and I've taken at least 15 deer from it, in 8 years of hunting it....

So... at 0900 I usually disengage if I haven't had any success. I stared down and contemplated the bowed out Strong Built metal ladder stand that I was in. This stand has been attached to the tree for three years straight; and the tree sways and bends and the ladder stand does not. I decided that I'd go ahead and climb down and straighten the ladder out. And then leave for the day.

So I detach my tree harness and toss my cushion to the ground. Then I grab my muzzleloader and climb down to the ground. Lean my muzzleloader against the tree and go to work on the ladder stand.

After about 5 minutes, something made me look up and I see a whitetail high-tailing it away. If I had waited 5 minutes... I could have shot him/her. Muttering to myself... I continue to work on my ladder stand.

Another 10 minutes later, I hear a very distinct "crunch crunch crunch..." coming out of the woods behind me. 'Lo and behold, here comes a big boy 6 point buck straight at me.... 20 yards away... I'm like screaming "shit" silently and he started trotting past me at 20 yards still; I take a step to the tree and grab my muzzleloader and swing it up on him; simultaneously cock the hammer back and look through the scope.

Scope is on 3 for magnification and I have a hard time trying to get the scope on him... swinging the muzzleloader to the left I track him and he's still 20 yards away trotting slowly... perfect broadside shot... I have the crosshairs on his side; right behind his front leg, and he's dead and will drop in a second....

....and then I realize that he walked in front of an area too close for me too shoot him... there are a set of homes and backyards facing the woods I hunt; and they are too close.... in case I missed... or the bullet passes through...

He continues to trot away through the woods and I thumb the hammer and squeeze the trigger; putting it back to uncocked... and lower the muzzleloader.

That buck has NO IDEA how lucky he was this morning.

And I had a wonderful hunt. I saw deer.

 

[wilcam47]

nice story...but at 20yds or so its definitely going to have a pass through...good call on not shooting eventhough you missed/didnt kill a deer. Its not always about getting a deer/buck but about the experience and you had a good one

 

[cmb]

We go "Hunting",not killing; "Fishing",not catching!

 

[outrider58]

that 'five more minutes' thing has plagued me my whole hunting 'career'(over 40 years). I don't have enough fingers and toes to count how many times that's happened to me. It can drive a person batty. that's why I always say, if I sit here long enough, I know I will kill a deer.

just wanted to say, loved your story and I feel your pain.

 

[wilcam47]

thats why I typically hunt afternoon/evenings...after last shooting light you have no choice but to call it a day morning hunts you are gambling on if you leave too early you might see something as you are leaving...

 

[outrider58]

thats why I typically hunt afternoon/evenings...after last shooting light you have no choice but to call it a day morning hunts you are gambling on if you leave too early you might see something as you are leaving...

that's why after gun season comes in, I sit all day.

 

[platoonDaddy]

Very wise decision, one just never knows where the round will end up.

This past year in Western Pa (Indiana County) a baby just a few days old, was struck in the head from a stray bullet. Two hunters 'red-tag hunting' harvest a deer and didn't know the bullet continued on down the hill, across a road, into a window and struck the baby in the head.

Hunters went home and following the PASP investigation, talked to the farmer and advised the officers about two hunters 'red-tag hunting'. They visited the two hunters and of course confiscated their firearms, charges haven't been filed.

One just never knows the final destination of the bullet. Best to be safe!

Now to nit pick: you kill the bad guy and harvest an animal for food!

 

[traveller]

that 'five more minutes' thing has plagued me my whole hunting 'career'(over 40 years). I don't have enough fingers and toes to count how many times that's happened to me. It can drive a person batty. that's why I always say, if I sit here long enough, I know I will kill a deer.

just wanted to say, loved your story and I feel your pain.

Oh, the deer hear you huffing and puffing down from the stand and come to check on the racket in their yard.

 

[outrider58]

''Harvesting'' an animal is a euphemism adopted by the 'hunting community' in recent years to codify non-hunters and the like in an attempt to change the publics' opinion on hunting. Use whatever term you like but, the taking of a life is the #1 definition for killing. And that's what hunting animals with weapons with the intent on consuming their flesh entails.

 

[platoonDaddy]

''Harvesting'' an animal is a euphemism adopted by the 'hunting community' in recent years to codify non-hunters and the like in an attempt to change the publics' opinion on hunting. Use whatever term you like but, the taking of a life is the #1 definition for killing. And that's what hunting animals with weapons with the intent on consuming their flesh entails.

As a boy Living on the farm in the 40 & 50's, my family harvested the animals. Parents who arrived on the shores from the oldCountry, taught us to kill our enemies and harvest animals for food.

Maybe they were ahead of their time, I certainly think so.

 

[K.C.Dean]

Living on a farm where my uncle raised pigs to kill and process every year is killing. Hunting requires skills.

 

[platoonDaddy]

Living on a farm where my uncle raised pigs to kill and process every year is killing. Hunting requires skills.

wife corrected me, they would say vendemmia cibo


EDIT: I could be incorrect, but I doubt they used the term "kill" - did they slaughter or butcher the hogs?

 

[K.C.Dean]

wife corrected me, they would say vendemmia cibo


EDIT: I could be incorrect, but I doubt they used the term "kill" - did they slaughter or butcher the hogs?

They slaughtered butchered and processed everything. Made sausage, packaged the meats. It was a family thing evryone participated and would get a share. The reason I called it killing compared to hunting because of the way it was done. Call the hogs in then shoot them between the eyes with a .22. Then they used one of my uncles tow trucks to lift them up where the hog was bled out and gutted. Not much sport in the whole process. That is the difference to me. I am just a dumb country boy.

 

[davsco]

good call on being safe vs possibly being sorry.

not really related but the other weekend hunting i had a buck and a doe sneak up behind me, i was just sitting on the ground above a field where i hoped/expected to see some deer. they got within 20 yds of me and were eating and kept looking right at me, so i couldn't move at all. after a few minutes (felt like hours) the doe got nervous and trotted away. a couple of minutes later (felt like more hours) the buck started walking away and gave me the opportunity to turn around and blast him.

 

[foxtrapper]

I went out yesterday and was hunting- not killing. I actually could have shot a mangy red fox but it was so close to "deer time" I abstained (about 4:30). The flock of doves on my corn blew off fast is what let me in that something was coming in. The fox didn't try to grab one, nor did it go after one of the squirrels. 1 squirrel snuck down out of the tree as the fox went past, and hightailed it. The other stayed up there till the fox was long gone. The fox stopped and sniffed some stuff a few times, then went padding off right below my stand. No deer came out, but they should have. It felt like "deer" night to me. Maybe stinky mangy fox spooked them? However 20 minutes before last hunting light some owls let loose for about 10 mins. Then as they winded down I heard what sounded like a deer walking behind the thick stand of saplings. It never stepped out, and in fact I stopped hearing it. I heard/saw nothing as I got down and left. I'm wondering if a deer bedded down over there and just let me pass? It was all a very wild and exciting experience having the fox/doves/squirrels, and then the owls, and deer sounding foot steps. I didn't have to kill anything.

 

[5.56blaster]

I call my friend and he drops off half a beef. Im to tired to hunt! Good luck out there! To be honest I really think that hunting is a great thing. Great for the family and I good way to learn the correct way to handle firearms and such. After my last tour overseas I just decided that I don't want to take part in it anymore but God bless those that do. I see so many dead on the road and its just such a waste.

 

[Majikow]

Had this (worrying about a pass through) happen with the same doe twice this year. First time my dad pushed two doe up a thin sliver of woods at me and I was hoping for them to come out down the hill, but they walked up even with me. Had her broadside dead to rights at less than 20 yards but there was no backstop and I wasn't about to risk shooting my dad.

So they take off east and I track them at a distance and see them lay down between me and a row of houses (of course). Tried to scare them out and get a shot but it was as if they knew to make sure they stayed between me and the houses as they got away. Frustrating, but it's not worth the risk of potentially shooting someone.

 

[trickg]

You, good sir, are a great example of what hunting and being a hunter is all about IMO. Thanks for posting!