How do you justify your hunting ?

bunny shooter

I hunt 'cause (1) I like to, (2) I eat most of what I shoot and (3) when shooting vermin it hopefully gives vulnerable species a better chance of survival.

It wasn't me!

To be a participant in the natural order of things. I find the notion espoused by so-called nature lovers that we should leave well alone to be very strange. Last I checked we didn't arrive by flying saucer and seek only to observe the planet; we evolved with it, hunting and killing for food, developing more and more advanced ways of doing it, and to say that we should stop being a part of the food chain and the natural environment is an idea I just can't agree with. At some point I want to be entirely self-sufficient in terms of meat and fish, but that's a bit of a way off yet. However, hunting is the most natural and ethical way to source your food, as you can be sure the animal lived in good conditions and died humanely, and you get a responsibility and a sense of participation you can't get any other way.

BryanL

I never justify it, i ask people why they don't hunt?

Vegeta

bunny shooter wrote: »

I hunt 'cause (1) I like to, (2) I eat most of what I shoot and (3) when shooting vermin it hopefully gives vulnerable species a better chance of survival.

all of the above and I have a love of firearms

jwshooter

i am at the top of the food chain

Sparks

Who's asking you to justify it?
I mean, I could imagine being asked to justify methods allright (in fact, I can see it becoming a long thread on here depending on the method ), but an omnivore being asked to justify hunting itself seems a tad silly.

whitser

i dont. hunt hard,kill swiftly and offer no apolagies.

nice1franko

What's to justify??

The only people who could reasonably argue with hunters are vegans and even then it just boils down to a difference of opinion and neither'll ever talk the other around.

As for having to "justify" hunting to people who think meat grows on supermarket shelves? fukc that... if you can't kill it you've no business eating it.

Vegeta

Sparks wrote: »

Who's asking you to justify it?

Sadly, most of society I suspect.

I mean, I could imagine being asked to justify methods allright (in fact, I can see it becoming a long thread on here depending on the method ), but an omnivore being asked to justify hunting itself seems a tad silly.

Well I know you love a well cooked home made meal Sparks. You can have all the foxes, etc I shoot.

Then I would ask the question of you, as an omnivore, why don't you hunt? (I realise you wouldn't find time in the day to, but is time the only reason?)

playing devils advocate here as I think its a good topic

stevoman

i dont bother trying to debate the issue with anyone anymore, if they dont like it, tough. its not illegal what im doing.

I had pigeon curry for dinner monday night, the people who say im cruel ask how could i eat pigeon their "the rats of the sky". you see the people who say these comments have no clue what they are talking about, but they beleive they know everything about the topic. The best response to these people i find is "you know, your dead right, your 100% correct". It really gets under their skin!

people can be such hypocrites its unreal. one of my collegues had a debate with me that what i was doing is cruel one day, ten minutes later my collegue is organising 10 cattle to go to the abotoir. yeah its work and all that but is that not cruel in their eyes aswell?

people have misconceptions of bunnies bouncing around in paradise, they watch the fox and the hound cartoons and they think its real life.

Sparks

Vegeta wrote: »

Sadly, most of society I suspect.

To be honest, I've yet to meet a non-ICABS member (or non-extreme vegan) who disagreed with hunting for the pot. Trophy hunting, yes, but there's not much of that in Ireland really.

Well I know you love a well cooked home made meal Sparks. You can have all the foxes, etc I shoot.

Not even with all the chilli in my pantry at once. But the free-range chickens and lamb that get raised because you cull the fox population grace my table regularly...

Then I would ask the question of you, as an omnivore, why don't you hunt? (I realise you wouldn't find time in the day to, but is time the only reason?)

A mix of convenience (I don't have to do it, someone else has done it for me), a lack of interest in doing it myself (it's sortof like driving to my mind - necessary and not unpleasant but not actually enjoyable either - to each their own and all that) and an odd kind of squeamishness about butchering (folks, if you have kids and are in the civil defence or red cross, please don't let your kids play with the training kit and the fake blood and the injury makeup and that sort of thing, they may not ever be able to break up a chicken without thinking of popping human joints as a result, even if they do know how to splint a compound fracture before they can spell it...).

Grizzly 45

Born into a hunting family,raised in it's traditions,will die in it and for it.
It is part of the natural order of things on this planet,called the food chain,we are on top of it,so we eat what is below us.
Justify it to a bunch of people who think they are somhow morally and intellectually superior because they dont eat meat,and use bad arguements and terror tactics and intimidation to justify their warped ideals...NEVER!!!
I have given up debating with those kind of people a long time ago.
anyone says to me how can I shoot whatever animal.
I simply respond.Simple really,just give them enough lead,or make sure the scope X hairs are nicely centred on the target.

Trojan911

BryanL wrote: »

I never justify it

Same here. I just go out and do it. Each to their own.

riflehunter77

Its something ive done since I was a young fella, weather it be hunting or fishing. I still rememeber the first time my father helped me fire my first shot from his shotgun, I think I was only 5 or so years old. I believe if you grow up hunting and fishing you have even more respect for your prey and there natural habbait. I try not to discuss issues re hunting to people who dont understand why I hunt.I keep hearing how can you shoot a little bunny rabbit ? what did you feel when you shot that pheasant to this iv started answering RECOIL, that usually ends the conversation. I hope to continue hunting and fishing for the rest of my life, its a huge part of life.

pullandbang

stevoman wrote: »

people have misconceptions of bunnies bouncing around in paradise, they watch the fox and the hound cartoons and they think its real life.

I remember from years back a photo in one of our shooting magazines, Shooting News I think it was back then. This now is about 25 years ago.

The photo was of a butcher's shop window in England somewhere and was not long after the film "Watership Down" was out. He had the window full of rabbits hanging from racks and a big sign in the middle that read;

"You've read the book,
You've seen the film,
now eat the cast"

Brilliant:D:D.....don't think he'd get away withn it today!

clivej

I've only just started the hunting again after many years away. I eat the bunny's, tastes just as good as when Mother used to buy them from the butchers.
My son has just started shooting as well and the best bit about it all is I get to go out with my son shooting, we have a good time when we are together.
I've had all the "Your a cruel man, How can you do that" and all the rest, so I just don't tell people now that I hunt and shoot.
But hell a mans gota do whats a mans gota do.

bunny shooter

pullandbang wrote: »

I remember from years back a photo in one of our shooting magazines, Shooting News I think it was back then. This now is about 25 years ago.

The photo was of a butcher's shop window in England somewhere and was not long after the film "Watership Down" was out. He had the window full of rabbits hanging from racks and a big sign in the middle that read;

"You've read the book,
You've seen the film,
now eat the cast"

Brilliant:D:D.....don't think he'd get away withn it today!

That made me laugh, cheers

IRLConor

pullandbang wrote: »

"You've read the book,
You've seen the film,
now eat the cast"

Brilliant:D:D.....don't think he'd get away withn it today!

I seem to remember a butcher somewhere in Dublin doing the same thing shortly after Babe hit the cinemas.

Grizzly 45

That was a chuckle all right! More power to anyone who still sticks up two fingers to the PC brigade that want to micro manage all of our lives.:D

bunny shooter

My opening post asks the question. I should clarify, justify it to yourself. I am not a monster, really I'm not , I have my reasons and as long as it's legal i will continue. I justify hunting to myself for the reasons stated. I'm not really bothered about others opinions of me for doing it.

patbundy

i just give them a stare bunny

bunny shooter

patbundy wrote: »

i just give them a stare bunny

not the stare

patbundy

Iv being working in a pc factory for a few months now and have free use of their pcs online.when i sign off i leave a picture of shot rabbits or foxes on the screen,no complains so far:D:D:D

meathstevie

I don't have to justify hunting at all. I'm doing nothing illegal, my firearms are licenced, I don't shoot anything out of season either. And it's the best source of genuine good quality meat around.

Vegeta

Does anyone here actually hunt just to kill something, I highly doubt it.

You don't have to justify it to others but you do justify it to yourself.

So why do you hunt?

togster

i hunt because it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Nothing else compares. That's how i justify it to myself

whitser

togster wrote: »

i hunt because it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Nothing else compares. That's how i justify it to myself

same for me. i love it and live it. watching a good hound, terrier, lurcher or any beast work is absolute joy to me.
i do it purley cos i love it, fact that it provides meat or vermin control is an added bonus.

earthmover

Yes lads,i agree with you all,hunting,shooting ,ferretting,and a bit of fishing has always been in my blood and always will be,just to get out with either a shotgun,rifle,lurcher,or terrier,thats what its all about,and if you shoot something or the lurcher picks something up after the terrier bolts it all the better,[something for the pot]just to be in the countryside and breathe the fresh air and leave the hustle and bustle of city life behind you,and helps you unwind after the working week,now thats what,s it all about.

meathstevie

It's simple indeed : the chase, the kill, the meal. That's probably why I go crosseyed with boredom after about half an hour of clay shooting....

Sparks

meathstevie wrote: »

It's simple indeed : the chase, the kill, the meal. That's probably why I go crosseyed with boredom after about half an hour of clay shooting....

You probably just need a better marinade.

meathstevie

Plenty of substance alright Sparks, it's just the gritty bits that are doing my head in