There's this question I have been wanting to ask for a long time

[newapti5]

It may be a silly question, but what is the fun in hunting? I know a lot of anglers are avid hunters as well, and I am not vegetarian or afraid of killing animals. But I just don't see the joy in killing any living things. A lot of my Asian friends love to eat all sort of fish,  and I like eating salmon, too. But the killing part is the least fun part for me. Is it a culture thing? 

[flyfisher]

Just like any hobby I guess.   I am not a hunter and the appeal of hunting isn't there for me in the slightest.  I do think most who hunt are raised in that mindset though.  I don't think I have ever met someone who said yeah I am gonna take up hunting as an adult but I have met a lot of people who did it with fishing.  

[newapti5]

3 minutes ago, flyfisher said:

I do think most who hunt are raised in that mindset though

 

That makes sense?

[lynxcat]

24 minutes ago, newapti5 said:

It may be a silly question, but what is the fun in hunting? I know a lot of anglers are avid hunters as well, and I am not vegetarian or afraid of killing animals. But I just don't see the joy in killing any living things. A lot of my Asian friends love to eat all sort of fish,  and I like eating salmon, too. But the killing part is the least fun part for me. Is it a culture thing? 

Challenge of conquering the foe. It’s built into our wiring to survive and becoming the apex predator. It’s far from required in today’s modernity however this is really a very recent reality in the span of human existence. 

[newapti5]

33 minutes ago, lynxcat said:

Challenge of conquering the foe

 

I think fishing is similar in the sense of outsmarting a wild fish, but I don't have to kill it to have the feeling of accomplishment. The power to decide its fate is a good enough substitute. 

[DitchPanda]

I have a good buddy who is a very good pan fisherman and an avid bow hunter. He's tried for years to get me into bow hunting..but its just not my thing. I have no issue killing an animal or fish...hunting just doesn't appeal to me never has. I eat fish quite regularly.. I don't enjoy the killing part but I don't hate it either its just a necessary part of the cycle of meat consumption. I try my best to make sure the fish don't suffer and they don't go to waste..that's my best way to honor the sacrifice of life.

[BrianMDTX]

Imagine fishing for bass…but never setting the hook. You get them to chase the bait…but never catch a fish. Would that be something you would do intentionally? No, you would not. You may fish long periods of time and never set the hook, but catching the bass and landing it is the intent. 
 

Hunting is basically the same. The joy is in the preparation, the scouting, setting stands, and getting into position for a killing shot. And you can hunt for years and never attain that. But it is the goal. And without that, it’s observing animals in their habitat, but it’s not hunting. 
 

The kill is both climatic and anti-climatic. But without the kill (or the goal of the kill), it’s not hunting. 
 

Besides, wild game is great table fare!!

[cyclops2]

Call me as your hunting buddy when they sell Catch & Release bullets at real distances.

I do recall a few guns that took a picture of the animal when the trigger was pulled.........

No bullet was fired.

Why I feed carp in isolated areas.  Soft wire hooks & no barbs. Best I can do.  I time my self on the first pick up.  

My real or great stepfather never taught me to fish. 

[gim]

I’m an avid hunter. I hunt deer in November, pheasants in Nov/Dec, and turkeys in April/May. All of my hunting is with a firearm, as I do not archery hunt.

 

There are many reasons I do it. None of them are for killing or eating a wild animal.  The primary reasons I like to deer and turkey hunt is because I enjoy nature, and I enjoy the solitude. It’s peaceful. Deer hunting has taught me to be a patient person.  I see a lot of wildlife in a natural setting that most people never see outside of a zoo. It offers me the chance to get away from the grind of daily life for a few days every year. Hunting is something I grew up doing with my Grandfather before he died of cancer in 2012. I still do it with my own Father every season too. It’s something we enjoy doing together, just like fishing.

 

Pheasant hunting is a little different. Instead of sitting and waiting, I walk around with my dog. It’s good exercise and my dog also loves doing it. She was bred to find, flush, and retrieve birds.

 

That being said, if a population of birds or animals is threatened, I am fine with more restrictions which allows their population to rebound. Over harvest is something I am very much against, and so is poaching.

 

I try to eat what I harvest. Some venison is tough and leathery because it’s an old deer, and I don’t particularly care for wild turkey. I’ve also hunted waterfowl and they are more of an acquired taste. Canadian goose is terrible. It’s not even edible lol.

[Jaderose]

I don't hunt but I get the appeal as it seems to me to be basically the same (or close to it) as fishing.  What I DON'T understand is trophy hunting.  The just seems like blood sport to me but as long as people are doing things in a legal manner, it's also none of my business.  There are many things in this old world that I don't like or understand but as I've gotten older, I've come to realize that a lot of things aren't up to me so move on.

[gim]

9 minutes ago, Jaderose said:

What I DON'T understand is trophy hunting.

There is a substantial portion of big game hunters that are only in it for a trophy caliber animal. Some people hunt their whole lives looking for Mr Big. It’s like catching the biggest bass of your lifetime. Some hunters are only in it for the meat though too. It comes down to what each hunter wants out of their hunting season.

 

I’ve got one deer mount on my wall that I got in 2012. It took me 18 years to get that buck. I look at it every day with the satisfaction of knowing that I accomplished the goal at least once.

 

The deer was not wasted. I donated it to a food shelf through the Minnesota Venison Donation Program.

[Jaderose]

Just now, gimruis said:

There is a substantial portion of big game hunters that are only in it for a trophy caliber animal. Some people hunt their whole lives looking for Mr Big. It’s like catching the biggest bass of your lifetime. Some hunters are only in it for the meat though too.

 

I’ve got one deer mount on my wall that I got in 2012. It took me 18 years to get that buck. I look at it every day with the satisfaction of knowing that I accomplished the goal at least once.

 

The deer was not wasted. I donated it to a food shelf through the Minnesota Venison Donation Program.

I understand that and have nothing against it.  No offense meant.  I guess I was mostly talking about apex predator hunts or very large game like elephants or that kind of thing.  

[gim]

3 minutes ago, Jaderose said:

I understand that and have nothing against it.  No offense meant.  I guess I was mostly talking about apex predator hunts or very large game like elephants or that kind of thing.  

Hunting generates a lot of revenue for state agencies that offer licenses too, especially for non residents. People pay big money to go on guided hunts for moose, elk, deer, antelope, bear, etc.  It is usually a lottery-drawn tag or permit.

[Catt]

Y'all eat beef or pork or chicken?

 

Somebody had to kill & butcher em!

 

Some of us like eating wild game & fish.

 

Question for y'all 

 

Ya like fishing?

 

You are hunting bass!

[WRB]

There are basically 2 groups of humans; hunters and gathers.

Hunters put meat on the table and gathers add vegetables. 

Both groups work together to survive.

The hunter studies the prey in order to locate it and get close enough to make a quick hill. Wounding the animal requires tracking it down to kill it and bring it home to the table. The hunting skills and gathers are learned over generations, it’s genetic.

Fish are animals and like all animals a renewable resource. The hunter knows to protect this resource as does the gathers knows to to harvest only what is needed. To over harvest destroys the resource.

The sport of hunting and fishing goes back to the basics of mankind. We hunt or gather because it’s who we are.

Tom 

 

[CrashVector]

The challenge...the getting out in nature...the cool crisp air, etc.

 

It's more than one thing.

[PressuredFishing]

Fishing is pretty much hunting swimming animals, so you in theory do like hunting.

[Mobasser]

I see nothing wrong with hunting. I've done a good amount of it in my lifetime. Obey the laws and there's nothing wrong. I eat both fish and game too.

[gim]

I should also say that hunting is not for everyone. My own brother grew up in a hunting family and he only went once in his life because he simply did not enjoy it. The concept of getting up at 4:30 in the morning and sitting in a deer stand or turkey blind for hours on end just didn’t appeal to him.

[Bluebasser86]

Probably a little bit of a primal thing. There's something to be said for knowing where your food comes from also. 

 

True hunters respect the animal and value their lives, that's why we train to take them quickly and cleanly to prevent suffering. Killing is part of nature, which we're part of whether we believe that or not. The deer in the woods has a much greater chance at survival than the cow in feedlot.

[islandbass]

2 hours ago, newapti5 said:

It may be a silly question, but what is the fun in hunting? I know a lot of anglers are avid hunters as well, and I am not vegetarian or afraid of killing animals. But I just don't see the joy in killing any living things. A lot of my Asian friends love to eat all sort of fish,  and I like eating salmon, too. But the killing part is the least fun part for me. Is it a culture thing? 

There was a time when such a skill was critical to survive, especially when it’s hunt to survive vs. hunt for sport. 
 

I don’t hunt either but I know I would love everything about hunting… The tracking, stalking, observing, the putting your mettle and wits vs. they’re generally superior senses. However, I am not willing to pull the final trigger for the kill, especially if it’s for the sport. If I did, I think the bow and arrow might be more appealing than some super rifle for like deer. Now if we’re like a moose or an elephant, hand me that rifle, lol.
 

 If this were a survival scenario, I will not hesitate to hunt. 
 

Hats off to the hunters. It ain’t easy and if our society went to heck in a hand basket, they be the ones to make it. 
 

 

[newapti5]

Thanks guys! A lot of great food for thought. Also intriguing to see so many replies in this V day night. That's saying something. 

 

 

[LrgmouthShad]

Times I've went hunting I enjoy it for the serenity but also a sense of closeness with the Earth and its creatures, especially with the target animals themselves. I'll try to explain more what I mean. Just watching the animals and their normal routine, seeing how they behave, looking into the eyes of one that is staring you down that is sensing something could be wrong. And then, after you kill your target animal, being so close to it and being able to touch it and that feeling of knowing that you killed the animal, you brought the food to the table triggers something very primal.

 

You have to be okay with the idea that because of your place on Earth as a human, you are given authority over its creatures. You also have to keep a conscientiousness and morality about yourself. Just because you are given authority over the Earth's creatures doesn't mean you should kill them in cruel ways. Kind of like how we try to respect fish as fisherman. There's a sense of morality and right and wrong that you gain by hunting and fishing with conscientiousness.

1 minute ago, newapti5 said:

Also intriguing to see so many replies in this V day night. That's saying something. 

Yeah. That I'm lonely

[newriverfisherman1953]

26 minutes ago, CrashVector said:

 

It's more than one thing.

It’s a combination of a lot of things. Just like my reasons for fishing, camping, woodworking…

I enjoy it. I enjoy the time with friends. I like to eat meat. 

[cyclops2]

IIf a neighbor asked me to supply a deer to him because his job is gone. BANG   Bambies mother is dead in my back yard.   NEXT