noharleyyet
Well-known member
Know your audience. Strangers get cordial generalities unless a tactful salutation is necessary...never a debate.
Harvesting Wildlife
- Thread starter Europe
- Start date
Only had one non hunter encounter go sideways. Everything was good. Until the wolf picture. mtmuley
noharleyyet
Well-known member
After frequently having to make better second impressions I attempted to make better first ones. Sometimes I failed twice, miserably...
TwistedSage
Well-known member
Its weird to try and put into words the feeling I have when harvesting an animal but I'll give it a shot for better or worse...
Dove and quail hunted is almost pure excitement and I love watching my dog retrieve a bird its it's a good swim or he goes into brush to find and retrieve I am all the more proud.
The whitetail hunting I have done in TX and NJ I was always gratuitous to get any animal and enjoyed the meat I got from it. Mostly I was happy to have a deer and climb down from the stand. I am not a very good whitetail(stand) hunter and I enjoyed waterfowling much more. I have only taken I guess "average" whitetail which were in abundance.
I passionately enjoy waterfowl hunting and enjoyed that more than anything while living in the north east. Just so involved, the drive, the boat, decoy spread, sunrise shoot, and I believe ducks to he amongst the most beautiful creatures out there. Wood duck may be my favorite game meat. Haven't had it since I left NJ.
Last year I felt a new feeling I have never felt, I was lucky enough to take a mature very nice 4 point muley in the public sandhills of eastern NM. I played it right and walked into the wind never skylines myself glassed over every ridge before doing so ect. After probably 6 or seventh crests I peaked over and first tho g I saw was bone and a lot of it. 130 yard away on the far hill with a steady cross wind. He had no idea I was there. I fumble forward and pulled off a off hand fatal shot. He stood up looked at the top of the hill then fell down it. This buck was so big and I had just been so luck he was there. He had survived all those years only to have me stumble upon almost on dumb luck. I almost felt unworthy. Once I had gotten home and told my wife and saw her excitement for me and the deer it started to change. I went into town to get ice and beer to help with the butcher job and once I walked in the store o felt like I was on top of the world. No one even knew I had such a magnificent animal waito g at home.e for me to cut up for meat and turn into a trophy. This has also been the best tasting venison I have ever had. I have been enjoying it more every time I see the skull in our family room and every time I see it or my girls beg me for jerkey.
Edit: I have never ran into to talked to a anti hunter, I guess I do t get out much. I did have a cousin growing up that was vegetarian for a few years but my family is so oriented around good meat I mean we have Turkey out of tradition but the main staple at Thanksgiving is whole smoked pig so she never really talked about it. She is no longer vegetarian and brought smoked brisket chili to the last Thanksgiving
Dove and quail hunted is almost pure excitement and I love watching my dog retrieve a bird its it's a good swim or he goes into brush to find and retrieve I am all the more proud.
The whitetail hunting I have done in TX and NJ I was always gratuitous to get any animal and enjoyed the meat I got from it. Mostly I was happy to have a deer and climb down from the stand. I am not a very good whitetail(stand) hunter and I enjoyed waterfowling much more. I have only taken I guess "average" whitetail which were in abundance.
I passionately enjoy waterfowl hunting and enjoyed that more than anything while living in the north east. Just so involved, the drive, the boat, decoy spread, sunrise shoot, and I believe ducks to he amongst the most beautiful creatures out there. Wood duck may be my favorite game meat. Haven't had it since I left NJ.
Last year I felt a new feeling I have never felt, I was lucky enough to take a mature very nice 4 point muley in the public sandhills of eastern NM. I played it right and walked into the wind never skylines myself glassed over every ridge before doing so ect. After probably 6 or seventh crests I peaked over and first tho g I saw was bone and a lot of it. 130 yard away on the far hill with a steady cross wind. He had no idea I was there. I fumble forward and pulled off a off hand fatal shot. He stood up looked at the top of the hill then fell down it. This buck was so big and I had just been so luck he was there. He had survived all those years only to have me stumble upon almost on dumb luck. I almost felt unworthy. Once I had gotten home and told my wife and saw her excitement for me and the deer it started to change. I went into town to get ice and beer to help with the butcher job and once I walked in the store o felt like I was on top of the world. No one even knew I had such a magnificent animal waito g at home.e for me to cut up for meat and turn into a trophy. This has also been the best tasting venison I have ever had. I have been enjoying it more every time I see the skull in our family room and every time I see it or my girls beg me for jerkey.
Edit: I have never ran into to talked to a anti hunter, I guess I do t get out much. I did have a cousin growing up that was vegetarian for a few years but my family is so oriented around good meat I mean we have Turkey out of tradition but the main staple at Thanksgiving is whole smoked pig so she never really talked about it. She is no longer vegetarian and brought smoked brisket chili to the last Thanksgiving
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bobbydean
Well-known member
I have never had the misfortune to run into anti hunters. Non hunters are no problem.
Hunt rural SE New Mexico. It is not a haven for antihunting.
Hunt rural SE New Mexico. It is not a haven for antihunting.
Goatshoes
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and there's the problem....
Most of the people don't care what "ammo" you have. They have deep seated emotions about their position and they are most likely just baiting you. Further, it is very rare that you can solve an emotional concern with logic. Say something pleasant or nothing at ll and don't engage them. If the person has a genuine curiosity and willing to learn you'll know it and your responses are best served over an elk/antelope/deer venison steak. If they can't accept such a gracious offer, they aren't legitimately open minded.
bobbydean and twistedsage--thanks guys,
goat shoes, no one can argue with the logic of your post and thank you for it. Not always, but many times there are young people with nothing better to do and for one reason or another they follow, sometimes without even having any real knowledge of what they are protesting or agreeing with. Their minds are fertile and inquisitive and are willing to listen to more than one narrative. Hunting, shooting, firearms, are being attacked on a daily basis and I refuse to roll over and play dead, at least while I am still kicking. I wont garner any more future hunters on this site as everyone here already hunts and enjoys doing so. But if I can convince others to give it a try, I will. Or to even help them understand where the hunting dollars go and if they eat beef or pork, how it is not that much different from what they are doing now, as someone someplace killed that steer that provided the steak they are enjoying.
However, if your talking about those who are screaming and threatening, I am in complete agreement with you.
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dirtclod Az.
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We live in the desert, Not the "Sticks"Wildlife is our everyday life.
I don't hunt to kill.I am managing my families and my life.
Live and let live.Let nature take it's course.
They our our resourses. and...( conservation)
Learn from our mistakes.
I don't hunt to kill.I am managing my families and my life.
Live and let live.Let nature take it's course.
They our our resourses. and...( conservation)
Learn from our mistakes.
BrentD
Well-known member
The "H" word always comes up in these conversations. I confess I don't use it much, but then I don't use it when I talk about growing and eating carrots either. I want to say I don't really care much about the details of the vocabulary, but that would be a lie. I do, but differently.
Not everything I do is hunting, though it may require a hunting tag and license. However, in some cases it is just grocery shopping. I shot two doe antelope last year in Wyoming while mule deer hunting. The does were targets of opportunity, taken for the sole purpose of filling the freezer with food. They required no more skill to kill and "reduce to bag" than jis required for a trip to the the grocer to pick out a dozen tomatoes and a pound of mushrooms. When I shoot a doe whitetail behind my house, it is grocery shopping. When I shoot a squirrel behind the house, it is probably hunting. The line is thin and grey and easily missed by others if they care to no the difference. I don't worry much about explaining it however.
Not everything I do is hunting, though it may require a hunting tag and license. However, in some cases it is just grocery shopping. I shot two doe antelope last year in Wyoming while mule deer hunting. The does were targets of opportunity, taken for the sole purpose of filling the freezer with food. They required no more skill to kill and "reduce to bag" than jis required for a trip to the the grocer to pick out a dozen tomatoes and a pound of mushrooms. When I shoot a doe whitetail behind my house, it is grocery shopping. When I shoot a squirrel behind the house, it is probably hunting. The line is thin and grey and easily missed by others if they care to no the difference. I don't worry much about explaining it however.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
There's so little I can add that others haven't already articulated better than I could. However, I will add that for the most part I'm too busy going "Holy sh!t, I can't believe that just happened!" to get too caught up in the big picture of the moment. But I'm a pretty shitty hunter, so there's that.
After the kill I quickly shift to the logistics of turning it into food, skipping right over the feeling bad part. That part comes later, long after the fact, sometimes years later, usually sitting someplace quiet, then, sometimes, the seriousness catching up to me. Not always though.
I've almost never encountered an anti-hunter, I have encountered a few anti-trophy hunters, and from what I've seen I have a better chances of turning an conservative R into a liberal D. The question I have unsuccessfully thrown back at them is "what have you done for the animal?" and if I get really worked up (never a good sign) "I've never killed anything that wasn't going to die anyway. You show me a bear that lives forever and I'll stop trying to shoot him."
After the kill I quickly shift to the logistics of turning it into food, skipping right over the feeling bad part. That part comes later, long after the fact, sometimes years later, usually sitting someplace quiet, then, sometimes, the seriousness catching up to me. Not always though.
I've almost never encountered an anti-hunter, I have encountered a few anti-trophy hunters, and from what I've seen I have a better chances of turning an conservative R into a liberal D. The question I have unsuccessfully thrown back at them is "what have you done for the animal?" and if I get really worked up (never a good sign) "I've never killed anything that wasn't going to die anyway. You show me a bear that lives forever and I'll stop trying to shoot him."
I grew up plucking chickens & bunnies for our dinner. 60's
That grew into hunting early where hunting was not everyday deal, & no one talked about it. 70's
Kept my hunting low profile in 80's due to prospective customers as a builder.
Met my mate, a Brit foodie in 90. She did not approve until she ate a deer backstrap. Then it was all hands on deck to fill our freezer & she would tolerate my obsessing over draws & scouting trips to the Sierra's or NM. We entertained many a non hunter & I would feed them deer & elk & we had converts. We showed the wine growers how to take the wild pigs & make a feast to follow with their wines....fun times. Killer meals & forever friends.
Now I live where most everyone hunts or is "woke" to hunting. You can find a blood stained camo wearing hunter next to a rainbow haired gal from who knows where off the CDT in Oct.
Sat. it was turkey hunters & scouters ,cosmopolitans from NY in the Pie-o-Neer & lots of laughs over pie.
..& "D" asked me if I was coming to coast anytime soon for a visit & if I was could I bring some elk meat.
As far as run ins these days, if they don't understand then I do not bother with them. They are ignorant.
I still can't believe I live where I can take an elk ,deer or antelope from my own property along with the surrounding thousands of acres of public lands nearby if so fortunate.
I still never find time for pics and focus on filling that freezer & the tenderloin for dinner.
That grew into hunting early where hunting was not everyday deal, & no one talked about it. 70's
Kept my hunting low profile in 80's due to prospective customers as a builder.
Met my mate, a Brit foodie in 90. She did not approve until she ate a deer backstrap. Then it was all hands on deck to fill our freezer & she would tolerate my obsessing over draws & scouting trips to the Sierra's or NM. We entertained many a non hunter & I would feed them deer & elk & we had converts. We showed the wine growers how to take the wild pigs & make a feast to follow with their wines....fun times. Killer meals & forever friends.
Now I live where most everyone hunts or is "woke" to hunting. You can find a blood stained camo wearing hunter next to a rainbow haired gal from who knows where off the CDT in Oct.
Sat. it was turkey hunters & scouters ,cosmopolitans from NY in the Pie-o-Neer & lots of laughs over pie.
..& "D" asked me if I was coming to coast anytime soon for a visit & if I was could I bring some elk meat.
As far as run ins these days, if they don't understand then I do not bother with them. They are ignorant.
I still can't believe I live where I can take an elk ,deer or antelope from my own property along with the surrounding thousands of acres of public lands nearby if so fortunate.
I still never find time for pics and focus on filling that freezer & the tenderloin for dinner.
I am another who has never harvested an animal. I’ve harvested plenty of fruits and vegetables but I kill animals. I always feel a little sad for mammals I kill but less so with birds. Not really at all for fish and killing bugs is just something I gotta do.
I was working one day when out of the blue a guy approached me and said “I suppose you’re a hunter.” I admitted I was and he introduced himself as someone who made his living as an animal rights activist. He had just left Washington where he was lobbying the legislature on some issue concerning elk and was driving to Florida to save the Manatees. We had a short conversation (I had to get back to working) During that conversation I reminded him that he and I were the same when it came to killing. We both killed animals and he probably more than I because he drove thousands more miles than I did. While driving he killed millions of bugs and countless small animals he didn’t even see. I told him the only difference was what animals we chose to kill and why. As for hunting I killed specific animals for food and for deep rooted feelings he could never, as a nonhunter, understand. He chose to kill countless nameless and faceless critters just because it would be inconvenient not to.
I don’t know that he accepted my premise but I think I made him think.
I was working one day when out of the blue a guy approached me and said “I suppose you’re a hunter.” I admitted I was and he introduced himself as someone who made his living as an animal rights activist. He had just left Washington where he was lobbying the legislature on some issue concerning elk and was driving to Florida to save the Manatees. We had a short conversation (I had to get back to working) During that conversation I reminded him that he and I were the same when it came to killing. We both killed animals and he probably more than I because he drove thousands more miles than I did. While driving he killed millions of bugs and countless small animals he didn’t even see. I told him the only difference was what animals we chose to kill and why. As for hunting I killed specific animals for food and for deep rooted feelings he could never, as a nonhunter, understand. He chose to kill countless nameless and faceless critters just because it would be inconvenient not to.
I don’t know that he accepted my premise but I think I made him think.
np307
Well-known member
Every animal (not that I have a ton of experience to draw from) that I've ever killed has been met with a different set of emotions, though some were very similar. The first animal I killed was a squirrel and I remember how little it really impacted me in the moment (partially due to the excitement of having another one in a tree to get after). I killed a raccoon once as a target of opportunity while squirrel hunting (on orders from the landowner). That was a strange feeling because it was the first animal I killed simply to manage the land, not as purely for food. The first time I killed a deer I was ecstatic but ten minutes later a fawn (I didn't realize it in the moment as it didn't have spots) walked out and I greedily took it too (we're allowed up to 4 does in NC). Though the first doe died immediately, the second doe was crippled and my follow-up shot ruined a lot of meat. That one brought quite a bit of guilt because of how poorly I executed (excuse the pun) the whole situation. My first buck brought was pure excitement and was especially cool because I shared the moment with my wife. The doe I killed that year was almost mechanical. No extreme excitement or other feelings associated with it. Both of my turkeys have filled me with adrenaline (even more than the deer I've killed). I'm sure as time goes on, the reality of the kill will become mostly like the doe I killed last year. Excited to accomplish my goal, but mechanically so. Certainly not remorseful. And I'm also sure that I'll have experiences from time to time that I'll regret, like that fawn I killed. But when I lay down at night to go to sleep, none of that weighs on my mind.
Tradewind
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Say it ain't so.........
The expressively magniloquent thesaurian deficiently defending a debate......pshaw
rtraverdavis
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I had a student ask me this very question today—how do I feel killing an animal? We talked for a while, and I shared a lot of what many here have already mentioned. This year’s class has been really interested in the fact that I hunt, and I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of hunting diplomacy. Pretty cool.
Best thing I did was bring a bunch of elk jerky for kids to chew on while doing class work. Food got them excited, and all they cared about was hearing the story of the hunt, the habits of elk, how to get one...
Best thing I did was bring a bunch of elk jerky for kids to chew on while doing class work. Food got them excited, and all they cared about was hearing the story of the hunt, the habits of elk, how to get one...
well done! So many people get so caught up in life they never stop to smell the roses. Others simply never have the opportunity. Years ago, we would take other children with our children and do things,( not just camping and/or hunting ) that opened their eyes ( and minds ) to a whole new world. One of the things I enjoyed ( and still do ) is also learning from them. I will continue to sell, teach, and discuss the beautiful, exciting, fulfilling art of "hunting" and all the benefits associated with it--exercise, food, companionship, camping, fresh air, and the scenery and solitude of being in the great outdoors. I wish I was still capable of killing, shooting, hunting or harvesting .
I have enjoyed reading the varied opinions and thank you for them .
dirtclod Az.
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I always kneel down,think about the life I have just taken and say
thank you.Life is precious. What if I was the quarry? Would you stop
and contemplate what you'd just done?
thank you.Life is precious. What if I was the quarry? Would you stop
and contemplate what you'd just done?
I view the wildlife as a renewable resource that god gave us to use for our benefit. At times food and at times just to enjoy anyway we see fit with respect for the life and the gift from him. It depends what kind of individual I'm defending hunting or shooting activities too as too what I say. I mean in all honesty what would you say to a lesbian/ anti gun/atheist/anti hunting/vegan/ way far left individual who lives in a 10th floor apartment building in a city. Not much to really say unless they come to you with an open mind as I just don't believe the real message will be heard or understood or have any meaning.
Folks like that I don’t really argue with, I just let them say what they want and then maybe kind of agree with them on a some points, but the last thing I do is let it get me worked up.
Back in my Tinder daze, I had hunting pics on my profile, so I interacted with quite a few girls about hunting and got asked a lot of questions, and not firing back or jumping down their throat like it’s a debate really went a long ways. I wasn’t exactly on tinder to win the hearts and minds of the female populace over to hunting...... but I did my best.
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