Small animal hunting

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I was raised the same as most here; "if you kill it you eat it". I have tried to teach my son that lesson and found out this past year that he learns well. On the next to last day of deer season I watched him pass on a shot at several doe. It would have been easy for him to kill one but he chose not to. We talked about it later and he told me that we already had enough meat in the freezer. It didn't matter that I had put it there and he had not taken a deer. I've never came home any prouder and empty handed. I've seen him pass on shots at small game for the same reason.
 
Large or small, as long as it's legal and responsible, there is no problem with plinking animals for fun, profit, trophy or food. "You kill it, you eat it" is a quick, easy rule of thumb, but that's all. Simple rules are usually best suited for simple minds.
 
People that would kill just for the fun of it or just for a trophy and they would let the meat rot without even donating it to a homeless shelter...are some real pieces of shit. :)
 
In many states, leaving a big game animal to rot is a serious criminal offense.

Hunters Against Hunger is one organization to which people can donate any extra meat.

DancesWithKnives
 
shecky said:
Large or small, as long as it's legal and responsible, there is no problem with plinking animals for fun, profit, trophy or food. "You kill it, you eat it" is a quick, easy rule of thumb, but that's all. Simple rules are usually best suited for simple minds.
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If I'm simple minded for not getting my jollies by exploding small animals for fun,then so be it.:rolleyes:
 
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The shooting of small varmits for fun is not as it seems... Game departments sell NR hunting licenses to many hunters to come to their states and shoot prairie dogs which are left lay in the field.

This may seem wasteful on its face but in all reality it is a very important wildlife control technique. P-dogs are a major carrier of bubonic plague and live on a boom/bust cycle as well. P-dogs will consume ALL edible grazing greenery while breeding like, well, umm... Rabbits. When the population numbers get to high they begin to die from starvation and disease until they are practically at zero then it all starts again.

Leaving behind huge (miles sometimes) vacant towns causes a tremendous amount of erosion and cattle/sheep grazing is gone for decades. Combine this with a crash in dependant species numbers and loss of license revenue to the ranchers and it spells trouble.

Varmint hunting is a very important niche. It also serves as a conduit to introduce new hunters/shooters into an aging population. If we are ever going retain our hunting and shooting heritage we need to stick together and support those who zap P-dogs from 300 yards with a 223 as much as we support trappers and knife owners.

The big debate today is one of the 2nd Amendment being defined as sporting as opposed to the original intent of defensive. Once the gun grabbers make the public believe that gun rights are only for sporting purposes then they will work to eliminate the sporting side. Then they work on the edged weapon angle next. Look at England and Australia.

I personally don't bowhunt but support them,don't commercial fish, but support them.Get my point... We must become a united front regardless of our feelings toward what some see as wanton waste.
 
snareaman said:
The shooting of small varmits for fun is not as it seems... Game departments sell NR hunting licenses to many hunters to come to their states and shoot prairie dogs which are left lay in the field.
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There is not a problem with that. Crows, buzzards and insects have to eat as well. But we were really not talking about vermin.

This may seem wasteful on its face but in all reality it is a very important wildlife control technique. P-dogs are a major carrier of bubonic plague and live on a boom/bust cycle as well. P-dogs will consume ALL edible grazing greenery while breeding like, well, umm... Rabbits. When the population numbers get to high they begin to die from starvation and disease until they are practically at zero then it all starts again.
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Again, not really a problem. I'm not a member of the very vocal rattlesnake lobby and if I had a piece of property that was infested with them, I would try to control any rodent problems bringing them near the house but if that didn't work, I'd kill every one of them in the area. But, then again, I would eat them too! :D

Varmint hunting is a very important niche. It also serves as a conduit to introduce new hunters/shooters into an aging population. If we are ever going retain our hunting and shooting heritage we need to stick together and support those who zap P-dogs from 300 yards with a 223 as much as we support trappers and knife owners.
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I basically agree with you except I don't particularly like the bloodlust nature of some of the antics being posted online which can be every bit the ammunition in the anti-gunners argument as a school shooter, you know what I mean?

The big debate today is one of the 2nd Amendment being defined as sporting as opposed to the original intent of defensive. Once the gun grabbers make the public believe that gun rights are only for sporting purposes then they will work to eliminate the sporting side. Then they work on the edged weapon angle next. Look at England and Australia.
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I've been beating that drum for years man. :)
 
acid test for shooting a animal
1. good to eat
2. can I sell its hide to provide for needs
3. does it do damage here.
If the answer to any of these question is yes, then I consider shooting. three no's I don't shoot .
Roy
 
Don Rearic said:
People that would kill just for the fun of it or just for a trophy and they would let the meat rot without even donating it to a homeless shelter...are some real pieces of shit. :)
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I suppose one can harvest the mice, groundhogs, coyotes, feral dogs, etc that are culled, even while one enjoys doing it. Homeless shelters would just love to have it. :rolleyes:

Like I said, simple rules for simple minds.

Don't mind shecky, he's in the menses shed this week apparently. He gets this way.
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I dunno. You're the one exhibiting hysterics. You could actually defend your position with a logical argument rather than engage in a personal and emotionally laden attack.
 
Hey man, I'm just having fun. Just about the only time you post anymore is when you can drop your drawers on something. 8-)
 
Logical argument time:

Reasonable people may disagree on this (without being simple-minded, I might add), but I would argue that for those who see this as being an issue that is in some way tied to gun rights and public perception of shooting sports, the glorification of unnecessary (read: not related to hunting or legitimate forms of population control / crop protection, etc.) killing 'just for fun' does a terrible disservice to responsible hunters and gun owners.

I have already stated that, in my opinion, this sort of behaviour demonstrates lack of character and a lack of respect for nature. If you don't agree, fine. I'm not going to try to convince you.

But even so, I recommend thinking about this from a strategic perspective. Knife enthusiasts know that stories about mall-ninja types irresponsibly whipping out knives does not do us any favours, from a public relations perspective. The same goes for stories about people blasting away at small animals just for kicks. You may want to fall back on an "I don't care what other people think" position, but the fact is that public perception does matter. I have lots of friends who do not hunt or fish. We get along just fine, and they take no issue with such activities. If, on the other hand, they were to catch wind of me killing animals just for kicks, I think it would encourage them to look at the whole hunting / fishing / shooting enterprise very differently.

Again, just my $0.02 CDN.

- Mike
 
Don,

Quit acting like a kid. Insults are not allowed here. I am leaving any further action up to the forum mod, unless you go any further with your personal insults. Deal with the issue rather than make insults.
 
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MikeH said:
have hunted most of my life, and have always eaten what I have shot. I have never shot varmints.

That being said, I have absolutely no problem with varmint shooters. I do not understand the ethic that would say let's poision them in masses because they are pests who ravage crop and pastureland, but heaven forbid if someone gets a little pleasure from shooting them one at a time. Nor do I understand the thought process that
says they are somehow less dead if shot with a .223 than with a .50 Barrett.

If someone is engaged in a legal shooting sport that I do not choose to participate in, then I am all for them. They are my allies, my friends in the gun rights battle, and I
will not condemn them.
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snareaman said:
The shooting of small varmits for fun is not as it seems... Game departments sell NR hunting licenses to many hunters to come to their states and shoot prairie dogs which are left lay in the field.

This may seem wasteful on its face but in all reality it is a very important wildlife control technique. P-dogs are a major carrier of bubonic plague and live on a boom/bust cycle as well. P-dogs will consume ALL edible grazing greenery while breeding like, well, umm... Rabbits. When the population numbers get to high they begin to die from starvation and disease until they are practically at zero then it all starts again.

Leaving behind huge (miles sometimes) vacant towns causes a tremendous amount of erosion and cattle/sheep grazing is gone for decades. Combine this with a crash in dependant species numbers and loss of license revenue to the ranchers and it spells trouble.

Varmint hunting is a very important niche. It also serves as a conduit to introduce new hunters/shooters into an aging population. If we are ever going retain our hunting and shooting heritage we need to stick together and support those who zap P-dogs from 300 yards with a 223 as much as we support trappers and knife owners.

The big debate today is one of the 2nd Amendment being defined as sporting as opposed to the original intent of defensive. Once the gun grabbers make the public believe that gun rights are only for sporting purposes then they will work to eliminate the sporting side. Then they work on the edged weapon angle next. Look at England and Australia.

I personally don't bowhunt but support them,don't commercial fish, but support them.Get my point... We must become a united front regardless of our feelings toward what some see as wanton waste.
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Excellent points, United We Stand. I for one love Rat shooting, no I don't eat them. :)
 
I only hunt for food... grouse, ducks, geese, rabbits, and deer. Ethics are a personal thing. Some guys enjoy varmint hunting, some don't.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Although I disagree with Shecky's sentiments as vehemently as Don does, Don, you are out of line. I'll give you a chance to edit your posts and apologize for the way you said what you said, but if you do not, I will be forced to issue an infraction.
 
plumberroy said:
acid test for shooting a animal
1. good to eat
2. can I sell its hide to provide for needs
3. does it do damage here.
If the answer to any of these question is yes, then I consider shooting. three no's I don't shoot .
Roy
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Very nice summary of the salient points.
 
desmobob said:
I only hunt for food... grouse, ducks, geese, rabbits, and deer. Ethics are a personal thing. Some guys enjoy varmint hunting, some don't.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
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And I firmly support your ethics and the choices you have made regarding when to shoot.

Just remember tho, when someone says you don't need to hunt for food since there is a grocery store on every corner, we still must support one another.

Nice post desmobob.
 
snareaman said:
Just remember tho, when someone says you don't need to hunt for food since there is a grocery store on every corner, we still must support one another.
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Especially since not everyone lives near that corner, and not everything packed and wrapped and shipped to that grocery store is good for you.
 
snareaman said:
And I firmly support your ethics and the choices you have made regarding when to shoot.

Just remember tho, when someone says you don't need to hunt for food since there is a grocery store on every corner, we still must support one another.

Nice post desmobob.
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I should have added that I don't have any beef against varmint hunters.

That food in the grocery store is full of hormones, antibiotics and chemicals. I try to kill my own health food. :) And I'll go down with my guns blazin' supporting the rest of you!


Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
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