Do You Folks Hunt? I Don't, But My Neighbor Does......

I've never had the urge or desire to go hunting. 

I just always figured I couldn't shoot a deer; or a squirrel, or any animal for that matter. 

Of course, I let other people kill chickens, pigs, and hogs so I can go to the grocery store and buy what I want. I feel sure that many of us would stop buying meat if we went to a slaughter house and actually saw how these animals were killed. I doubt any of us can imagine the terror that the animals must feel.

That said, I've talked to my neighbor a little about hunting, trying to understand the allure or whatever you want to call it, to get up early in the morning, drive several hours, and then tromp around in the woods, often times with rain and cold.

While I surely don't know if my neighbor is representative of all hunters, he often times goes hunting and comes home empty handed. He usually says he didn't see anything big enough to shoot.

While I haven't quizzed him about how many shots does it take and so on, I would imagine he is a skilled marksman and the animal doesn't suffer. At least, I hope, the animal doesn't suffer.

He seems to follow all of the rules whether he is hunting or fishing. And, yes, he does both as often as possible. When asked, how often do you go hunting, he says, As often as she (yes, Mrs. Hunter) lets me.

I think most hunters would say that if they weren't out hunting that the deer population would get so large that there would be an increase in the number of deer who starve.

Mrs. Hunter and Sadie watching.........

Of course, I know nothing about that.

I'm not even sure why I'm posting this. I walked my dog and there my neighbor was cutting up his deer. Maybe it was just a photo op. I guess I would say, that after talking to my neighbor, I most likely look at hunting a little differently. It would seem that those who oppose hunting on the grounds that it is cruel to animals should be able to realize that it would seem no more cruel than how we slaughter the animals that end-up in our grocery stores. 

To give the deer a sporting chance, it would seem that you'd need to provide them with the sames weapons the hunter has or that the hunter would put aside his/her weapons and go into the woods with nothing more than what the deer has. Hmmmm.... I doubt that's going to happen.

Edit: OK, I can't resist. What's up with hanging animal heads all over your  house? Does this go back to the time of the caveman, when he'd come into his lair and make a mark on the wall to let everyone know he'd just bagged another mastodon? Or, maybe a gunfighter from the old west carving a notch on their gun. Or, maybe a pilot painting another mark on their plane for a kill. 

Seriously, you go out in the woods with a giant gun, kill a deer, whack off its head, have it mounted, and hang it on the wall of your den????? We normally only bring attention to things that we are proud of or that make a statement. 

Well, I guess a person could be proud of shooting a deer. 

But why, I might ask? 

No, this is not the same as asking should you go hunting and shoot a deer.