Deer Hunting...What do you think?

[texasthree]

I dont have a problem with hunting but I do have a problem hunting a deer thats inside a fence on a "managed" ranch. The deer population is out of control right now and as long as your eating the meat I think its necessary. But shooting a deer thats been fenced in just doesnt seem right and it doesnt seem like much sport in it.
Just my opinion, to each his own.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

My sister lives in a crowded neighborhood in suburban Maryland outside of D.C. - they have a huge deer problem there. These deer are EVERYWHERE. I hate going over there at night because I've come close to hitting them more than a few times. There are just that many of them. Its sad.

That said, I have no real opinion on deer hunting. I don't think its terribly wrong, but its not something I'd ever do myself. My husband is a marksman but not particularly interested in hunting either, so its not something I ever think about. DH did go a few times when he was younger on hunting trips with his brothers -- seems like what they did most was get drunk. Ahhh, male bonding.

That's the way it is on out neighborhood. We see deer everyday at all times of the day.

DH only does bow hunting. He refuses to gun hunt because he says that brings out the idiots and he doesn't want to get shot. We have shooting deaths in WI every season.

In WI they issue your tags based on what zone you are in and those zones can change year to year. DH had 3 tags to fill this year. He did not have an 'earn a buck' where he hunts, but a friend has that in his zone.

 

[Bob Slydell]

All of my cousins hunt but it isnt for me.

I dont have a problem with others doing it but I dont want to.

To each their own.

Same here. Growing up, my family and friends all hunted (it's huge in PA), but I never had any desire to go. My Dad invited me every year, but I always passed on the invite. Same with fishing.

 

[steffali]

My DH grew up hunting with his father, brothers, uncles and cousins. They have a cabin and every year they spend the week of opening day up there. They love it I would never do it but it gives them all some well needed male bonding time and I get to have my little girls only trips too.

 

[jimmiej]

I grew up in a hunting family. Rifles & bow/arrow. My brother killed a bear in Canada with a bow & arrow! I don't hunt anymore, but I love venison, especially made into sausage.

 

[Jennasis]

I am not a fan of hunting. I was in the Gander Mountain store (it's a hunting and fishing mega-store) the other day looking for a new winter coat. They had a pin-up wall full of pictures of hunters and their kill. It was the saddest thing I've ever seen. LITTLE kids (5-8 years old) holding a gun in one hand and the rack of a dead deer in the other with a big grin. One picture was of a guy sitting on top of a MASSIVE bear he had killed.

A few years ago I had a friend who was out riding his horse on government protected pine barrens (no hunting) and his horse was shot out from under him. Mind you his horse was over 16 hands (that's 64" at the withers) and WHITE! I guess there is a giant albino deer problem in the Long Island pine barrens. The hunter thought it was a deer.

I also believe it isn't the deer population that is out of control but rather the human population encroaching on every last shred of open/forested space left in this country.

That said, my uncle hunts every year (bow). He made venison stew one year for us when I was younger and i found the meat very gamey and not to my liking at all (even before I found out it was deer).

 

[MamaLema]

I think - if you USE the meat for food.. Then, i can tolarate it, but, i DON'T understand those who do it just for "fun"........ All of our ancestors did it - to feed themselves, so i say for food is ok, but not for thrills.

I agree with you

 

[Jenn Lynn]

I am not a fan of hunting. I was in the Gander Mountain store (it's a hunting and fishing mega-store) the other day looking for a new winter coat. They had a pin-up wall full of pictures of hunters and their kill. It was the saddest thing I've ever seen. LITTLE kids (5-8 years old) holding a gun in one hand and the rack of a dead deer in the other with a big grin. One picture was of a guy sitting on top of a MASSIVE bear he had killed.

DD says she wants to go hunting, but DH won't let her until she is 10 and can take a hunters safety course. By that time she might change her mind anyway.

 

[Laura]

I am not a fan of hunting. I was in the Gander Mountain store (it's a hunting and fishing mega-store) the other day looking for a new winter coat. They had a pin-up wall full of pictures of hunters and their kill. It was the saddest thing I've ever seen. LITTLE kids (5-8 years old) holding a gun in one hand and the rack of a dead deer in the other with a big grin. One picture was of a guy sitting on top of a MASSIVE bear he had killed.

A few years ago I had a friend who was out riding his horse on government protected pine barrens (no hunting) and his horse was shot out from under him. Mind you his horse was over 16 hands (that's 64" at the withers) and WHITE! I guess there is a giant albino deer problem in the Long Island pine barrens. The hunter thought it was a deer.

I also believe it isn't the deer population that is out of control but rather the human population encroaching on every last shred of open/forested space left in this country.

That said, my uncle hunts every year (bow). He made venison stew one year for us when I was younger and i found the meat very gamey and not to my liking at all (even before I found out it was deer).

When I hear that argument for shooting deer (too many of them), I always think of the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon where a deer walks into an office building and shoots a human to curb overpopulation.

 

[noodleknitter]

A few years ago I had a friend who was out riding his horse on government protected pine barrens (no hunting) and his horse was shot out from under him. Mind you his horse was over 16 hands (that's 64" at the withers) and WHITE! I guess there is a giant albino deer problem in the Long Island pine barrens. The hunter thought it was a deer..

We have people come down from northern OH who have never had a gun in their hands to hunt in the National Forest around our farm...those people wouldn't know a deer if it licked 'em. I am glad your friend wasn't hurt.

I also believe it isn't the deer population that is out of control but rather the human population encroaching on every last shred of open/forested space left in this country.

So, you are willing to donate your land for the deer to have a place to live? Too many shout about needing more forests, etc., as long as it doesn't encroach upon them...We have as many deer in town as we do on our farm. I'm not donating the land back to them, and I don't know many who are willing. Also don't know many who are willing to give up the creature comforts of a store on every corner, etc. So, it is either the people or the deer...I choose the people. They were nearly hunted to extinction, and then hunting was banned...just another mess, as the multiply themselves into starvation.

I just can't see killing people overly humorous...

 

[ButchJohnson]

My dad loves to hunt but I never got into it. I don't think theres anything wrong with it and I like people that give the meat to people that need it, but as a "sport" I personally don't see the "sport" in shooting an animal that has no idea you're going to shoot it with a sniper scope that you can see with for miles with a high-powered rifle that could take out an armored car. Seems too much like shooting fish in a barrel to me.

If you wanted to be really sporting about it use a bow or a knife.

 

[declansdad]

I am not a fan of hunting. I was in the Gander Mountain store (it's a hunting and fishing mega-store) the other day looking for a new winter coat. They had a pin-up wall full of pictures of hunters and their kill. It was the saddest thing I've ever seen. LITTLE kids (5-8 years old) holding a gun in one hand and the rack of a dead deer in the other with a big grin. One picture was of a guy sitting on top of a MASSIVE bear he had killed.

A few years ago I had a friend who was out riding his horse on government protected pine barrens (no hunting) and his horse was shot out from under him. Mind you his horse was over 16 hands (that's 64" at the withers) and WHITE! I guess there is a giant albino deer problem in the Long Island pine barrens. The hunter thought it was a deer.

I also believe it isn't the deer population that is out of control but rather the human population encroaching on every last shred of open/forested space left in this country.

That said, my uncle hunts every year (bow). He made venison stew one year for us when I was younger and i found the meat very gamey and not to my liking at all (even before I found out it was deer).

If you ar not a fan of hunting, why were you in a hunting and fishing store shopping for a coat?

I have no problem with hunting if you eat what you kill. I do not think kids under 14 or 15 should be allowed to hunt.

 

[Crankyshank]

We also have a problem with Chronic Wasting Disease in my area.

I'm against sport hunting, but see no problem in legal hunting if you eat the meat you hunt. I do think it's important to keep the population under control for the best interest of the environment.

I personally don't like the taste of venison though. And I don't like to go buy turkeys from the turkey farms and see the turkeys running around, so I'm not about to hunt Bambi

 

[ButchJohnson]

Yeah thats another thing, personally I think deer meat tastes about as good as rancid sonic burger meat thats been left out for about a month too long. Not tasty at all if you asked me. Give me cow meat anytime.

As for someone shooting a horse thinking it was a deer, I hope that guy got fined at a minimum. No doubt he was drunk out of his gord, what kind of an idiot would do that, just incredible.

 

[noodleknitter]

As for someone shooting a horse thinking it was a deer, I hope that guy got fined at a minimum. No doubt he was drunk out of his gord, what kind of an idiot would do that, just incredible.

It's not deer season unles a cow gets shot in the Mid Ohio Valley... Sad fact is the shooter isn't usually drunk...just not very bright...