Hunting for sport (possible debate)/inspired by EsmaraldaX's review of "Two Brothers"

[hrh_disney_queen]

I just saw "Two Brothers" last night, which as you know is about a pair of tiger cubs, big game hunting, etc. It was a very painful movie for me to watch, and it got me to thinking...(A dangerous thing at times!)

I was just wondering what the thrill is about ending an animals life just for a trophy or sport? I am most DEFINITELY NOT talking about hunting for food, as a few of my friends do, so let's not even go there at all. I completely understand that, although I think it would have to be under dire circumstances for me to do it-if necessary, I probably could. And even the thrill of the stalk, with a camera. I can understand that, too. But, what I mean is where someone goes out on a hunt with the sole intention of killing an animal just to get a trophy or head to mount on their wall. It just makes me sick when I see a stuffed cougar or something like that, (people don't eat that, too do they?) because unless it is self defense, that animal died just so someone could stuff him and show him off. I just don't know how someone could get a thrill out of pulling the trigger.


Wait a minute while I put on my flame retardent suit.....


Ok, let er rip...

 

[MosMom]

I'm with you. I also don't see where the thrill comes in. Some people just see animals as amusement. Period. I have some ideas about hunting and hunters but I'll wait to see what others say because I don't want to end up with a target on my back some night. Some people here know where I live.

 

[MizlurksaLot]

I find it seriously disturbing when people mount animals heads on their wall, I don't get the point! However, even as an animal lover, I have no problem with hunting (only for food - and never an endangered species such as tigers). I don't have a problem with hunting animals such as deer for one reason and one reason only - if people didn't hunt them, there'd be an over population, and they'd starve to death, a much more horrible way to die in my opinion. Although I'm ok with other people hunting, I could never do it. I guess I just can't stand the thought of killing another living thing. I won't say I've never squished a bug, but I have been known to cry a little on occasion when I kill one by accident, and even when I do it on purpose, I feel a little guilty. Aside from the feelings of guilt that would plague me, guns just happen to scare the poop out of me - I won't touch one!

 

[MosMom]

I don't have a problem with hunting animals such as deer for one reason and one reason only - if people didn't hunt them, there'd be an over population, and they'd starve to death, a much more horrible way to die in my opinion.

Yes, because their natural predators were all over hunted and are now non-existant or in numbers too low to control population.

 

[Beth76]

Well, I haven't see the movie and I won't now. I didn't know it was about hunting. Call me strange, but I can watch the entire world get obliterated (in a movie), but if one animal dies I lose it.

My dad hunts very occasionally and has a deer head mounted on the wall at his lake house. He also has the deer paws/hooves mounted and they are holding a rifle. I think it is absolutely horrendous. He didn't actually hunt this deer, he bought the pieces, but I still think it's awful. I'm just glad it's not here at their real house. I'm pretty sure my mom wouldn't allow it anyway.

I don't understand why people like to hunt or fish even. It makes me very glad that I'm married to a computer nerd.

 

[MizlurksaLot]

Originally posted by MosMom
Yes, because their natural predators were all over hunted and are now non-existant or in numbers too low to control population.

Somewhat true yes . However I can't change or fix what our ancestors did, so I won't dwell on it - I refuse to. We can only do the best with what we have. The bigger problem I see is over development, it's not just a matter of animals starving to death, there are too many animals to live in what little natural habitat is left. I don't know what it's like where you are, but here there are constantly deer running out in the middle of the street, and I don't just mean back roads near woods, I mean highways, and main roads. The fact of the matter is that humans are the natural predators of animals, granted now we have the option of being vegetarian, but at one point in time humans could not have survived in some situations without eating meat.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I can understand a lot of reasons for hunting, and I am willing to accept most of them. But rarely do you hear of a hunter out there tearing up just as they are about to pull the trigger because it is a painful thing for them to do....I just can't understand what goes through a hunter's mind. Is it FUN to watch an animal fall after shooting it?? Or do they just put it out of their mind because of their reason for doing it, like food or population control.. Unless they are working for a Wildlife agency, I would imagine this is a voluntary thing.

I did know one man who hunted for food for his family. He would puke right after shooting, and right before/during gutting.

 

[MizlurksaLot]

Originally posted by hrh_disney_queen
I can understand a lot of reasons for hunting, and I am willing to accept most of them. But rarely do you hear of a hunter out there tearing up just as they are about to pull the trigger because it is a painful thing for them to do....I just can't understand what goes through a hunter's mind. Is it FUN to watch an animal fall after shooting it?? Or do they just put it out of their mind because of their reason for doing it, like food or population control.. Unless they are working for a Wildlife agency, I would imagine this is a voluntary thing.

I did know one man who hunted for food for his family. He would puke right after shooting, and right before/during gutting.

I can't understand how anyone could get enjoyment out of it either-which is why I couldn't do it. What I said about an over population doesn't justify killing an animal for me, it's just that I take that into consideration before I judge people who do hunt. It would make me, personally, feel horrible, but if for some reason, it doesn't have the same effect on someone else, that's their business - and their own moral dilemma.

 

[sk!mom]

I totally do not understand hunting and since I live in West Texas my opinion is usually in the minority.
My DH doesn't hunt so we really never talk about it but when my DD was about 3 I took her to DH's office- his employer was a serious hunter and had trophys mounted ALL over the building- DD was really creeped out by this. She looked at the boss and asked, "Who's a killer boy around here?" He thought that I had brainwashed her already. I think that she is just extremely and supremely intelligent.

 

[AeroKiss13]

I despise hunting, for food or otherwise. I just don't think it's right, when there's plenty of other options for food, to kill something. I strongly believe that animals are NOT lesser than humans, and should NOT have their lives ended to be eaten. I understand all the arguments for hunting, and I can agree with some of them. Even so, I'd rather the animals kill themselves out than humans doing so. Killing animals, people or other types alike, should be left up to God.
<br>Now, that I'm doing being so down, I'll just share how Brother Bear made me cry because it conveyed the message that I wish everyone could see and understand. Everyone know that I VERY RARELY cry. :wink:

 

[mom2of2]

I'm not into the "dead things" decorating style either. Matter of fact it creeps me out, my friend's house has a huge elk head over the fireplace and fish mounted on plaques and a humoungus turkey that stands in the corner. I always feel like they are looking at me.

 

[MHopkins2]

I don't really get the compulsion for trophy hunting, and displaying said trophies is so far beyond tacky, I'm not even sure what the right word is. If you need to fill some space over the fireplace, try a painting or a big honking mirror, for crying out loud.

 

[minniepumpernickel]

Something about the OP's post made me laugh, although it isn't really funny. I just kept thinking about that episode on the simple life where they worked for the taxidermist, and had to tote around stuffed carcasses!

I don't mind dead bugs, but I'm not really into surrounding myself with stuffed carcasses either.

 

[CBRorBust]

Well Thank God you people don't live in Texas! Fishing, Hunting and Football are life down here! And if the Rangers are doing well, then you can throw in baseball too!

All the men in my family hunt. My boyfriend does not. I am very grateful because it is very expensive and time consuming! The main reason why I've heard people hunting is "population control" but at the same time it is seen as a sport.

I don't think you are going to get an answer as to why people hunt as a sport except that they just enjoy doing it. I think it's something that has to be done, regardless of how un-sympathetic it is.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

DH & I do not hunt either but it is a popular thing to do around here in Missouri as well.

From what I can see, it seems to be some primal thing that human males (mostly) do. Even though it is gross from a standpoint of doing the actual killing, I feel I really cannot condemn because I do eat meat. I am sure the animals I get from the grocery store lived & was killed more horrible than a hunter taking down a deer in the woods.

 

[Van Helsing]

Theres enough EVIL in the world - we don't need hunting - unless your hunting to feed yourself or your family

 

[wvrevy]

As I post here in the Redneck capital of the mid-atlantic, I can certainly sympathize with those of you in areas where huntin' is a way of life I swear, from the absenteeism, you'd think that the first day of deer season was a state holiday around here

I have never, in my life, heard an answer to the OP's question, though. I am completely, 100% against hunting of any kind (including food) unless it is absolutely necessary (ie: my family was going to starve). Trophy hunters make me sick, quite frankly, and people with heads on their walls should probably have their own heads examined.

Frankly, if hunters want to go out and kill something, I think they should make it a REAL sport...try hunting bear with a pocket knife, for example. Hey, it'd improve the gene pool, and provide a free lunch for the bear...bonus !

Sorry...sore subject with me here in a state where huntin' (that's how they say it) seems to be the official pasttime.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Originally posted by wvrevy


Frankly, if hunters want to go out and kill something, I think they should make it a REAL sport...try hunting bear with a pocket knife, for example.

I have always felt that way, too. Hunting with a high powered rifle and scope or turbo charged bow and arrosw just doesn't seem like much of a challenge to me. The only challenge is to have to luck to happen upon some poor unsuspecting animal. I agree, let's even those odds, and make it a REAL sport...

 

[Feralpeg]

I also don't want to debate the question. There are a lot of things that other people do that I don't understand and could never do myself. I am the type of person that suffers when I see road kill. Dumb? Maybe, but that is just the way I am. Because of that, I won't watch many of the truelife animal programs. Not because I have an issue with them being made. Animals killing other animals is natural. That is the way it must be, but I don't have to watch it. There was a program on television the other night. It was the story of two lion cubs. The voice-over of one of the lions was done by one of my favorite actors, Sean Bean. I couldn't watch it.

I don't understand how a person could look at an animal and then kill it, but I don't feel I should judge others. In their defense, I kill certain bugs. It isn't that I want to do it, but my fear of them overpowers my empathy for their lives. Sorry, I know I'm droning on!