I want to hunt, but I believe I'm unable to do it

[darin]

While mowing last night, near our garden bed, I was watching my mowing line when movement up ahead caught my eye. I looked up and saw a large Doe about 40 feet from me (estimate - I was half-way along our 60' garden - she was just beyond the far edge of the plot)standing perpendicular to my travel, but head and eyes watching me. She was beautiful. Her coat was nearly the colour of my dog. Beyond her another 20 feet was a young buck, his ~8" antlers just sprouted. Both stood and watched me. I shut the mower down and stared back. After a few seconds, they gracefully walked across our driveway and towards our pond. I started the mower and followed some - they went up to the apple trees in the back of the house, then around to the far side of our pond, and snacked on a couple nibbles of weeping willow. On foot, I approached my side of the pond as the young lovers pranced down between my willows, and out to our tall grass and evergreens.


I was thinking - I cannot fathom putting a 12 gauge slug into either of their chests. I wanted to pet them, not kill them. Yet, I want to have the skill to harvest the deer. However, being around my dog - a real emotion/instinct-driven creature with a heart and lungs and whatever...man...I'm not sure I could do it.

Is all life too precious? Would probably be easier to take down a feral pig or something not as pretty as a deer, maybe...
'

[Noir]

Unsurprisingly it just something i don't understand =/

Like, if people are hunting to survive etc, fair enough, but if someone wants to do it just so they can be all 'yeah i shot a deer and some birds the other day' to show his skill or the size of his unmentionables they are verging on the level of simpleton IMO.

[darin]

Unsurprisingly it just something i don't understand =/

Like, if people are hunting to survive etc, fair enough, but if someone wants to do it just so they can be all 'yeah i shot a deer and some birds the other day' to show his skill or the size of his unmentionables they are verging on the level of simpleton IMO.

I think I agree - I can't see gloating about a kill...those typical 'lookit this dead deer!' pics i'm sure you've seen, with the hunter posing the animal's head towards the camera.

Just dunno...

A coworker offered me a few ducks; They'll live on my pond for the summer and be ready to harvest this fall. She says they are delicious...but I'm unsure if I'd have the stomach to kill them after seeing them for a few months.

[Wind Song]

I worked with a gal who raises her own chickens and slaughters them. She wanted to do that because she wants to be self-sufficient in the growing of her own food. She also has a huge garden.

I remember when she described her husband killing the first chicken and the first time she kiilled one. It sounded horrendous to me, but I eat meat too. I'm just as guilty of taking life as she is.

What meat eating Buddhists do, is to remember that a being gave life so that we can eat, and we pray that the being by contact with us through eating it have a fortunate rebirth and attain enlightenment.

Some Buddhists are completely vegetarian, they never eat meat. I was vegetarian solely for many years. The fact that all beings are equal, insects and animals, it's impossible to avoid killing beings. Even vegetarians have the karma of many insects who are slaughtered for the harvesting of vegetables and grains.


I remember a retreat I did once. I was watching these two lizards, the larger one swallowed the smaller one whole. It was shocking, but that is samsara. Samsara is cyclic existence and cyclic existence includes suffering.

Just some random thoughts in response to the OP.

[darin]

I appreciate the thoughts, WS -

I'll probably still do it, but if I do, it'll be with reverance and appreciation for all God has provided.

[logroller]

Don't worry DMP; come hunting season they'll be outta sight. My grandpa took me hunting the first time and I remember him sitting me down and talking about life and death-- that like fishing, success isn't measured by rather you bag one-- its the experience that counts.....of course, he also told me to make it swift and clean, which I did not. The wails of an injured animal are something I'll never forget, very sad for me. Last big game I ever hunted, but an experience I'll never forget.

[darin]

Don't worry dmp; come hunting season they'll be outta sight. My grandpa took me hunting the first time and I remember him sitting me down and talking about life and death-- that like fishing, success isn't measured by rather you bag one-- its the experience that counts.....of course, he also told me to make it swift and clean, which I did not. The wails of an injured animal are something I'll never forget, very sad for me. Last big game I ever hunted, but an experience I'll never forget.

Well, if last year is an indication - which it's probably not - I'll have my chance. We saw half-dozen in the back yard over the course of a couple weeks.

Hearing the thing wail WOULD be terrible. If it was still breathing when I went out to it? Ugh.

A few years ago I ran over a feral kitten in my driveway. Smashed a large portion of its head. I had to finish it off. Tore me apart.

[DragonStryk72]

Unsurprisingly it just something i don't understand =/

Like, if people are hunting to survive etc, fair enough, but if someone wants to do it just so they can be all 'yeah i shot a deer and some birds the other day' to show his skill or the size of his unmentionables they are verging on the level of simpleton IMO.

My buddy Ron and his dad go hunting around Yorktown VA because the deer population is way too high. I've actually been hunting one time before with them, and I did bag a 10-point with a bow and arrow (Years of practice at archery through Rotary Scout Camp). The fact is, I view hunting as a necessity in these sorts of instances where overpopulation can lead to the death of the deer population itself, as well as other species of the area when the food gets scarce.

[Dilloduck]

If you are starving and need to harvest a deer all you need to do is shoot it,gut it, skin it and cook it. You can learn how to do all these things by reading. If knowing how to harvest one in an emergency is your only goal, read about. It's not that hard. I hunt whenever I can and learn other things about nature while I'm doing it.

[Wind Song]

Question. Those of you who hunt. How do you feel when you're killing an animal?

[Dilloduck]

Question. Those of you who hunt. How do you feel when you're killing an animal?

Fine

[Wind Song]

Fine

"Fine". Does that mean it's enjoyable?

[logroller]

Question. Those of you who hunt. How do you feel when you're killing an animal?

It's exhilarating at first; then a little sadness; then its time to gut it.

[darin]

It's exhilarating at first; then a little sadness; then its time to gut it.

Because you replied to her obviously-leading question, this thread now has a 1.75% chance of remaining reasonably okay. There's a 98.25% chance she'll take whatever you wrote and run with it off the cliff of 'Thread despair' She doesnt want to have an honest debate, she wants to preach/shout/flame whatever it is somebody does she doesnt agree with.

[Wind Song]

It's exhilarating at first; then a little sadness; then its time to gut it.

Wow. You kind of get off on it to start with. I'm glad you have some sadness next.