What's your best response for when people ask why you hunt or complain about killing animals or hunting isn't a sport etc. We've all been asked it before.
Wild animals have an extremely short lifespan anyway, they suffer old age and often get eaten alive...those that think hunting is cruel are ignorant of what a wild life truly is. Reality is all predator prey, if they believe in evolution then it has evolved that way and will remain that way in spite of the anti's bleeding hearts.
I usually keep it to myself and don't bring it up, or advertise it because so many people are sensitive. But if it comes up its a way of life I grew up with. At times it was a necessity, but more importantly it was time spent with my family that we truly enjoyed. So it calms my heart when I'm out sitting in a tree or in a dove field.
Had a lady once tell me " why don't you buy your deer meat from the grocery store like everyone else". I stood there a second and just walked away laughing. That is my response. Dave
This what I tell them; "There are two rules in life. Rule #1 For anything to live, something else has to die, whether it's plant, insect, or animal. Rule #2 is this. You can't change rule #1." Blessings..........Pastorjim
<p> You're not likely to convice anyone totally against us but wildlife is a renewable resource. Prey animals like deer reproduce at a high rate n some need to be killed in order for the bulk of the herd to survive the bottle neck of winter. This is when food supplies run lowest. An overabundance of deer leads to mass starvation come winter. The Kaibab herd in Arizona is a prime example of letting deer just die off. Hunting was outlawed there. For ten years every other year the herd size doubled. In time they ate everything edible, browse lines were as high as deer could stand on their back legs n they ate branches the size of your thumb. once that too was gone they started pawing the ground in the search of food, they started eating roots. With no roots to hold the topsoil, the topsoil eroded n the entire ecosystem collapsed causing mass starvation for all involved. Now killing a few deer would have prevented this, towns all over are employing sharpshooters so they say to shoot or net n dart their heads , that is shooting a net on starving deer and putting a gun to their head that puts a metal rod through the frantic deer. Pretty inhumane compared to the masses living healthy n predators(us) shooting a few. Lions eat zebras alive, wolves hamstring moose n follow them around for days waitin for them to get weak enough to be pulled down, our methods cause the animals to suffer less, we can go on but do we need to? We shoot coyotes to save yuppie lap dogs</p>
Years ago I had a woman ask me how could I kill an animal and I asked her did she eat meat. She said NO! I said you don't put any meat in your mouth. She said NO. I then asked was she married and she said YES. I said are you still standing by that statement? She walked off!
I first try to change the subject. but if they insist then I just tell them it is my time to go relax and get away from society. then try to change the subject again. usually nonhunters are impossible to actually understand anything about management and starvation if animals aren't hunted.
Me too. I have calmed down over the years, but it Irritates the Heck out of me when someone asks me that. Most of the time, I don't reply at all because you can't please everybody.
I've never really been asked. I guess it's because literally everyone here either hunts or has a family member who does. If it were to come up I'd probobly just not engage because that's usually what those people are looking for.
I dont get into it, regardless how wrong the tree huggers are, they will never admit to it! Its not worth my time really. It`ll never change so be it.
I'm not creative enought to come up with a clever answer. I was raised this way. We hunted and fished. It was that way. We never took too many. We never shot a covey of quail down to nothing. We don't have to "limit" out on fish every time. In this part of the county I/we don't get asked that question very often if ever. I can't remember the last time I was asked that by anyone around here. I did like the answer Fitz gave. Now that I'm older, I truly enjoy the hunt and all that leads up to it as much if not more than the kill. Enjoy what we do everyone and be safe doing it!!!
As an engineer I work in a mix of office environments and field/laboratory environments. I have never been asked in the field but have been asked many times in the offices. Usually by ladies but not always. I always start by asking them if they eat meat. Because if they are anti-hunters and vegan, you will never say anything that they will accept on the topic of hunting. Never. They have their minds made up hunters are evil killers and I excuse myself from the conversation to avoid arguing at work. However, if they are meat eaters, and whether they are anti's or not, you can often make a compelling defense for hunting with these folks. I always start by saying I feel the most sustainable and ethical method of acquiring my families meat is through hunting. From the process of killing to packaging, I have complete control. If you have ever been to or watched videos of production farms and slaughter houses, you would agree an arrow (or bullet/shot) is very humane in comparison. I then usually move on to a simple truth; I love and respect animals but I love hunting. If we didn't enjoy it, we wouldn't do it. No sense in lying. I usually finish with conservation. Like Covey mentioned, animals starving to death or being eaten alive by coyotes/wolves is a pretty harsh way to go. They can also have a devastating impact on the environment/crops. By helping to control game populations hunting is a good thing. Plus money from license sales and taxes from hunting gear provides funds for many wildlife agencies and programs. These conversations are one reason I don't like guys showing gory blood fill pictures of their kills. I try to take nice pictures that I can show to family, friends, and co-workers without causing them to feel like they are going to lose their lunch. Remember, to us hunters seeing blood and guts is no big deal. However to, say for example, the person undecided about hunting stopping by your office with a question and seeing that on your desk (or tool box, or locker, where ever). Well that could easily make someone on the fence about hunting into an anti.
I guess I would reply that do they feel it is acceptable to tell another person that their religion is wrong, same thing as telling a person that how they feel about hunting is wrong.
I usually try to goad them into a fistfight and then take out my frustrations on them, drawing the line at life support. They learn pretty quick the nature of predator/prey. I have felt bad a few times about hitting the women but that never lasts long. Do I need a disclaimer that I was kidding? Any time I've ever actually had this conversation, and it has not been very often at all...The main argument I go to is that of management. Hunters and sportsmen have done a billion times more to support and help wildlife in this country than all the naysayers combined. That's true in both money and sweat and is provable. 99% of hunters have more empathy, compassion and passion for wildlife than any of those that are anti-hunting.
My typical response is that I get to feed my family the healthiest meat on the planet; lean, no additives, preservatives, hormones/steroids, antibiotics, etc. Plus, I get the privilege of sitting up in a tree with God, where we have our best conversations. The family surviving a 'fit-hitting-the-shan' scenario is an added bonus! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
