I ask them if they eat meat.If they reply yes,then I say we have nothing to talk about.The animals you eat are raised to be slaughtered.The animals I hunt live wild and free. If they don't eat meat I say I respect how they choose to eat.I mention that I make every effort to hunt ethically and to kill the animal as humanely as possible.
Why do you feel they you need to answer to them??? We as hunters need not explain what or why we hunt to anyone! You could explain it to them until you blue in the face, it does no good!
A bunch of PETA "employees" were caught dumping cat/dog/animal carcasses in a dumpster behind a random building after they had be euthanized.
I am just polite and courteous.I figure if it goes a little way to showing them that hunters are good folks than maybe it was worth it. I don't spend a lot of time at it.If they want to go on about it and I see they are not being objective I say that I respect their opinion but we disagree.
I don't have to and I don't go looking for these conversations.Where I live in the catskill mountains of New York state,specifically Woodstock NY hunters are very much in the minority. I don't take crap but when these situations arise I am going to be diplomatic.
I used to get into some talks with anti-hunters here and there, now I don't even care. Some people are very ignorant, and that includes people from all walks of life.
