Feeling bad after hunting

[dukewellington]

Is it normal to feel bad after killing an animal? I normally do whenever I have a succesful hunt.


Thanks

 

[paulvallandigham]

Yes, its normal. Its also normal to also feel elation, because you succeeded at bagging game for your effort. I think of it as the " Ying and Yang " of hunting, where both emotions need to exist on some level in all of us, to provide us with balance. Feeling bad helps make you a better hunter.

Its much worse to have to kill a bird with your hands after you have crippled it.

 

[ronrryan]

Sorrow and elation together are good. To take the life of a beautiful animal is a very powerful emotional experience. We always hope to do it well and cleanly. Every primitive hunting culture surrounded the hunt and the kill with prayer and thanks. It is one of the things that those of us who love the hunt cannot explain to those who do not hunt. They are incapable of hearing it. God Bless, Good smoke, Ron in FL

 

[MikeChapin]

Don't know how normal it is but for me it depends on the circumstances. For prey animals, such as deer and rabbits, I don't think about it much. It's part of the circle of life and it doesn't bother me at all. The only time I have been sorry shooting prey animals is when I drop an elk in some inaccessable place. I feel pretty sorry for myself while I'm taking the animal out a quarter at a time.

I do feel kind of sorry shooting carnivores just being themselves. Coyotes or foxes raiding chicken houses or killing household pets. They are just responding to their nature so I do feel sorry that I have to shoot them.

Killing a beautiful animal is a serious act. Many Native American peoples had a prayer of apology when they had to kill and animal for any reason. So they felt regret at having to take the animal's life.

 

[Zoar]

Even though I am not native american nor related to other "indigineous" people who have a prayer after they take the life of another animal, I also admit I have feelings of sorrow juxtaposed with the elation mentioned previously. So, I extend thoughts of gratitude and think about teh circle of life.

I find it curious how some of "us" hunters feel this seriousness and responsibility about taking a life, yet when most people buy a package of meat at the store they feel absolutely no culpabililty for their part in taking the life of THAT animal. In truth, they are responsible for taking the life of that animal just as hunters are when they take a life.

 

[musketman]

Is it normal to feel bad after killing an animal? I normally do whenever I have a succesful hunt.

Yes it is, its a sign of respect.

I would feel bad from going hungry too. :wink:

What were you hunting for?

 

[J.D.]

Is it normal to feel bad after killing an animal? I normally do whenever I have a succesful hunt.
Thanks

Yes, it is normal. Humans were created to feel sadness and remorse from time to time. The sad times help us to know and better experience the good emotions, satisfaction, elation, and thanksgiving for a successful hunt.

God bless,
J.D.

 

[dukewellington]

I eat meat and there is no difference in buying meat from the supermarket or killing it ourselves. I hunt mainly dove, rabbit, duck and pheasnt. I really like hutning but it remore ruins it sometimes. I know it's not wrong to hunt, I just don't like the feeling. I don't wan't to make god angry buy killing stuff, even if it is stuff like crows.
I think I watched to much walt disney as a kid LOL

 

[musketman]

As long as you eat what you kill, there really should be no problem.
People have been killing to eat for tens of thousands of years, if it was wrong to do so the human race would have failed long ago.

Killing for "FUN" is considered morally wrong by many, but killing to survive isn't, all the meat in the supermarkets had to be killed by someone, if it was wrong then we all are accomplices. Even vegetarians kill, plants are alive, they too live and grow.

Even our bodies kill, otherwise we wouldn't have antibodies to fight invading viruses, it is just natures way to survive.

Bottom line is, if "killing" is such a hard word to use, try calling it harvesting.

 

[dukewellington]

When I go dove shooting we tend to shoot large bags, and I couldn't eat them all, nor can I eat crows. Is this morally worng. Hunting is a sport by itself, otherwise we wouldn't do it.


I like the word haversting :thumbsup:

 

[musketman]

When I go dove shooting we tend to shoot large bags, and I couldn't eat them all, nor can I eat crows. Is this morally worng. Hunting is a sport by itself, otherwise we wouldn't do it.


I like the word haversting :thumbsup:

Some crows have a bounty on them because they distroy crops, so that would be protecting food in the long run...

As for shooting a bag full of doves, clean and freeze them for later. Do you think someone who bags a 2000 pound moose eats it all up in one sitting??? (although that would be sonmething to see)

Another exception is trapping, many do not eat the meat but use the fur. What I am trying to say is that the animal should not be killed for no reason, either eat it or use it in some way.

 

[dukewellington]

Does feeding the local badger and fox population with surplus birds count? I know of about 20 badger and fox sets?
I would always eta a pheasnt or rabbit, it's just you can shoto so many pigeons in one go.

 

[jdixon]

Is it normal to feel bad after killing an animal? I normally do whenever I have a succesful hunt.


Thanks

I feel worse when I invest time and money to get out to the field and at the end of the day, there is still that empty spot in the freezer.

 

[musketman]

Does feeding the local badger and fox population with surplus birds count? I know of about 20 badger and fox sets?
I would always eta a pheasnt or rabbit, it's just you can shoto so many pigeons in one go.

There are reprocussion to every action, here in north east Ohio (back around 1970) we had a vast population of pheasants, once the price of fur dropped in the mid 1980's the fox population doubled from lack of trapping and as a result, we lost most of our pheasants to hungry foxes.

Now if you get too many foxes the local chicken coops may suffer down the road, just something to ponder.

(plus the foxes and badgers are injesting a study diet of lead pellets unless you retrieve every one from the birds prior to feeding the wild animals) Check your local hunting regulations to make sure it is leagal to use birds to feed wildlife, better to be safe and not give any anti-hunting groups ammunition to use against you..

 

[dukewellington]

I feel a bit better about it now. I think PETA have probally brainwashed me.

Thanks,
guys

 

[Greenmtnboy]

Is it normal to feel bad after killing an animal? I normally do whenever I have a succesful hunt.


Thanks

I feel remorse when harvesting an animal but thats just respecting a beautful creatures life.
Being a northern european I celabrate the "last bite" I break off a sprigg of flora and place it in the mouth of the animal I harvest than I take a piece of said flora and dab it in the blood and stick it in the brim of my hat giving thanks all the wile.
To many hunters forget to give thanks which is disrespectfull IMHO

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you can taste a difference between a crow's breast, and that of a dove, let me know! Other than size, there isn't much of any difference.

As with most of these birds, there is nothing worth the trouble of plucking the feathers off to eat on the rest of the bird, so breasting them out is all that is needed. Really, People are hugely surprised at how much of a bird is feathers and how much is actually flesh.

You are not going to tell the difference between a pigeon's breast, and that of a dove. Breast them, soak them to remove the blood, and when the flesh is more pink than dark red, they are ready to package up and freeze. It takes about 2 dozen to feed 4 people, but there are tremendous recipes on this forum for you to use. And, if you search the internet for other recipes, you can find hundreds. No more cookbooks!

 

[jtmattison]

Yes. I think it's normal. I feel good that I have succeeded in taking a very wary animal. I also feel sad for taking it's life.

I do make it a point to give thanks to the one above for making it possible.

HD

 

[Little Wattsy]

Is it normal to feel bad after killing an animal? I normally do whenever I have a succesful hunt.


Thanks

Never felt "sad" usually humbally greatfull. Its all a gift from God.

 

[rabjr]

Well I did end up feeling a twinge of sadness tonight after arrowing a small forkhorn I miss took for a spike that was running round. Dang it, I had passed on the fork a couple times wanting to see him next year.