Feeling bad after hunting

[rudy parnell]

I let the little bucks go.....they remind me of my Pointer Bird Dog.....he thinks the whole world is his oyster.....he sees no danger just fun.

I let the mothers go.....any deer that has fawns or yearlings.....never mind the spots.

I let the deer go that just come right up to me.

I neglect every shot that has the hint of turning sour........never take a neck shot....never shoot them to far or too thick.....

Never take the deer that is just too easy....the deer that you haven't worked for and sacraficed for.

Never shoot them too dark....never shoot them on Sunday....

Never shoot them until you are ready..........

NOW if you run in to one and it feels just right....maybe a deer that someone has already shot at an missed....maybe one that's on it's way to the next stander....just down the way....if you run into one and you've got nothing planned....you got freezer space and plenty of free time....freezer paper, and a place to skin....then

Make the shot.....and let the work begin!

 

[jethro224]

Yes. But it doesn't last, and the good lasts a long time. :wink:

 

[PreglerD]

Hello from Germany!

I don't feel bad after a successful hunt. And successful means that I was able to do a clean kill so that the game died at once or within a short time. Only when the hunt was dramatically or I did a bad shot in the guts I feel bad. :barf:

Regards :hatsoff:

Kirrmeister

 

[chance]

I have stayed away from this conversaion until now because I was no quit sure how I feel. I now know. I have neighbors that are just slaughterers and they just shot up a tiny deer and I mean shot up. They then went to have there picture taken with it at the local store which displays succesful hunts. They refused because it was too shot up and too small. I felt anger at them and remorse for the deer. They have NO clue what the true aspect of hunting is. I might not be the best hunter but I am thankful to God for my hunts and kills. I am also thankful to all the MEN and Women who served and died to give me the right to hunt Thank You. I am also thankful to the deer. I am blessed to have a place to hunt and also the freedom and right to hunt. I cant stand stand th ones who belittle the truly great sport we have of hunting. So I guess I will quit preaching get off my soap box and say yes I do feel remorse some times when a kill goes wrong with a bad shot and the animal suffers I want a quick clean kill. I respect the animal but am thankful for their place on the food chain. Sorry for the long response.

 

[RickD]

Chance I agree

 

[brawny man]

I believe it is normal to feel saddened after taking an animals life. That being said when I grew up on the farm we often shot small game that damaged our crops or buildings. It was later in life that I felt a reluctance to take a life. I hunt only deer and have passed up many a shot. I only shoot if I feel that I can kill the deer cleanly with my first shot. I feel I must do this. We eat or share what we harvest. My children are hunters and for what its worth I encourge them to respect game, have a safe hunt and to kill with their first shot. It is a pleasure to hunt with them and observe what is out there. We saw a bald eagle, river otters, and a fisher the last hunt. I enjoy venison and my wife is a good cook and frankly there are too many deer in our neck of the woods.

 

[jdw276]

Yes I feel it is normal and is my experience. My first deer I shot at about 40 yards and it ran away and did not even drop. I thought to myself how could I have missed at that range? I went to the spot where she had been standing and all I saw was a lot of white hair. At that moment I knew I had gut shot her and thought how could I have missed that much? I then saw the 3/4" diameter treelimb that I had cut in half deflecting the bullet down that I did not see in the scope. I trailed her for over 2 hours and finally found her still alive in a thicket. I felt horrible. When I bent down to finish her she did her final 50 yard dash and expired. I never felt so bad as I did making her suffer as I did that day and to this day I still think of that event. I shoot birds quite a bit now but still have difficulties with deer. I believe I did the right thing ethically with her and am pleased at my effort but I always wonder now if I can make the good clean shot. I keep the tree limb above my reloading bench as a reminder of that day to ensure I make only good clean shots.

Animals are very beautiful whether they are deer, birds or fish and I always feel a twinge afterwards in the evening when I hunt one.

 

[jtmattison]

I have stayed away from this conversaion until now because I was no quit sure how I feel. I now know. I have neighbors that are just slaughterers and they just shot up a tiny deer and I mean shot up. They then went to have there picture taken with it at the local store which displays succesful hunts. They refused because it was too shot up and too small. I felt anger at them and remorse for the deer. They have NO clue what the true aspect of hunting is. I might not be the best hunter but I am thankful to God for my hunts and kills. I am also thankful to all the MEN and Women who served and died to give me the right to hunt Thank You. I am also thankful to the deer. I am blessed to have a place to hunt and also the freedom and right to hunt. I cant stand stand th ones who belittle the truly great sport we have of hunting. So I guess I will quit preaching get off my soap box and say yes I do feel remorse some times when a kill goes wrong with a bad shot and the animal suffers I want a quick clean kill. I respect the animal but am thankful for their place on the food chain. Sorry for the long response.

Chance,
Very well said.
:thumbsup:

I've known slaughterers like you described. 4,5, maybe more shots to take down a deer. Makes me sick thinking about it.

HD

 

[brawny man]

jdw, I have also had to trail wounded deer, mine and while helping others and felt all that you described. It changed my hunting methods and is one of the reasons I pass on running shots. I am not capable of hitting a running deer in the boiler room with good success. That is my personel limitation. My uncle however was amazing at running shots and grew up with a rifle in his hand. A tree branch hit is always a possibility in the woods and is hard to avoid. I hunt from an elevated stand to reduce branch hits. However sometimes I stalk and I have hit branches and so have others I talk to.

 

[PaulN/KS]

I had my arrow glance off a twig yesterday... arched right over the bucks back. Now THAT was a bummer...felt good to be close enough for the shot tho. (I'm a stickbow shooter)
As to feeling bad when you take a game animal, on the rare ocassion when I am successful I try to remember to give thanks for the harvest.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Worst I've ever felt was a large buck I hit with an arrow that I never recovered. Took a steep shot from a treestand and hit it right behind the shoulders as it passed almost directly under me in what looked like a perfect hit. It dropped in a heap. I lowered my bow and headed down and it scrambled to it's feet and ran into a swamp. I spent the next two days of a canoe-in camping hunt up to my knees in muck spiraling the area and looking under every tangle and hemlock root trying to find that deer. Never even recovered a piece of the arrow - which is also a first.

I was miserable. Not the least because it was a good, large & symmetrical eight point.

I gave up hunting from tree stands for the next 15 plus years and now and sure to be reloaded (bow or firearm) and ready to use another shot if necessary until all motion is done and that skyward eye is open begins to glaze over.

Last year I had knee surgery a month before season and it was the first time I had been in a tree stand since 1992!

With any deer there's a bit of remorse for taking a life. Also pride, thankful humility, relief, the resignation that it has to be field-dressed and drug out, sooner the better. A whole basketful of emotions and thoughts. I say a prayer of thanks to God and the deer before I begin dressing it out.

 

[akhawkeye]

I have long felt that until you have killed your own food, you have no idea of it's true worth.

 

[Harold1950]

Hey Chance Kinda what I was thinking.......

 

[KyFlintlock]

I most always feel sorrow after killing a deer or big game animal, but killing is a part of life and I accept it as that.

Good luck
Wess