Shooters that do not hunt?

[K.E.C. Darkside]

Howdy, this topic has come up in a few forums lately. I posted that I was a hunter as a young kid with my grandfather, dad, uncle's and my brothers and hunted with a Bow, shotgun and rifles. The amount of game we brought home was staggering. My dad passed away about 5 years ago. Since then I have had no desire to hunt. But I shoot 3 to 5 days a week, and reload all my ammo. So now I consider myself as a target shooter. Joined a range the other day that has out to 1000yds. So I don't hunt anymore but I shoot more than I ever have. I read a article the other day I think it was in American Rifleman, that each of the last 3 years a average of 20 million new shooters, and a lot of them are women. It's no wonder we can't find ammo and reloading supplies.

 

[Dirtrax]

If folks looking for diversity are left wanting they need look no further than here. Different reasons, different seasons, and background's from far and wide. @Darkside my sympathies are with you. I lost my dad a few months back. He nurtured a love of hunting and the outdoors that clearly lived in me already. On October 10th 2022 he sat and watched me break down an elk with a huge smile on his face. He didn't say much other than chuckling when the yellow jackets stung my hands. I've passed on all I can at this point to my son. He too struggles with finding time amidst the distraction's of building his life. He forgets, then visits me and remembers. For folks to hunt or just shoot just isn't a sticking point for me, but it can be the subtle call of the wild within YOU that speaks to some. Hunting continues because it's in our dna.

 

[VTbluegrass]

I like hunting. A very good friend of mine says he can go the range and buy a steak on the way home.

If you add it up he is way more cost effective even with liberal deer limits and moderately accessible hunting around here.

 

[MtPockets]

I know many hunters who aren't shooters.

Unfortunately, I know too many hunters who need to take up shooting.

 

[gohring3006]

Gave up hunting when I quit drinking. I don't have anything against hunting, it's just not for me. Whiskey is known to change a man, I was much more hard core and I think I found power in killing animals, after I sobered up, I found all the power is in compassion, I'm a logger been running a saw in the woods for 26 years now, and I go out of my way to save the animals. I'm in their home and I gotta watch my step.
Now I just shoot a camera at the wildlife.
I became a big softy for animals. It's spilled over into fostering and rescuing animals that need it.

 

[QuietTexan]

liberal deer limits

We get five on our licenses, but any county near anywhere has antler limits or bag limits. Too many people shooting at anything with antlers and killing everything that has balls that have dropped and not enough girls. Shooting does isn't popular, but it's part of managing populations.

I became a big softy for animals.

I don't like hurting animals by any means, I'm a big softy on taking care of them. Cows are money at the end of the day, but you have to treat them with respect while they're alive. It's called "animal husbandry" for a reason - they're our resources to protect and care for.

What gets me riled up is that the "natural" environment is so entirely destroyed around here we don't have any choice but to kill things. All the natural predators are wiped out, the Yuppies cry anytime they lose a house cat to a bobcat but cry harder seeing a dead bobcat, land owners are not eradicating feral hog populations because they get more lease money out of their land offering "365 hog hunting". Some people won't let you kill anything no matter what it is - they're the ones who cause the problems of coyotes eating dogs and cats in near-exurbia where the sprawl is pushing out.

There's a reason downtown Ft Worth is nothing but pigeons and grackles - trash birds for trash areas where anything worth caring about has been pushed out and eradicated. Feral cats and stray dogs are the trash humanity leaves for nature.

 

[comfisherman]

I don't like Outsourcing my killing, since I'm not a vegan it's gotta be done by someone. Practice extensively, with quality gear set up for a clean Harvest is still the most ethical way anything dies and then I get to eat. Harsh reality of a fallen world, but one we have to live in. If it's not for you I don't mind, it's what keeps me in business (killing fish is cleaner than the slaughter house but the same mechanism).

Lately I've turned my attention to predators, we've stopped the natural competition between them and us and the population has exploded. This isn't isolated to just up here, it plagues the west and its moving east. Old native was right 20 some years ago, you want prey or predators.... his generation picked prey and the predators knew it. The generation above me picked predators.... and it looks like we'll both be hungry if this continues.

 

[CBH Australia]

Gave up hunting when I quit drinking. I don't have anything against hunting, it's just not for me. Whiskey is known to change a man, I was much more hard core and I think I found power in killing animals, after I sobered up, I found all the power is in compassion, I'm a logger been running a saw in the woods for 26 years now, and I go out of my way to save the animals. I'm in their home and I gotta watch my step.
Now I just shoot a camera at the wildlife.
I became a big softy for animals. It's spilled over into fostering and rescuing animals that need it.

Nothing against you giving up drinking but I'm surprised it made you give up hunting.
I've worked in a pest management role and a National Parks role. Conservation needs pest management. Id help an animal in the the right place and I've destroyed injured animals humanely without a second thought.
I've shot more pests than I will hunt for food or sport and hope to hunt a lot more taking pests along the way.
I know a lot of shooters who could learn to shoot and hunters and authorised government shooters who should improve.
I think in both hunting and shooting there are situations that we can always learn and improve.
Im still learning and I'm gonna hunt and shoot all I can before it's to late. My reloading, shooting, casual club comps and hunting are things I still enjoy so I'm going to make the most of it.
I'll probably never give up drinking but I do refrain from it at times. I don't think it's the reason I hunt but I'll consider my options carefully as there might be side affects to giving up.

 

[gohring3006]

Nothing against you giving up drinking but I'm surprised it made you give up hunting.
I've worked in a pest management role and a National Parks role. Conservation needs pest management. Id help an animal in the the right place and I've destroyed injured animals humanely without a second thought.
sport and hope to hunt a lot more taking pests along the way.
I know a lot of shooters who could learn to shoot and hunters and authorised government shooters who should improve.
I think in both hunting and shooting there are situations that we can always learn and improve.
Im still learning and I'm gonna hunt and shoot all I can before it's to late. My reloading, shooting, casual club comps and hunting are things I still enjoy so I'm going to make the most of it.
I'll probably never give up drinking but I do refrain from it at times. I don't think it's the reason I hunt but I'll consider my options carefully as there might be side affects to giving up.

Everyone walks a different path. I have many reasons why I walk this path. I feel I destroyed enough lives including my own.
Once the fog of drinking lifted, it was very clear to me my destructive ways.
Again nothing against guys who hunt or drink. Alcohol never made me give up hunting, sobriety cleared my head and I chose a different path. I do spend a lot of time putting bullets into the transonic transition. So no hunting but lots of shooting.

 

[ARlife4me]

If I'm going to shoot something and eat it, well the answer would be QUAIL! I care nothing for the rest of the animals! When I was 9 (maybe younger) my brother and I went turkey hunting. Both of us had 410's, his was a pump action and I had a single shot. We got aim at the flock and BAM, 4 turkeys down..................with 1 shot as his action wasn't closed. I had to clean all 4 by myself and so that was the last time I shot any turkeys. Pheasant and duck I might hunt, but nothing else other than quail.

 

[Bob Wright]

I find myself shooting targets just in case I get drawn for the ever dwindling big game tags. This year I'm heading out of state for deer of all things. Maybe I can get connections in other states to try elk and pronghorn. My age hasn't kept me down too much, yet, but there is a sunset looming on all my ambitions. What I'll be doing then is getting back to targets and then hand off the remaining stuff to the family. I dread that day more than anything. Until then, paper and the remaining hunts all will be treasured.

 

[Hugnot]

I shoot many more rounds at targets than at living creatures. Killing deers & such makes me sad & regretful.

I don't like being out before dawn with loaded weapons which is common to hunting deers. I prefer to shoot rodents when it is nice, bright & warm rather than larger mammals when it is cold or wet. I like shooting 20 or even 100 or more rounds per day at rodents to save the rodents from being poisoned by farmers. Hunting deers & such is often cold & uncomfortable with few opportunities to enjoy leisurely meals & activity breaks. Every year, I anticipate being out in wide open spaces with a loaded rifle & heavy ammo bag.

 

[nksmfamjp]

I know many hunters who aren't shooters.

Yea. That bothers me. A lot of folks talk about respect for the game animals….then they tell you they haven't sighted in this decade and haven't practiced since they were a youth….in the 70's. How serious are they?

I like hunting. A very good friend of mine says he can go the range and buy a steak on the way home.

If you add it up he is way more cost effective even with liberal deer limits and moderately accessible hunting around here.

yea, it is hard to think like that. I like hunting, but this makes it hard to think about how much a deer steak really costs!

 

[Turkeytider]

At our local state range, if the guns I see that are in the vast majority are any indication, most of 20-30 year olds ( estimated ) don`t hunt. I know you can hunt with the various AR platforms, but most of these guns barely look like guns ( I exaggerate perhaps, but only a little! )! Also, the way they shoot them doesn`t seem to lend itself to preparing for time afield. What most of us would consider " typical " hunting rifles are in the very vast minority.