Shooters that do not hunt?

[AGGRO]

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.

Well, good for you but if you were raised with wildlife none of that even needs explaining. Most of us have always loved wildlife but things die so others can live. Whether or not someone does it for you. There was never a sense of power for most hunters. It was being out there and understanding animals with long canines need to kill to eat.

It's deeply set in our DNA. I could just go to burger king each day for a whopper but that's not in my DNA.

 

[AGGRO]

Mine wasn't that bad of a shot. Chest at 480 yards with a very explosive bullet. But the chuck was still alive when I walked up to it. I'm still not sure if it was the bullet or my shooting but it took another in the chest and then one in the head to finally finish it off. It still bothers me to this day. Hunting has always been a visceral, primal instinct for me. I can still "feel" myself go into that "mode". But a bad shot really bothers me. I want a clean kill or I don't want to do it.

Mother Nature can be brutal. You probably don't want to look it up but there are videos of wild dogs, coyotes etc. that pretty much eat their prey while it's still alive. As in, alive for a while. The most disturbing one showed African wild dogs eating a warthog and there was nothing left but the rib cage and head but it was still squealing. No hind quarters or front legs anything. Just the heart was still beating. Freakin brutal. Many large predators do the same. Hell, even insects paralyze prey and eat it later while it's still alive.

 

[Valley Fever]

I absolutely have no issues with hunting as long as those doing it know their limitations.

My reason for not hunting is that deer meat, no matter how it's prepared, just doesn't come close to a butcher shop steak or ground beef. To me it's all about taste. My F-I-L was a gifted hunter with bow, shotgun and rifle. He was bringing all sorts of game home during the season. He wasn't the only one cooking this stuff up either. Rabbit was okay, but bird was the best. If you have to add stuff to the meat to make it edible, what's the point?

If cornfed Ohio deer doesn't set right with me, I doubt anything bigger would. You harvest your meat and Hunk & Chunk harvests mine. Works for all of us. It's the taste!

 

[Lonewolf74]

I've supplied first weapons helped zero and sometimes taken hunting 4 people for their first deer so far. 2 of them had never used a gun before. It can be done!

One was a vegetarian when we met.

Now that's a success story!

 

[Lonewolf74]

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.

Gohoring; I find this fascinating! I think your decision is admirable though it's so interesting because I believe I hunt for the very reason you don't.

I think hunting, especially bow hunting is the only thing that keeps me from abusing substances such as alcohol. I don't feel it gives me power over animals to harvest them and I too show them compassion. I believe there is a time to save life and a time to take life. It makes me feel truly alive to a part of God's order. For those that don't believe in God could just as easily see it as part of nature and the circle of life, I think it's one and the same regardless of a person's religion.

 

[C-130 Dude]

Mine wasn't that bad of a shot. Chest at 480 yards with a very explosive bullet. But the chuck was still alive when I walked up to it. I'm still not sure if it was the bullet or my shooting but it took another in the chest and then one in the head to finally finish it off. It still bothers me to this day. Hunting has always been a visceral, primal instinct for me. I can still "feel" myself go into that "mode". But a bad shot really bothers me. I want a clean kill or I don't want to do it.

I absolutely hear you. I stand firm on this issue. If your going to hunt, do so ethically. I made a poor shot years ago hunting with a DNR friend at an elk. Hit him but lost it in the "fog". Had to track it for 2.5 days in lousy weather. It was dead when we found it but imagine how it must have suffered. Lesson learned! It really changed how I think about killing. After all, that's what it is. I rarely hunt now, but I always ensure that I use enough gun to do the job right. Stay safe and have fun.

 

[C-130 Dude]

I love to do both. Dad got me into hunting as a kid and set me up in the back yard with a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun. Wanna say hunting is what started my love of shooting and my time in the MC Sniper community is what really got me into LR shooting. Due to work / time schedule Im definetly heavier into shooting side of things. Still love to hunt but my work schedule doesn't allow me to hunt nearly as much as I'd like to. I could absolutely take a vacation for a couple weeks and go hunt public land but without putting in the time scouting pre-season if I did in fact get into something it'd be by pure luck. Still, walking around glassing in Gods County with or without getting any shots off is still time well Spent. My focus now is shooting with my 15 y/o daughter and trying to get her first animal. A guided hunt maybe the best way to accomplish that at this point.

I enjoy both but spend much more time on the range these days than I do out hunting.

A Daisy Red Ryder. Now there a classic starter gun. Wonder how many guys out there had/have one of those. It should be a starter gun requirement for every kid!

 

[blvette75]

I'm surprised at the number of shooters I encounter that do not go hunting. They've either given it up for various reasons or never hunted to begin with, they enjoy shooting by its own merit.
I'll admit I'm not the diehard I used to be, age takes it's toll on the body. I still enjoy getting outdoors and Fall is my favorite time of year.

The same with me,as age and just life in general has limited my ability to hunt and fish as I would like. the Covid impacted my lungs with asthma just haven't trekked up into the mountains like I used to. But like many others I enjoy my range time and will do some bucket list hunting and fishing trips.

 

[C-130 Dude]

My wife "has not" attained that stage in life yet! I'm still in "deep doo doo" for stopping her from killing the first elk we saw for several seasons in a row! Several seasons in a row….we ate elk tags! memtb

Seasoned with a little salt, pepper, and glass of guilt to wash it down?

 

[C-130 Dude]

I should've added a after that last post.
Yes, I have a hard time hearing but I really cant blame my lack of hunting ability on that.
I AM just one of those special people...

Being hard of hearing is no joke. Mine is really bad, ask my wife. Flying C-130s for 22 years will ruin your ears despite earplugs. But I have also been looking left and had animals walk past me on the right. I long for the younger years. Days gone by.

 

[xsn10s]

I absolutely hear you. I stand firm on this issue. If your going to hunt, do so ethically. I made a poor shot years ago hunting with a DNR friend at an elk. Hit him but lost it in the "fog". Had to track it for 2.5 days in lousy weather. It was dead when we found it but imagine how it must have suffered. Lesson learned! It really changed how I think about killing. After all, that's what it is. I rarely hunt now, but I always ensure that I use enough gun to do the job right. Stay safe and have fun.

That's the thing. I used a well respected, explosive varmint bullet. And it was well within it's performance parameters. Just goes to show nothing is 100 percent.

 

[gohring3006]

Gohoring; I find this fascinating! I think your decision is admirable though it's so interesting because I believe I hunt for the very reason you don't.

I think hunting, especially bow hunting is the only thing that keeps me from abusing substances such as alcohol. I don't feel it gives me power over animals to harvest them and I too show them compassion. I believe there is a time to save life and a time to take life. It makes me feel truly alive to a part of God's order. For those that don't believe in God could just as easily see it as part of nature and the circle of life, I think it's one and the same regardless of a person's religion.

Nothing against people who hunt or drink.
Everyone is different and won't feel the same as I do.

 

[C-130 Dude]

Nothing against people who hunt or drink.

I've always been a somewhat cheap drunk. That said, I refrain from drink until I have something to celebrate. Can't seen to find the door with one eye open.

 

[memtb]

A Daisy Red Ryder. Now there a classic starter gun. Wonder how many guys out there had/have one of those. It should be a starter gun requirement for every kid!

Some type of low power gun (pellet, BB gun, ect.) training/education should be introduced into every child's life at an early age!

Here's a recollection from my childhood:
My father, who was certainly not an avid shooter/hunter, refused to get me the stereotypical lever action BB gun of the day. He insisted that we would get a higher quality, more accurate gun for my first experience. My first @ 7 years old (1959) a Benjamin pump in .177 cal.

Before anyone jumps to any conclusions….we weren't rolling in money. I think that when my father retired (15 or so years service at his last job) his highest hourly salary was around $9/hr. He was just very frugal, and would always try to get the best quality items he could afford! There is one expression that I've heard my father use many times and it has always stuck with me, and is valid in all aspects of life….. "Poor people can't make poor decisions"! I have tried to use that as my standard for many of my life decisions! memtb