WHY shoot everything?

[tahunua001]

I was taught from a young age to respect whatever game you are hunting to the utmost degree. Squirrel, deer or racoon was no difference. If the animal was going to provide you with nourishment you were thankful. This goes along with a lot of other things I was taught in the southern way of life in the late 60'Ss early 70's. I think much of this has been lost with much of the other respectful things I learned long ago.
Much of the wisdom that was departed by the generation that gave me these values has been lost or forgotten no matter what region of our great nation you are located.

this about sums it up...todays youth(myself included) have been desensitized by videogames and tv. all of the respect for game animals stuff that I was taught in hunters education is pretty much left at the wayside as soon as these kids get their first firearm. I am not much different. I still get that slight pang of guilt when I shoot a deer or I hear a coyote yelp for the last time but I am laways able to reason it away by telling myself that killing it has provided a much needed service...squirrels and tweety birds? unfortunately I hold very little regard for them anymore and it is a little disgusting to think about it but that's just the way things go.

[dahermit]

...have noticed that people out here like to kill critters, for no apparent reason...

I have an apparent reason, they eat my goose eggs and destroy the nests. They have wiped out my chicken flock including layers and pet bantams. I have nothing against Raccoons, skunks, fox and possum, but since the anti-fur movement has destroyed the trapping hobby/industry, we have been overrun by the predators to that extent that I have to trap, poison, shoot them when ever I can, to the tune of 15-20 raccoons, 12 or so possums, each spring...and the fur not being prime then, they just get tossed into a pit to rot. So, when you drive past and see me do such senseless despicable things to those animals, I just might have an apparent reason. If the fur industry would recover in this country, trappers would keep them under control like it did when I received $45 for a single coon pelt, unfleshed. People used to pick up road killed coons back then...they sure do not now.

[RevGeo]

Usually if I won't eat it I won't kill it. However a couple of years ago some squirrels got into my well house and filled it with pine cones to a depth of about two feet. I'm not kidding, there were thousands of pine cones in there and the little suckers brought 'em in one at a time!
I took my .22 out and thinned their (the squirrels) numbers a bit.
I shoot coyotes once in a while because I can get ten bucks from a local fur buyer. Of course I hunt deer, elk, bear, moose, grouse, turkey and other edibles, but other than the above the animals are safe from me.

[L_Killkenny]

Really what we are talking about is 2 different cultures. I grew up with a Red Rider and shooting sparrows, barn swallows and other targets of opportunity. I moved on to hunting and trapping from there and while I'd never intentionally promote suffering I realize that they are after all, just animals and not humans. It's pretty black and white actually and to ride the fence is intellectually dishonest.

I'm gonna end by saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". I'm not saying you should go out and kill everything you see, I don't. And to tell the truth I don't see much of anybody killing for no reason. They may be killing for reasons that a city dwellers has no clue about but most of the time there is a reason. You don't have to understand it but you dang well better accept it. Lot's of f'ing city folk have moved to the country and small town's around here and are basically trying to shove there beliefs down the throats of folk that have been there for generations. If you can't accept that, move back to the city.

LK

[Art Eatman]

I grew up in a mix of city and country. I came to believe that there is that percentage of people who do some sort of penny-ante vandalism for no particular reason.

In the country, SOME shoot road signs, any little critter they see, and even deliberately run over harmless snakes or terrapins.

But it's in no way an "everybody does it" deal.

Not everybody in town scrapes a car's paint with a key or goes around throwing rocks through store windows...

[tahunua001]

people here are starting to get quite riled about this. I think the OP is just trying to understand the situation. as he said he said he believes in live and let live so he is probably addressing the question here on an anonymous forum rather than asking a potentially volatile question face to face with his neighbors. I dont understand why everyone is personally attacking the OP.

I have had anti hunting, tree huggers try to corner me into an argument over the ethical implications of taking another life and I'll simply tell them that I am no more guilty for murdering a deer by squeezing the trigger than they are of killing a cow by picking up a pound of hamburger at the supermarket.depending on how far they try to push it I sometimes have to close by saying I have the privilege to hunt that is protected by law and that the same law that gives them the right to go vegan should they choose is the same law that lets me slap a nice juicy venison steak on my table at night. then I usually leave all grouchy and go take my aggression out a bag of empty pop cans in the back of my pickup

[Indi]

Thanks Tahunua001.
Your rite some people are taking it like im some bad guy. Mostly have recieved a lot of great opinions. Again thank you all for your responses.

For those who think i should move back to the city...... NO!

[Mike1234]

He kills anything he sees for giggles. I don't understand it.

ETA: For clarification; This guy shoots anything he sees, whenever he wants, in or out of season, and lets it lay there to rot. None of these critters are causing him or anyone else in my area any harm.

To those folks who seem to be offended by the OP, you evidently didn't read it thoroughly.

[Stressfire]

For giggles or "because I can" usually indicates a family tree that resembles Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree...

For an actual purpose, such as defending livestock from predators, eradicating destructive nuisance animals, or even for food/fur/sport as long as you have a use for what you kill I see nothing wrong at all with.

[rickyrick]

I don't actively hunt anything that stays in its home environment and does normal critter activities. Once they come near animals or the feed that I have been given the responsibility to protect, I will seek them out and kill them.
I have completely eliminated raccoon problems, they stay in the creek now. Other Varmint problems are low also.

The only animals that die mo matter what is pigs, they are an invasive species that has no place in North America.

As far as driving down the road and shooting at stuff, I believe that is a crime in most locales and should be stopped.

[Kreyzhorse]

I have noticed that people out here like to kill critters, for no apparent reason. Im not talking about people who hunt for food.

You can't explain it if you tried. Some people just aren't right and you can only hope that the game warden comes across them in the act.