[Brian Pfleuger]

I'm amused by selective ethics.

It's either ethical to shoot a deer for eating purposes or it isn't.

No matter how many people think that thing is a "pet", a great many folks with similar opinions have been proven wrong in very painful ways.

It's a wild animal. Just because it's not afraid of people anymore doesn't mean there's some new moral code introduced that prohibits shooting it.

How does effort or the animals stupidity factor into the ethics of shooting it?

Who decided that it only counts if it takes a certain number of hours or if you have to try hard enough?

Is that kid who walks into the woods on his first day of hunting and 15 minutes later has the 10 point standing in front of him supposed to pass on it because it wasn't hard enough for him?

I participate in a hunting program that's run by Cornell University. The first couple of years we hunted, many of the deer in some areas paid no attention whatsoever to people. One time, I had a doe and hers fawns within 15 feet of my stand. I had a new rest on the bow that a friend wanted me to try. I didn't like it and it didn't contain the arrow. The arrow fell off the rest when I drew. She heard the arrow hit the riser and looked up at me. I couldn't get the arrow back on the rest so I had to let down. She stood there looking at me. I reached out, put the arrow back on the rest, drew the bow again and shot her.

Guess I shouldn't have shot her since I'm sure someone thought she was a "pet".

Oddly enough, she tasted just like every other deer I've ever eaten.