Hunting - For or Against?

[Encyclopedia]

Apparently the US and Brazil combined produce about 45% of the world's beef. If we did it using organic methods - a profitable but unstable niche in the US - the world would starve.

Or, people could just eat a bit less meat.

 

[xXKingJoshXx]

Or, people could just eat a bit less meat.

That's impossible. I myself eat 15% of the worlds meat.

 

[Encyclopedia]

That's impossible. I myself eat 15% of the worlds meat.

I shouldn' talk really. I eat startling quantities of chicken. I try to go for Swedish produced though. Which is of high standard ethics-wise from what I've heard.

 

[lemansfanatic]

I struggle with the feeling that I am supposed to be okay with it, but I am too soft-hearted. I feel inside me the DNA of a hunter/warrior that all our ancestors were, but my heart is too weak to kill... I dont look down on anyone who does hunt, as I feel its natural part of our humanity to hunt and kill animals, even though we no longer HAVE to for survival. I kinda wish I had more killer in me, i just cant bear to see anything lose its life. Life is such a rare and wonderful thing. To all you hunters, hunt on! To all you animal lovers, be happy you live in a world where you dont have to kill if you dont want to. An animal lover in ancient times would probably be outcast, looked down upon/bannished by the tribal leaders and had a difficult time finding a mate.

 

[Wyvern_64]

I have never been hunting but I'm completely for it. Hunters usually have a respect for the species they hunt and will not kill more than what they can use somehow, from the hunters I've known anyways. And I bet the amount of deaths by a species caused by hunters is nothing compared to habitat destruction by corporations and such.

 

[Antonisbob]

Never done it, but I think it's cool.

 

[Liquid]

Never done it, but I think it's cool.

I know coolness is entirely subjective, but how can you possibly know that without having done it?

 

[sumbrownkid]

Going to space is cool, yet we all didn't go...

 

[Zenith]

I know coolness is entirely subjective, but how can you possibly know that without having done it?

Finding the practice tracking and killing an animal and the culture behind it as something that is "cool", doesn't strike me as entirely unreasonable.

 

[Grand Prix]

http://[domain blocked due to malware]/instances/400x/19838755.jpg

 

[arora]

I'll shoot you.....








With ma camera

 

[Strittan]

I'm not against hunting, and I've actually thought about getting into it myself. In Sweden people hunt pretty much everything there is to hunt, but it's very carefully regulated how much and when you can hunt a specific animal, of course.

 

[arora]

As long as someone else tells you what to do.

 

[terminator363]

Honestly this should be a poll.

Anyways, back on topic: I think hunting and pest control are completely reasonable. As long as the species is not endangered and as long as the activity does not harm; I think hunting is just a part of the food cycle.

 

[Liquid]

Honestly this should be a poll.

Good things come to those who...

 

[Slash]

As I said I look at is entertainment and a sport, however don't do it if you are not going to use what you are going to kill.

As a sport however, most non hunters won't have a clue what to do when they get out in the woods, let alone how to sight in a gun.

 

[ECGadget]

If one hunts in the hope that the hunted animal will provide food for himself and family, I believe it is acceptable. I find it acceptable for defending your property too, i.e. A farm. Hunting for sport though is wrong and noone can justify hunting for no reason. I may be wrong here, but I believe humans are the only creatures who kill for 'sport'. Every other creature kills only for food or defence of their home.

We say Humankind is moral, yet we kill others knowingly for sport. Where is the humanity in that? Someone above mentioned this being part of the food chain, and he is correct to an extent. Do people hunt for food? If the answer is yes, then it's part of the natural cycle. If no, then it's a shameful murder of an animal that hasn't done anything but, perhaps, be a mild annoyance to you. Are we that arrogant that we feel other creatures below us? Are we that ignorant that we fail to see what the beauty of every creature is?

Or is that just what humanity is? Kill others to show power, whether it human or other animal? If you agree with hunting as a sport, that is your opinion. But please take a moment to think. What would it be like if you were the hunted. Knowing that for food you will be killed in fairness and humanely, but someone may one day just kill you because it was "fun". You wouldn't like it, so think: animals are not as intelligent as us, but they still have a heart. They have feelings. Have you ever seen a goat cry? Knowing very well that it's the end of it's life and it will be killed for food? If it cries when it is being killed fairly, what do you think it'd feel if it was being killed for no reason. I need not explain in more depth. I believe I've voiced my opinion on this matter, and I do humbly apologise for any offense this may have caused.

 

[MarinaDiamandis]

I may be wrong here, but I believe humans are the only creatures who kill for 'sport'.

You are wrong, as wolves, coyotes and foxes will kill for sport (killing the entire population of a chicken coop but only taking a few carcasses away with them, sheep left to die after being disemboweled or having their throat ripped out, etc).

 

[Encyclopedia]

You are wrong, as wolves, coyotes and foxes will kill for sport (killing the entire population of a chicken coop but only taking a few carcasses away with them, sheep left to die after being disemboweled or having their throat ripped out, etc).

Which could be due to their disability to act outside their instinct. I hardly think it's for fun.

 

[ECGadget]

Which could be due to their disability to act outside their instinct. I hardly think it's for fun.

This. But as I said, I may not be entirely correct, so thank you for pointing it out. Human instinct is not to kill. Well shouldn't be to kill, I can't say it isn't anymore...

 

[jcm]

I agree completely with you. For food/defense, all carnivore animals do it, and even herbevores will kill for defense. Pretty much all animals kill when it's the only way to survive. But for sport, I don't believe that it's okay.

This is just my opinion though, and I don't know what it's like to hunted for sport. Might be fun to run away for your life? I don't know, maybe the adrenaline makes you feel awesome? I doubt it though, and I probably wouldn't like being hunted, which is why my opinion is this way.

 

[ECGadget]

I agree completely with you. For food/defense, all carnivore animals do it, and even herbevores will kill for defense. Pretty much all animals kill when it's the only way to survive. But for sport, I don't believe that it's okay.

This is just my opinion though, and I don't know what it's like to hunted for sport. Might be fun to run away for your life? I don't know, maybe the adrenaline makes you feel awesome? I doubt it though, and I probably wouldn't like being hunted, which is why my opinion is this way.

Thank you. I dunno, maybe running away from where you shouldn't be would be fun, but from your home? I wouldn't like it, and I imagine that nor do animals. Humans have come to a stage where they have stopped caring about animals. It's horrible. I feel that even when killing for food an animal should be killed in such a way that it will immediately die, causing the absolute minimum of pain. Personally, I could never kill, even for food. I just can't do it, even though I know that it's okay to do so...

 

[Famine]

I may be wrong here, but I believe humans are the only creatures who kill for 'sport'. Every other creature kills only for food or defence of their home.

 

[Encyclopedia]

Which could be due to their disability to act outside their instinct. I hardly think it's for fun.

?

 

[Famine]

If you don't think cats kill for fun, you've probably never owned cats - or watched them with prey. They get tremendous satisfaction from it.

He kills purely for fun. Occasionally for research - he's found that toads taste bad and don't die if you hold them under water, but mice will drown in his water bowl. He brings anything and everything back home alive and then he plays with it until they stop being fun.

 

[ECGadget]

I stand corrected. However, I feel my points still stand?

EDIT: Just thinking about it a little more. Is it not in the nature of a cat to kill and explore. Has it been taught that killing for anything other than food it wrong? Does it understand the meaning of hurting? Dogs and cats do not get along but, if taught correctly, they can. Are we really that uncivilised that after being taught that killing for sport is wrong, we still kill? Teach an animal that something is wrong and it will not do it, despite it's nature. Is it not human nature to strive to better ourselves? To learn and to explore? Or has that been forgotton after years of inequality and torment, and now the only way forward is killing? This is not just about hunting, this applies to war, murder and all that. But as far as hunting goes, teach a cat not to kill a mouse and it will comply. Teach a human not to kill, for examples sake, a fox. Will he/she comply? If a less intelligent cat can understand it is wrong, what makes a human, the SMARTEST of all animals, so ignorant to this? Has it become our nature now?

 

[Encyclopedia]

If you don't think cats kill for fun, you've probably never owned cats - or watched them with prey. They get tremendous satisfaction from it.

He kills purely for fun. Occasionally for research - he's found that toads taste bad and don't die if you hold them under water, but mice will drown in his water bowl. He brings anything and everything back home alive and then he plays with it until they stop being fun.

I have actually. Not sure it's for fun though. I could be wrong obviously.

Edit: I still think it's a part of a very strong hunting instinct. Which the cat lacks the ability to contemplate about.

 

[Joey D]

Humans have come to a stage where they have stopped caring about animals. It's horrible.

I really think we should start caring about the human species instead of worrying about other ones.

 

[Famine]

I have actually. Not sure it's for fun though. I could be wrong obviously.

Edit: I still think it's a part of a very strong hunting instinct. Which the cat lacks the ability to contemplate about.

If it was hunting instinct, they would hunt, kill and probably eat. Not hunt, take home, play with, torture, kill and then abandon.

It's a game for them. They take satisfaction from the game - and my cat (as pictured) plays it like no other cat I've ever seen.

 

[ECGadget]

I really think we should start caring about the human species instead of worrying about other ones.

Without a doubt you're correct, we do need to care about the human species. But that does not mean we do not worry about others. If we're so intelligent then we have a duty to help everything and everyone in the best manner we can, be it helping an elderly person with a bag of shopping or helping a sick bird recover.