Question: Can People who love to hunt game as a sport be called "animal lovers"?
- Thread starter poodledad
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What's an animal lover?
Is a marine conservationist involved with dolphin rescue who can't stand dogs or cats an animal lover?
Is a vet at a kill-shelter an animal lover?
Is a pheasant shooter who keeps a pet dog extremely well an animal lover?
It's a very wide, open to interpretation question
opcorn:
Hunters may have animals at home - fish, pet dogs and so on, that they care for... so, they may love some animals, and enjoy killing others for sport... could it be that because they kill some animals they cannot care well for others? You cannot make such a generalisation. They may love SOME animals...
However here in Spain hunters who use dogs (like Zelda, in my signature) do tend to treat them terribly so as well as the hunting debate they also abuse their "tools". Certainly not animal lovers by any stretch of the imagination.
Is a marine conservationist involved with dolphin rescue who can't stand dogs or cats an animal lover?
Is a vet at a kill-shelter an animal lover?
Is a pheasant shooter who keeps a pet dog extremely well an animal lover?
It's a very wide, open to interpretation question
opcorn: Hunters may have animals at home - fish, pet dogs and so on, that they care for... so, they may love some animals, and enjoy killing others for sport... could it be that because they kill some animals they cannot care well for others? You cannot make such a generalisation. They may love SOME animals...
However here in Spain hunters who use dogs (like Zelda, in my signature) do tend to treat them terribly
so as well as the hunting debate they also abuse their "tools". Certainly not animal lovers by any stretch of the imagination.Yes.....opcorn:
(Here we go again)
Most people that hunt have compassion and a great respect for animals.
It might be a "sport", but we fill our freezer, and fill our bellies from that "sport".
And if you like to hunt.... but don't need the extra meat, then some deer hunters around here donate the meat to....... "Hunters helping the hungry"
and the meat is prepared and packaged and given to families in need.
Edit: Just because a hunter kills an animal doesn't mean he hates that animal or has no respect for it. The opposite is usually true.
I have made several squirrel pot pies........ but have also loved, raised, and released several litters of squirrels back into the wild..... they actually stuck around my parents place for about a year before going deeper into the woods.
opcorn: (Here we go again)
Most people that hunt have compassion and a great respect for animals.
It might be a "sport", but we fill our freezer, and fill our bellies from that "sport".
And if you like to hunt.... but don't need the extra meat, then some deer hunters around here donate the meat to....... "Hunters helping the hungry"
and the meat is prepared and packaged and given to families in need.
Edit: Just because a hunter kills an animal doesn't mean he hates that animal or has no respect for it. The opposite is usually true.
I have made several squirrel pot pies........ but have also loved, raised, and released several litters of squirrels back into the wild..... they actually stuck around my parents place for about a year before going deeper into the woods.
From my beliefs I don't think an actual animal lover would kill for sport.. to eat but not solely for sport..
Of course those people I'm sure have completly different beliefs as me.. so they might still consider themselves as animal lovers.. But from what I personally believe an animal lover to be, someone killing only for sport wouldn't fall in that category..
Of course those people I'm sure have completly different beliefs as me.. so they might still consider themselves as animal lovers.. But from what I personally believe an animal lover to be, someone killing only for sport wouldn't fall in that category..
OK Bob, let's say you get a rat infestation in your house. Is it ok to kill them? How about a coyote starts coming onto your land and kills your sheep or chickens? Is killing these animals, which can be considered pests, any different than a hunter killing a deer and eating the meat, regardless of how much sport is involved?
I knew an exterminator. Getting rid of rodents was a sport to him.
I knew an exterminator. Getting rid of rodents was a sport to him.
What's an animal lover?
Is a marine conservationist involved with dolphin rescue who can't stand dogs or cats an animal lover?
Is a vet at a kill-shelter an animal lover?
Is a pheasant shooter who keeps a pet dog extremely well an animal lover?
It's a very wide, open to interpretation questionopcorn:
Hunters may have animals at home - fish, pet dogs and so on, that they care for... so, they may love some animals, and enjoy killing others for sport... could it be that because they kill some animals they cannot care well for others? You cannot make such a generalisation. They may love SOME animals...
However here in Spain hunters who use dogs (like Zelda, in my signature) do tend to treat them terribly so as well as the hunting debate they also abuse their "tools". Certainly not animal lovers by any stretch of the imagination.
Is a marine conservationist involved with dolphin rescue who can't stand dogs or cats an animal lover?
Is a vet at a kill-shelter an animal lover?
Is a pheasant shooter who keeps a pet dog extremely well an animal lover?
It's a very wide, open to interpretation question
opcorn: Hunters may have animals at home - fish, pet dogs and so on, that they care for... so, they may love some animals, and enjoy killing others for sport... could it be that because they kill some animals they cannot care well for others? You cannot make such a generalisation. They may love SOME animals...
However here in Spain hunters who use dogs (like Zelda, in my signature) do tend to treat them terribly
so as well as the hunting debate they also abuse their "tools". Certainly not animal lovers by any stretch of the imagination.
DO they have any types of laws where you live to catch animal abusers and protect animals?
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This is a really broad question. I'm assuming that hunting is just taken in the sense of with guns etc. If this is so, I believe it really depends on the intent they have with the dead animal. If it is to be used for food than I guess that is slightly more justified and I do believe some people could be animal lovers that do just that. It also depends on what they are hunting and when. If they are hunting animals during the hunting season following all guidelines than this makes a big difference too. Trapping, poisoning, bating etc are done by some sick, sick people and are certainly not animal lovers.
Ps: Hunting is not a sport and should never be reffered to as such.
Ps: Hunting is not a sport and should never be reffered to as such.
Its is almost like the "eat meat?" topic we had.. its borderline.
I know many farmers who would gladly shoot rabit fox, coyotes or other "hunter" animals off of their land to protect their herds - horses, cows, sheep, pigs, chickens even.
I know I would do the same to protect them.
I also know a few farmers who would go out and hunt deer and bring it back for dinner. THAT I also agree upon. Same with Moose.
but as Blue has stated well - hunting for just a nice head piece or the hide without needed the meat isn't right.
But they are all animal lovers.
I know many farmers who would gladly shoot rabit fox, coyotes or other "hunter" animals off of their land to protect their herds - horses, cows, sheep, pigs, chickens even.
I know I would do the same to protect them.
I also know a few farmers who would go out and hunt deer and bring it back for dinner. THAT I also agree upon. Same with Moose.
but as Blue has stated well - hunting for just a nice head piece or the hide without needed the meat isn't right.
But they are all animal lovers.
I still agree that killing for sport and ENJOYMENT is just plain gross. I know people will think that I'm silly but when my son had mice in his new condo, we went and got humane traps and did just fine handling things that way. As far as coyotes go, I work for wildlife rescue......you know where I'm going with that. Here they are successfull relocated all the time.
I have to say though that I don't have to deal with anything on a massive scale. I understand that there are circumstances where people have no choice due to sheer volume and level of destruction/death to property and animals, but that's not killing for sport either.
Just recently I saw some young boys, about 12 years old or so, with a pellet gun picking off rodents. I felt sick to my stomach and very sad to see these young boys getting such a charge out of killing just for the FUN of it. I took their names, numbers...and the gun and phoned the police. Their parents had to come to my home with the police in order to pick up the gun, which the police confiscated anyway. What kind of parents give such young boys a weapon and send them off to KILL anything. Little boys that are taught such things would likely kill someones cat if nothing else was available. By the way, before I'm bashed for taking the gun...the boys were shooting in a park where dogs and children walk all the time.
is just plain gross. I know people will think that I'm silly but when my son had mice in his new condo, we went and got humane traps and did just fine handling things that way. As far as coyotes go, I work for wildlife rescue......you know where I'm going with that. Here they are successfull relocated all the time.I have to say though that I don't have to deal with anything on a massive scale. I understand that there are circumstances where people have no choice due to sheer volume and level of destruction/death to property and animals, but that's not killing for sport either.
Just recently I saw some young boys, about 12 years old or so, with a pellet gun picking off rodents. I felt sick to my stomach and very sad to see these young boys getting such a charge out of killing just for the FUN of it. I took their names, numbers...and the gun and phoned the police. Their parents had to come to my home with the police in order to pick up the gun, which the police confiscated anyway. What kind of parents give such young boys a weapon and send them off to KILL anything. Little boys that are taught such things would likely kill someones cat if nothing else was available. By the way, before I'm bashed for taking the gun...the boys were shooting in a park where dogs and children walk all the time.
AH but you see. At least in PA, the deer are so OVER populated that if they did not have an annual deer hunting season thousands of deer would starve to death through out the winter because there simply is NOT enough food for all of them to survive the winter. now what is worse?
i say leaving them to starve to death is far more cruel then a quick fatal shot AND the meat is put to good use.
I agree with Blue though. If it is going to serve a purpose (other than lining your shelves with trophies) then I'm fine with it. I see nothing wrong with hunting for food. it's not like it's a new development.
I mean my goodness. We can't eat animals from farms anymore without being chastized and now we can't hunt with out being accused of cruelty? LOL
AND I fish too :yikes:
but I can honestly say I have not tried deer. I'm afraid of how it is going to taste. Hubby and the rest of his family and mine love it though.
i say leaving them to starve to death is far more cruel then a quick fatal shot AND the meat is put to good use.
I agree with Blue though. If it is going to serve a purpose (other than lining your shelves with trophies) then I'm fine with it. I see nothing wrong with hunting for food. it's not like it's a new development.
I mean my goodness. We can't eat animals from farms anymore without being chastized and now we can't hunt with out being accused of cruelty? LOL
AND I fish too :yikes:
but I can honestly say I have not tried deer. I'm afraid of how it is going to taste. Hubby and the rest of his family and mine love it though.
Yes, all dogs are meant to be chipped, and animal abuse is a crime, but sadly not that often enforced by punishment it seems, although there has been some progress. The chipping is one thing - but it can mean that animals who are chipped suffer horrific injuries to gauge them out when they are no longer useful (like greyhounds tatooed ears being lopped off) to protect the owners identity.
There was a recent case where a hunter who had disposed of several live dogs by dropping them down a wellshaft (...they survived I recall...) was caught and prosecuted... Much work (awareness and rescue) seems to be done by charities, often international. My understanding is that hunting/coursing with dogs here can be more about the hunters pride and prizemoney than any kind of sustinence... and the dogs (who aren't even the prey of course) really are disposable tools. Apparently dogs who embarass their hunters are sometimes put to a terrible, slow death...
There was a recent case where a hunter who had disposed of several live dogs by dropping them down a wellshaft (...they survived I recall...) was caught and prosecuted... Much work (awareness and rescue) seems to be done by charities, often international. My understanding is that hunting/coursing with dogs here can be more about the hunters pride and prizemoney than any kind of sustinence... and the dogs (who aren't even the prey of course) really are disposable tools. Apparently dogs who embarass their hunters are sometimes put to a terrible, slow death...