Is killing really sport?

[dadioles]

Animal Aid is not an organisation that I would ever support but they do get a lot of publicity and they are not as unreasonable in some of their statements as other similar organisations.

Unfortunately, a large part of the UK population are poorly educated about shooting and easily persuaded that all shooters are blood thirsty gun mad lunatics with an insatiable appetite for killing.

 

I shoot many hundreds of healthy animals a year, mostly rabbits. My consumption of meat is significantly greater than my consumption of vegetables! I am, however, very aware of the need for high standards of animal welfare and like to think that, wherever possible, the animals that I am eating had reasonable lives and were dispatched humanely.

 

I enjoy my shooting but I do not "enjoy" the killing. It is a challenge and I get satisfaction from a job done well but every time I kill an animal I feel rather sad about taking a life but feel that it is an essential part of countryside management.

 

Watching a happy family of rabbits playing in the sun gives me a great deal of pleasure, but they do need to be reduced in numbers. I would rather it was me shooting them humanely (and turning them into rabbit pie) than knowing that they may be gassed or poisoned because that is "out of sight" and the wishy washy ill informed vegetarian liberal members of our society can turn a blind eye and pretend it never happened.

 

Animal populations have to be controlled as without that control it would be bad for the animals as well as for ourselves.

 

Animal Aid have a point of view that I largely disagree with but I do find some of their statements quite reasonable and I do share many of their concerns. It is just a pity that they take things rather too far.

 

Their campaigns against shooting are misguided but I do understand their distaste at pictures of shooters posing with dead animals, often in a very bloodied state, and grinning with satisfaction at the kill. The follow up comments in these forums rather tend to add to that distaste as they seem to rejoice in the kill with no respect at all for the animal. We are our own worst enemy and provide the anti's with everything they need.

 

The breeding of large numbers of pheasants, basically to be used as targets, does make me feel uncomfortable.

 

Maintaining healthy populations of animals is not something I have too much trouble with even if one motivation for doing this is to provide animals to be shot. Introducing wild bore for example. They can be a real nuisance but they can provide good shooting. I guess that is "sport" as much as it is population control, they also taste delicious.

 

You see my dilemma......

 

Shooting rats, rabbits, deer, foxes, badgers, corvids etc. in order to control their numbers does not cause me any problems provided that it is safe, humane and necessary. Cutting off deer heads to be kept as trophies is a culture that feels rather primitive and distasteful. As a child I used to keep a "lucky rabbits foot", I would not consider doing that now, or a souvenir foxes tail. I would not smear the blood of their first kill on the face of a child either! Another primitive blood ritual that is out of place in the 21st century.

 

Teaching young children to shoot is an excellent idea. Educating the public so that they are better informed about shooting is essential.

 

Shooting is not all about killing. Target shooting (including clays and field targets etc.) is a wonderful sport and needs better promotion.

 

In my view, killing animals is not sport, that implies killing for pleasure. It is pest control or population control or whatever else you want to call it.

[sako751sg]

Animal Aid is not an organisation that I would ever support but they do get a lot of publicity and they are not as unreasonable in some of their statements as other similar organisations.

Unfortunately, a large part of the UK population are poorly educated about shooting and easily persuaded that all shooters are blood thirsty gun mad lunatics with an insatiable appetite for killing.

 

I shoot many hundreds of healthy animals a year, mostly rabbits. My consumption of meat is significantly greater than my consumption of vegetables! I am, however, very aware of the need for high standards of animal welfare and like to think that, wherever possible, the animals that I am eating had reasonable lives and were dispatched humanely.

 

I enjoy my shooting but I do not "enjoy" the killing. It is a challenge and I get satisfaction from a job done well but every time I kill an animal I feel rather sad about taking a life but feel that it is an essential part of countryside management.

 

Watching a happy family of rabbits playing in the sun gives me a great deal of pleasure, but they do need to be reduced in numbers. I would rather it was me shooting them humanely (and turning them into rabbit pie) than knowing that they may be gassed or poisoned because that is "out of sight" and the wishy washy ill informed vegetarian liberal members of our society can turn a blind eye and pretend it never happened.

 

Animal populations have to be controlled as without that control it would be bad for the animals as well as for ourselves.

 

Animal Aid have a point of view that I largely disagree with but I do find some of their statements quite reasonable and I do share many of their concerns. It is just a pity that they take things rather too far.

 

Their campaigns against shooting are misguided but I do understand their distaste at pictures of shooters posing with dead animals, often in a very bloodied state, and grinning with satisfaction at the kill. The follow up comments in these forums rather tend to add to that distaste as they seem to rejoice in the kill with no respect at all for the animal. We are our own worst enemy and provide the anti's with everything they need.

 

The breeding of large numbers of pheasants, basically to be used as targets, does make me feel uncomfortable.

 

Maintaining healthy populations of animals is not something I have too much trouble with even if one motivation for doing this is to provide animals to be shot. Introducing wild bore for example. They can be a real nuisance but they can provide good shooting. I guess that is "sport" as much as it is population control, they also taste delicious.

 

You see my dilemma......

 

Shooting rats, rabbits, deer, foxes, badgers, corvids etc. in order to control their numbers does not cause me any problems provided that it is safe, humane and necessary. Cutting off deer heads to be kept as trophies is a culture that feels rather primitive and distasteful. As a child I used to keep a "lucky rabbits foot", I would not consider doing that now, or a souvenir foxes tail. I would not smear the blood of their first kill on the face of a child either! Another primitive blood ritual that is out of place in the 21st century.

 

Teaching young children to shoot is an excellent idea. Educating the public so that they are better informed about shooting is essential.

 

Shooting is not all about killing. Target shooting (including clays and field targets etc.) is a wonderful sport and needs better promotion.

 

In my view, killing animals is not sport, that implies killing for pleasure. It is pest control or population control or whatever else you want to call it.

 

I stopped reading at the underlined as that's when you started speaking like an anti.

If I take a photo after my boy has shot his first pheasant,and hes grinning,do you really believe hes grinning because A,hes killed an animal or possibly B,because hes just writ a chapter in his life and hes achieved something?Reasonable people will think B,disillusioned antis will think A.

[karpman]

Killing is the bi product of hunting, do I enjoy the actual killing of then animal? I reckon so. I get a huge rush of adrenalin form the whol experience. I.e the hunt the target and the pulling of the trigger.

 

I also take a trophy of my prize to relive the moment in future times or to tell the tale to my friends and associates.

 

I see absolutely no wrong in this and you or any other organisation will not change my opinion.

 

Primitive, probably. Our country and many others are steeped in hunting tradition and long may it continue.

 

Let's not get this confused with cruelty to animals please.....

 

Karpman

[Blunderbust]

 

I stopped reading at the underlined as that's when you started speaking like an anti.

If I take a photo after my boy has shot his first pheasant,and hes grinning,do you really believe hes grinning because A,hes killed an animal or possibly B,because hes just writ a chapter in his life and hes achieved something?Reasonable people will think B,disillusioned antis will think A.

 

Scots Guards, I agree 100% with you, however you managed to stay with it longer then I did.

[camokid]

this sort of rubbish pops up every now and again ... i kill things for FUN and then food.. end of

 

if you dont agree with that find a forum that you are more suited to and leave this one ...

 

what are you really doing for this sport buy putting xxxx like that up

 

i have heads all over my walls along with skins tails photos of me and my girls with kills antlers on the roof of my house freezers loaded with game and more animal heads .. you wont be invited round for tea as you sound like your on the other side to me...

[Scully]

Firstly you have to ask yourself a question 'Is someone forcing you to shoot anything?' If the answer is no,then the next logical question has to be 'If you're not enjoying it then why are you doing it?' and then the obvious answer has to be 'If you're not enjoying it then STOP DOING IT!'

There is no need for modern man in Western society to hunt anything,but that doesn't mean he doesn't FEEL the need.

I have never regarded it as 'sport' as I regard 'sport' as two opponents/sides competing against each other on an equal footing,but the term derived from way back when the aristocracy,titled and landed gentry pursued excess game for the pleasure and entertainment of visiting guests etc.

It has never been regarded as 'sport' by those who needed to do it for survival.

Call it what you like; 'sport' or not I do it because I enjoy it.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Scully

[CharlieT]

I shoot birds and animals because I enjoy it. Apart from the odd fox that kills my sheep or deer that eat my grass the rest I shoot because I enjoy doing so.

 

99% of people shoot for fun. All this I shoot to control vermin and other altruistic rubbish is utter Tosh, unless you shoot for your livelihood you are shooting for your own fun.

 

Enough of this sole searching claptrap, if you need to justify shooting and killing to yourself it's time to find another pastime.

[beanieboy]

Killing is the bi product of hunting, do I enjoy the actual killing of then animal? I reckon so. I get a huge rush of adrenalin form the whol experience. I.e the hunt the target and the pulling of the trigger.

 

I also take a trophy of my prize to relive the moment in future times or to tell the tale to my friends and associates.

 

I see absolutely no wrong in this and you or any other organisation will not change my opinion.

 

Primitive, probably. Our country and many others are steeped in hunting tradition and long may it continue.

 

Let's not get this confused with cruelty to animals please.....

 

Karpman

 

+1

[Rexcernui]

I foresee a quickly locked thread approaching.

[Piebob]

I shoot birds and animals because I enjoy it. Apart from the odd fox that kills my sheep or deer that eat my grass the rest I shoot because I enjoy doing so.

 

99% of people shoot for fun. All this I shoot to control vermin and other altruistic rubbish is utter Tosh, unless you shoot for your livelihood you are shooting for your own fun.

 

Enough of this sole searching claptrap, if you need to justify shooting and killing to yourself it's time to find another pastime.

I agree with everything except your last sentence. I think it's good to reflect on why we do what we do. I justified shooting and killing to myself long ago, but I still revisit that thought process from time to time. The answer is still the same though

[Livefast123]

I enjoy the process from taking my guns out of the cabinet to eating the proceeds on the plate. Am I ashamed of what I enjoy doing, no.

 

Men in the UK have gone soft and would rather apply Nivea than go out and do what men are designed to do

Edited September 19, 2013 by Livefast123

[Mungler]

Killing is killing.

 

The bacon in my roll this morning didn't volunteer for the job.

 

Is there a distinction between killing a rabbit for pest control, for food or for fun. Not really, dead is dead which ever way.

[kent]

I see the point behind the OP. Killing IMO is not a sport, hunting is! And by hunting I mean by all means gun, rifle, trap, ferret or dog etc. Its the sportsman who is sporting or otherwise not his method of choice. Vermin is not vermin from its species but its location, we should not take unsporting shots at game or fowl and if a creature is not doing any harm and is not game or fowl for the table leave it alone.

Many give up the Killing bit (Peter Scott being the most famous perhaps) That man might have killed more fowl than any of us and then spent the rest of his life conserving them and building his reserve. Few argument can be made against "fair chase" and consumption of that which is subsequently killed and Vermin taken with real reason. Shooting Foxes were there is no Game or stock or important wildlife to protect (like ground nesting birds) about has always created me some issues personally.

Trophies is a contentious issue, I tend to keep an odd one but I don't collect them. To me a trophy is a form of honouring the quarry. I was once offered the chance of shooting a real trophy deer with a bunch of other stalkers out culling (the price was tiny in comparison to what it might have fetched) the owner thought it might attract poachers as it was making itself very obvious roadside. All in the room refused, it

could have been shot by anyone real easy. Next week it was shot by a wealthy European at an eye watering high price, I console myself with the thought that it raised enough cash for the owner to justify the damage done to his forest by having the deer there. One thing is sure you cannot measure the skill of the man by the size of his trophy collection.

[Penelope]

And there is the best post on the subject.

 

I see the point behind the OP. Killing IMO is not a sport, hunting is! And by hunting I mean by all means gun, rifle, trap, ferret or dog etc. Its the sportsman who is sporting or otherwise not his method of choice. Vermin is not vermin from its species but its location, we should not take unsporting shots at game or fowl and if a creature is not doing any harm and is not game or fowl for the table leave it alone.

Many give up the Killing bit (Peter Scott being the most famous perhaps) That man might have killed more fowl than any of us and then spent the rest of his life conserving them and building his reserve. Few argument can be made against "fair chase" and consumption of that which is subsequently killed and Vermin taken with real reason. Shooting Foxes were there is no Game or stock or important wildlife to protect (like ground nesting birds) about has always created me some issues personally.

Trophies is a contentious issue, I tend to keep an odd one but I don't collect them. To me a trophy is a form of honouring the quarry. I was once offered the chance of shooting a real trophy deer with a bunch of other stalkers out culling (the price was tiny in comparison to what it might have fetched) the owner thought it might attract poachers as it was making itself very obvious roadside. All in the room refused, it

could have been shot by anyone real easy. Next week it was shot by a wealthy European at an eye watering high price, I console myself with the thought that it raised enough cash for the owner to justify the damage done to his forest by having the deer there. One thing is sure you cannot measure the skill of the man by the size of his trophy collection.

[Mungler]

I see the point behind the OP. Killing IMO is not a sport, hunting is! And by hunting I mean by all means gun, rifle, trap, ferret or dog etc. Its the sportsman who is sporting or otherwise not his method of choice. Vermin is not vermin from its species but its location, we should not take unsporting shots at game or fowl and if a creature is not doing any harm and is not game or fowl for the table leave it alone.

Many give up the Killing bit (Peter Scott being the most famous perhaps) That man might have killed more fowl than any of us and then spent the rest of his life conserving them and building his reserve. Few argument can be made against "fair chase" and consumption of that which is subsequently killed and Vermin taken with real reason. Shooting Foxes were there is no Game or stock or important wildlife to protect (like ground nesting birds) about has always created me some issues personally.

Trophies is a contentious issue, I tend to keep an odd one but I don't collect them. To me a trophy is a form of honouring the quarry. I was once offered the chance of shooting a real trophy deer with a bunch of other stalkers out culling (the price was tiny in comparison to what it might have fetched) the owner thought it might attract poachers as it was making itself very obvious roadside. All in the room refused, it

could have been shot by anyone real easy. Next week it was shot by a wealthy European at an eye watering high price, I console myself with the thought that it raised enough cash for the owner to justify the damage done to his forest by having the deer there. One thing is sure you cannot measure the skill of the man by the size of his trophy collection.

 

Great post

[bostonmick]

this sort of rubbish pops up every now and again ... i kill things for FUN and then food.. end of

 

if you dont agree with that find a forum that you are more suited to and leave this one ...

 

what are you really doing for this sport buy putting xxxx like that up

 

i have heads all over my walls along with skins tails photos of me and my girls with kills antlers on the roof of my house freezers loaded with game and more animal heads .. you wont be invited round for tea as you sound like your on the other side to me...

when I was growing up on the farm years ago we killed to put on the table I have eaten more game than I care to remember.we killed clays for fun.i shoot a limited amount of game but only for eating if you kill for fun then you are doing nothing for conservation or country sports in general.so that's two tea bags you wont need now.

[BRNDL]

I think the OP should not be dismissed without much thought and consideration. Like it or not most peoples opinions on the forum differ in some way shape or form and this is something we should embrace.

 

I am very much the diplomat in dialect such as this as I feel I can relate to both reasoning's comfortably. That said, my personal opinion does not wholly agree or disagree with the OP.

[BRNDL]

this sort of rubbish pops up every now and again ... i kill things for FUN and then food.. end of

 

if you dont agree with that find a forum that you are more suited to and leave this one ...

 

what are you really doing for this sport buy putting xxxx like that up

 

i have heads all over my walls along with skins tails photos of me and my girls with kills antlers on the roof of my house freezers loaded with game and more animal heads .. you wont be invited round for tea as you sound like your on the other side to me...

 

Like this post for instance. Not necessary.

[Highbird70]

I think the OP should not be dismissed without much thought and consideration. Like it or not most peoples opinions on the forum differ in some way shape or form and this is something we should embrace.

 

I am very much the diplomat in dialect such as this as I feel I can relate to both reasoning's comfortably. That said, my personal opinion does not wholly agree or disagree with the OP.

I fully agree, when you think about it, there is a lot of sense gone into his writing.

[Archie-fox]

I shoot clays for sport and game for the table, I like hunting as it gets me out of the house and I have quite a stressful job so it's a good escape...I can't say I enjoy killing but I enjoy hunting and the kill is the end result of a successful hunt...I sort of get what your saying as I watch videos on here of people turning rabbits inside out with high caliber rifles in areas and think why post videos up of that?? Proper shooters/ vermin control know it has to be done but don't feel the need to seek attention or try to "fit" in by posting stuff like that of particularly graphic videos...I only post the odd pic now, I'm sure most people know what a dead fox looks like or a dead rabbit, but if it's a special moment for me it's getting posted..

[masmiffy]

Kill it cook it eat it!!!

 

mmm good idea for a TV programme

[turbo33]

I shoot clays for sport and game for the table, I like hunting as it gets me out of the house and I have quite a stressful job so it's a good escape...I can't say I enjoy killing but I enjoy hunting and the kill is the end result of a successful hunt...I sort of get what your saying as I watch videos on here of people turning rabbits inside out with high caliber rifles in areas and think why post videos up of that?? Proper shooters/ vermin control know it has to be done but don't feel the need to seek attention or try to "fit" in by posting stuff like that of particularly graphic videos...I only post the odd pic now, I'm sure most people know what a dead fox looks like or a dead rabbit, but if it's a special moment for me it's getting posted..

+1

[Catweazle]

If we just enjoyed killing things we would save a lot of money and effort by buying animals from the pet shop and killing them. I'm sure there are some sick people who do that, but it's not us hunters.

[BRNDL]

Sometimes I do think a thread like this is good for the forum and its members. It encourages you to take a step back and reassess your rationale behind said topic.

 

Plus everyone has their own opinion - Which is always good.

[kyska]

The only way I can describe why I discriminately murder animals is that it makes me feel omnipotent ands feeds my masturbatory needs.