As I’ve mentioned in other posts on this site, I’ve had the opportunity to meet several people over my hunting career who were not fans of hunters. Some of those conversations were very respectful, while others were downright unpleasant.
If you’re an anti-hunter or someone who doesn’t agree with the sport of hunting, I won’t agree with your position on the topic, but do respect your opinion and beliefs. In kind, I would appreciate if you would respect the opinions and beliefs of our staff, who are avid hunters and outdoorsman.
Something that has stuck with me over the years was an editorial piece that was published in a newspaper. A hunter sent a picture of a deer that he had legally harvested, and an anti-hunter sent in the following comment to the picture. The hunter who originally posted the picture, then responded with the following response.
The hunter’s response has stuck with me all these years, so I wanted to republish it here. Unfortunately, I can’t recall the publication where I saw this, or I’d be happy to provide a link for credit.
The Anti-hunters Published Response to the Deer Picture
“Hello,
I just wanted to ask how I can get started in the animal killing business. I saw the pictures of you and your friends sitting with your victims and thought that you must be such talented and manly men to be able to kill these unarmed, defenseless creatures with only a shotgun.
I was just thinking that something like that would probably take my 4 year old nephew about a week to learn so you must have learned it in about 8 days or so. Wow! Anyway, I hope that your power-hungry egos are satisfied and fulfilled with these acts of murder, and that you’ve found some cheap excuse to justify yourself. I guess you’re conscience was just as easy to kill as they were. Bye!”
The Hunter’s Response
“Hello,
For your information, we are all “animal killers.” This may be difficult for you to accept, but you also are the reason that animals die. Please let me explain: Do you eat any meat? Do you go to McDonalds or have a little pepperoni on your pizza?
Sorry to disappoint you, but that meat came from a dead animal. Yes, I kill deer and elk and other game animals, but at least my animals are treated with respect and allowed to live a free and wild life. Your meat is killed in “slaughterhouses” after being penned and trapped for months being forced to eat what will make them tender rather then what they choose.
Oh, are you a vegetarian? Guess what, you are still responsible for the deaths of countless animals. Do you realize that the farmers that grow your veggies regularly kill jack rabbits and other “pests” who interfere with the growing process of your veggies? Do you realize that they eliminated animals that once grazed on the land they now farm so that you can eat tofu?
Do you own anything leather? A purse, a belt, a pair of shoes? What about your automobile? Does it have a leather steering wheel or leather seats?
Do you think that the animals have provided the leather did so and lived to tell about it? No, they died so that you could have what you want.
Do you live on land that used to be habitat for some wild animal? Do you drive on roads that were paved over the top rodents and that displaced the animals that once migrated across them?
Since you are writing me from an “edu” address, do you live in a dorm or an apartment? If you do, they must certainly spray to kill roaches and other pests as well as poison any mice and rats that find their way into your dwelling area.
As far as where I get my justification, I get it from the ultimate authority, God himself. Genesis 9:2-3 After the flood, God told Noah: “The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.”
In Acts 10, he tells Peter, “Rise, kill, and eat.”
As far as skill goes, hunting is a skill that requires much work, experience and insight. Also, for your information, I hunt with a bow and not a shotgun, though I have no problems with my hunting brothers who use a shotgun.
If, in a few years, your 4 year old nephew is interested in learning how to hunt, I will be more than happy to take him with me and show him some of the ways of the wild. I will show him how to read tracks in the sand and in the snow. I will show him the incredible power of the majestic elk. I will teach him how to try and outsmart a bull elk by imitating the calls of the elk. I will show him how to make a clean, humane kill. One that causes the least amount of suffering possible. Then, I will show him how to take care of the meat so that it can be enjoyed by himself and others.
It will do him well to learn that he was created at the top of the food chain and doesn’t have to live a life destined to tofu and veggie burgers. I will show him how to hunt and protect our National Forests and other places where wild animals are allowed to roam free. I will teach him many things, but most important, I will teach him about his creator who loved him so much that he came and died for him.
I apologize if my hunting offends you. I ask, however, that you give some real consideration to the big pictures. Yes, I kill animals, but so do you. The difference is only that I do it for myself AND YOU HIRE SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT FOR YOU! Have a great day!”
If you’re an anti-hunter, we may never entirely agree on hunting. However, it’s hard to argue with many of the points made above.
Born and raised in the North Carolina foothills, Andy was introduced to the outdoors at a very young age. Like most beginning hunters, he started out hunting small game like rabbits and squirrels, then graduated to larger species like Whitetail Deer. Although he’s an avid deer and turkey hunter, he still enjoys hunting small game as well. Andy has worked in the hunting and fishing industry for nearly 25 years.
