Shooting large animals with rifles: What's the point?

[targa911S]

Now the boys that use those short barreled iron sighted double rifles and wait until just the right moment what a rhino or loin is charging down to kill YOU....that's balls boys, that's balls.

[BeyGon]

I feel you pain, when I was 10 I shot a Woodpecker with my 22, I felt bad about it and never shot another Woodpecker.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by winders

Again, you show how clueless you are on this subject.

If you have too many animals for the food supply, THEY ALL SUFFER from a lack of food. It hurts the whole population.

Hunting is used to manage the game populations so those populations with continue to thrive. If there are too many animals in the population more animals are allowed to be taken. If there are too few, less animals are allowed to be taken.

Learn before you go off half cocked.....

Scott

You don't seem to realize that there is more than one perspective. I'm not half cocked.

Nor am I full of propaganda. As I said, you may not be convinced. Well, neither am I.

Did I rant about your line of thinking? No, I asked you to think about it. I guess you have and I have your response.

BTW, if I have to choose between starvation and your bullet, I'll take the natural path.

[Nostril Cheese]

I own guns, but could never shoot an animal (unless it was suffering). I go hiking in the Columbia River Gorge often. I see deer all the time wandering on the trails. I can't understand how someone could kill such a creature unless they were truly starving.

[winders]

Zeke,

If we did not manage our game animal populations through hunting, the animals would be much worse off. This is not speculation. It is fact. You liberal "animal lovers" don't think about what you are saying and don't understand the nature of things. You just assume hunters are out killing Bambi for fun. You don't think about what would happen if the animals were not hunted.

The natural path? Clueless again. The game animals natural predators are no longer around, at all or in sufficient numbers, to control the animal populations. By the way, man has been a natural predator of these animals for thousands of years. They are controlled so the game animals are not over hunted.

Read this:

Fact Sheet 34: White-tailed Deer Biology and Management : Extension : Clemson University : South Carolina

Scott

[Baz]

Yeah.....most animals don't know how lucky they are that humans are here to save them.

[winders]

Originally Posted by Baz

Yeah.....most animals don't know how lucky they are that humans are here to save them.

Naive and clueless......

Scott

[fast_e_man]

Humans are at the top of the food chain, at least on this planet, that's a fact. The days of a wild animal population in balance with nature are long gone. Humans have, for the most part, wiped out predators. That means harsh or average winter = substantial herd starvation. Add that people have deciding living in big game winter range is pretty cool. So we have collectively (liberal, conservative, vegan, carnivore) decimated the balance of nature and big game habitat.

In states that have put anti-hunting laws to a vote (and passed those laws), e.g. Mountiain lion, and bear hunting (including Colorado), what happens to the lions and bears taht aren't hunted? We now use taxpayer dollars to pay game wardens to shoot the overpopulation that take the form of nusaince bears and agressive mountain lions. Rancher's are compenstated by state government's to pay for feed damage by big game over the winter. Look up the stats if you are interested. Sometimes the meat is donated.

Areas with overpopulation of big game are at risk of developing Cronic Wasting Disease. CWD is an awful disease. Go Google that if you think hunting to control herd size is wrong.

Like is or not, hunting is required to mantain big game herds to sustainable levels.

For me, elk, deer and antelope hunting is a major highlight every year. 3 generations of guys in my family spend a week together hunting. Filling a tag is a bonus.

If I'm successful, I fill a couple freezers with meat that is high in protein and minerals, low in fat & cholesteral, and is really tasty. Wild game is way better for your health than buying red meat at the grocery store.

Success at hunting is a microcasm of life. Be prepared, have a plan with contingencies, anticipate challenges or changing conditions, do everything right, maintain high ethics, and work your tail off, never giving up even when prospects look dismal. Do all those things and there is a very good chance you will be successful. That's what my son's hear from me.

Is hunting for everyone? Of course not. Neither is restoring 40+ year old cars with no frame painted colors like "Signal Orange" or "Viper Green"

If you dig hunting, you understand. If you don't dig hunting you don't get it --- just like our cars.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by winders

Do some research on wildlife management......get back to me when you actually know what you are talking about. There is a reason there are only a few areas in the USA where game populations are overly large. Why do you think the wolf was reintroduced into Yellowstone?

Do some research on natural predators (lack thereof).

Wildlife management of game animals is working quite well in this country.

Scott

I'm a professional biologist - you would not last 15 minutes in one of my courses. Do some research, before making more embarrassing posts.

And BTW - every stmt. you made is wrong - every dang one.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

I feel you pain, when I was 10 I shot a Woodpecker with my 22, I felt bad about it and never shot another Woodpecker.

The world would be a better place if only we could shoot all the peckerwoods.

[winders]

Professional biologist? That does not mean jack when it comes to knowing about wild life management unless your expertise is in wildlife management. If you are a "professional biologist" that knows about wildlife management, then you know how critical hunting is to the well being of game animal populations.

Heck, I know "professional entomologists" that know nothing about social insects and could not talk intelligently on the problems facing the honey bee.

I excelled at biology in school........could have made a living at it. I wanted to make some money though....

Scott

[Buckterrier]

Originally Posted by winders

Naive and clueless......

Scott

Panties in a bind? Why don't you go kill, er harvest something. I'm sure you'll feel much much better.

[Zeke]

Sorry, winders, I think you're out on a limb here.

But again, what did I say? "... this debate will go on ad infinitum."

Don't run out of breath.

I guess I could conclude that us "liberal animal lovers" balance out for the wanton hunters. If we were all avid hunters, there wound't be ANY game.

Take me through the argument behind limiting hunting and fishing licenses? Is it that "we" as a society have to control "you" as a shooter?

[9dreizig]

Originally Posted by Buckterrier

Panties in a bind? Why don't you go kill, er harvest something. I'm sure you'll feel much much better.

Mark, I'll sit this one out if you will ? Just going to pour a cocktail and watch (damn I must be mellowing )

[Buckterrier]

Originally Posted by 9dreizig

Mark, I'll sit this one out if you will ? Just going to pour a cocktail and watch (damn I must be mellowing )

You're so right Todd! I was going to but Mr. Winders seems awful agitated.
Going to go poor that cocktail and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

[9dreizig]

Besides Mark, you're on the Shaun Watch standby list if he doesn't surface by midnight or so..
I'm on my 3rd since I"m at my parents and can't really celebrate the 420 holiday here

[gwood]

Shooting large animals with rifles: What's the point?

Cause eating them alive is just mean.

[RWebb]

not into sushi?

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by gwood

Cause eating them alive is just mean.

Now that's pretty funny. I guess in Africa it's something they do, but it does seem gross.

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by RWebb

not into sushi?

what sushi do you eat that's still alive?