[m21sniper]

You didn't really just call deer and elk 'defenseless' did you?

Wow.

An elk can absolutely thrash a man with ease. No problem at all. The man would stand no chance at all.

When a man shoots an animal he is hunting with the tools god gave him. Opposable thumbs and intelligent reasoning.

The bear gets claws, elk get horns- we get thumbs.

BTW Jeff, Hunters pay for 75% of the budgets of all State conservation efforts in the US. (via special taxes and hunting/fishing licenses) If you took away the monies generated by hunting which are funneled directly into conservation causes, our herds would suffer mightily.

I agree with the poster earlier that asked why cows seem to be ok to slaughter wholesale, in an industrialized setting. Not many people seem to get too freaked out over eating a hamburger. I guess they're not "cute" or "majestic" enough.

I have never shot any animal that was not then eaten (By me or someone else). When i used to hunt, i did it the 'old fashioned way' that my uncle taught me. No lures, no scents, no decoys, no lights, no cheating.

I don't think anyone here, anyone, has endorsed the corporate hunts and game ranches or other types of "hunting" that people do so they can "brag."