Rightwords... Prudent Conservatism

Let the Animals Roam Free!

I suppose I am no longer a hunter. I find that I cannot shoot beautiful animals any more for the sport of it, and the oft used excuse that what I kill can be given to a charity for food doesn't erase the horror I feel when I see a magnificent buck fall to the ground mortally wounded. Others can do this, and I am happy if they do give food to the needy as a result, but it is no longer something I will do, or want to witness.

Going further, creating a life-threatening situation in order to prove one's bravery and courage strikes me as idiotic. Beating the bushes to scare up lions or tigers or hogs or whatever to shoot before they reach and maul or kill you is a fool's game, and we are all lessened by the loss of such animals. That there is a trophy head on a wall somewhere does not impress me at all; rather, it saddens me to see a small part of what was once a free-roaming and proud beast adorning the abode of a fool.

At one time, I was a very good shot, both on the range and in the bush, but that skill has been allowed to wither as I realized how my feelings had changed so drastically. I don't miss it. I can still hit what I want to hit if needed, but now the birds and the beasts are safe from my guns.

Labels: Hunting

# posted by Mannning @ 11:32 AM