Do You Think Deer Hunting Is Inhumane?

Question

I am a deer hunter who wants to know other peoples opinions on hunting after all its not "Hunting" its called"Population Control"

Answer 1

I’ve hunted deer, mainly with firearms, since I was old enough to legally do so.

Is it inhumane? You’re damn right it is. If I walked up to a restaurant and shot someone with a 30-06 or a 12 ga. in the chest while they were at the salad bar, would that be inhumane? Yes.

However, the alternative is to let the deer overpopulate and eventually die from diseases like CWD or bovine tuberculosis, let them starve to death, or let them freeze to death during the winter because they are weak from starving. Personally, none of these options sound to pretty.

As a hunter, I feel I have several responsibilities:

1. To bring animal populations to the proper balance before Mother Nature does in a cruel fashion.

2. To kill as cleanly and humanely as possible. In my life, I have spent years and tens of thousands of dollars shooting, buying ammo or ammo components, reloading ammo, and shooting again. If I can see it and can aim at it, I can kill it. I have seen deer with legs and jaws shot off by other people. This is inhumane. It is my responsibility as a hunter to kill the deer quickly and with as little pain as possible (only 1 time in my life have I had a deer run more than 50 yards).

3. To use what I kill. If I kill it, I eat it (I do love venison). If I don’t need it, I have it processed and donate it to a food pantry (or donate to a program that does that). I do not go kill for the sake of killing, I kill for food.

It really takes a special breed of person to be a hunter. The first time I killed something, it really made me sad. Now killing is actually anti-climatic for me. I’ve let many young animals walk by just to admire their beauty. To me, hunting is the state of mind and the raw beauty, not the kill.

For a true hunter, there is humanity behind the inhumanity. Most of the hunters I have met love the animals they destroy. They spend thousands of dollars making habitat improvements just so the deer have a nicer place to stay.

Would I call it population control? No. You are right that it is population control. Finding a deer and killing it is not very easy. It take patience, knowledge, and time to do it consistently. It takes practice shooting, scouting, knowing what to look for, finding the animal, and killing it. It gets easy to do so with years of practice, but it definitely is a talent.

Answer 2

Inhumane...have you seen how they kill the cows that make the stakes you ate last night....I only think its inhumane when someone does not use what they kill....I hunt every year...I get 3-4 deer a year and that feeds us until the next year....steaks, burger, jerky, and many other goodies....thats how we were suppose to live anyway...hunt and grow our food....not walk down the isles and the store counting calories and bargin shopping...granted I do that also but not for meat....People who hunt ethically and legally are not inhumane...those people kill in the quickest way possible and work at getting thier game...and there are many hunters, myself included, that will pass on nice young bucks and shoot the older weaker ones....I will take a doe before I take a young average buck....and there are a lot of hunters like me....I don' t hunt for horns, I hunt for the enjoyment of the outdoors and for food. Hunting is population control but if that is the only reason a person hunts then they get no respect from me...you have to enjoy and respect the animals you hunt and use what you kill....that what its all about....

Answer 3

It's not inhumane when I kill a deer instantly. Letting creatures suffer is less humane. I don't hunt with bows because there is too much chance of just wounding game. It's a wonder some PeTA nuts aren't crucifying you. I am a former "PeTA Enemy of the Month", but Jennifer Lopez took my title by wearing fur. I must work to retrieve it.

Answer 4

Deer hunting is not unhumane, in general. In fact most hunting is not inhumane if you are doing it for the right reasons. I guess I really think that you decide if it's inhumane or not.

Answer 5

I don't believe it is inhumane at all. there are way too many of them and because of all the development going on they are being run out of their natural territory and into neighborhoods. they destroy yards, gardens, etc. too many are getting hit by vehicles. I usually see 3-4 different ones along the same stretch of road every week! Id rather see them hunted and used for food than see them laying along the road rotting day after day because they are picked up too late to use as food for the poor.
plus, I like venison jerky!!

Answer 6

No, as long as the deer is killed as quickly and humanely as possible. Yes, if we didn't hunt at least some of them they would get out of control. However, I wouldn't hunt unless I had to. As long as there is a grocery store I will just buy my meat, thanks.

Answer 7

The "justification" that hunters use by trying to say it is "Population Control" is pure horse hockey. Unlike the wolf who actually culls the sick and injured deer, thus ensuring strong herds, mankind goes for the biggest and strongest animal. The more points on the antlers, the better the bragging rights.

Hunters weaken the gene pool and down the road, it will make a big difference. They are for the most part not interested in "Population Control," that is only an excuse to try to justify the fact that they want to go out and snuff the life out of a healthy beautiful animal that should be allowed to live.

Since man took away nature's main means of keeping herd populations down to proper levels, herd culling is necessary, but at least take a lesson from the wolf, leave the healthy ones alone.

Answer 8

To kill for the sake of killing in inhumane, to kill for food is necessary. For an in depth look at hunting myths, see link below. The first myth addresses animal welfare.

Answer 9

of course deer hunting is humane. letting them overpopulate and starve is inhumane. if you kill a deer and eat the meat, its humane. if your out there just killing for the sake of killing, thats inhumane and you are a sicko.

Answer 10

no im an avid hunter, in fact, yesterday i shot and dropped a spike yesterday with a .308, it didnt feel a thing and i am butchering the meat, i do it for fun also, but is that truely worse than picking up meat from the store?