Do you draw a distinction between HUNTING and KILLING (deer, elk, wild turkey, pheasant, etc) and....?

Question

The merciless killing of DOGS used in dogfighting rings?

Is ALL killing the SAME in your eyes?
After all dogs, like deer, elk, etc are animals too, right?

This is the argument some of Vick's "friends" have been spouting as they desperately find justification to stand in support of him.

@ mossyoakhunter
What? you think I'm supporting dogfighting?
umm...can you read?
or, do you simply jump to your own conclusions?

I've done my share of Pheasant and Deer hunting growing up in Pennsylvania, so I know very well why we hunt....
BUT, let's remove the reasoning that it's for FOOD to put on the table...
it's for SPORT or wildlife conservation....we can always go to Safeway markets to get the food we need.
Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a freezer full of Venison either but, it's not out of necessity like it was 100 years ago.

I believe the way I asked my Question confused many of you...that's my fault for not making myself more clear.
In short, I was hoping that you would agree that LEGAL HUNTING was NOT the same as KILLING dogs as some of Vick's friends have alleged. They say there's no difference just because they are ALL animals.
I do know the difference.
Your passion for what occurred in this animal abuse atrocity by Vick and how I worded my Question explains how many of you misconstrued my intention and your criticism directed toward me.

Answer 1

Most of this is a semantics game. If you choose not to hunt after you have hunted in the past, that is fine.

Hunting is a legal action and not illegal such as dog fighting. Hunting serves to keep the population down to a healthy level.

I don't NEED to hunt but have since I was 8 and am not willing to change.My wife used to be against this but when she opens the freezer and packaged meat is there(better for you than processed beef) she encourages me. It actually puts the pressure on me to provide for my family.

Now, if you can show me a Safeway that sells venison at the same cost or less than what I am getting it for now, then I may be tempted to skip a season or two. ( But I really doubt it)

By the way, you don't NEED a computer or car or anything that they didn't have in the old days. Hunting is a way to stay connected to mankind's past and if no one hunted, we could all enjoy watching deer get killed by cars ,starvation, and disease. Boy, wouldn't that be fun! What seems more cruel?

Answer 2

After the animal is killed, you field dress it. Field dressing is a lot smarter with an elk or moose because of the animal's size. When you field dress the animal, you gut it on site so that it will be lighter to carry back. Also, leaving the innards inside of the animal means a higher chance of cocontamination if the stomach or any other organ like that busts. I know for deer you can go ahead and break down the animal into portions you'll eat or you can just field dress it and break down the animal at home or around home or you can take it to a processor. You don't have to take it to a butcher. That is a personal preference. I know some folks who will never take an animal they harvest to a processor but I also know folks who will always take the animal they harvest to a processor. If you want to save the skin, you'll want to take a little bit more time skinning the animal so that you won't have any holes torn into the hide or anything like that. Once you have the hide, you can fold it up or do what ever you want with it. How much you would get for the hide depends on where you live. Almost forgot- down in the south- Georgia, FL, etc.. you need to gut the animal asap so that the animal can cool quicker and to prevent diseases. Sometimes in the 'winter' it can get in the 90's down here Glacierwolf is NOT a smart @ss by the way.

Answer 3

Killing is an action or the result of an action, it does not explain how, Hunting is how something came to be killed, Murder is how some one is Killed, an Accident as well,in-self defence is also, as well as combat and heat of passion. they explain in what circumstance the death came about. SO the two can be used together, and when done, one explains why, the other what happened as the end result. EXAMPLES:
We went Hunting for Deer and killed our limit. there was an accident and the driver was killed, the soldiers fought hand to hand and many where killed, She planned to murder her sister, and on Tuesday the siter was killed. So no all killing is not the same, some is out of justifiable means,, some in accidents, and some in unjustifiable ways. but no all Killings are not the same, nor are they punished the same, if punished at all in some circumstances, Animals do not have rights under any nations laws, but they have laws to protect them from unwanton slaughter and abuse, and rightly so, it is out of respect for the Animals, rights, which can only be given to oneswho understand what rights they have, where as laws can be imposed on the most ignorant humans and animals alike, there is a difference and so is there a difference in forms of killing in the reasons for Killing, YOu can't lump them all in the same category, the world, and the inhabitants of it, weather man or beast re to complicated to pass sweeping general statements and definitions on such matters.

Answer 4

The key word you used is "merciless killing".

I, like every hunter I know, was taught as a boy that you always kill your prey as swiftly as possible and if you do wound an animal, you track him down as fast as you can and finish the deed.

While there is certainly an undeniable thrill of the hunt and the kill, there is no joy in any hunter I know in seeing an animal suffer at all.

We take pride in the quick kill and when it's not fast we follow up with a second shot immediately.

I can tell you this, I have never been in the field with anyone who doesn't do the same thing and if I did find someone like that, that's the last I'd know of them.

Answer 5

I get that your're saying an animal is an animal but comparing hunting to dog fighting is absolute nonsense. If you don't understand there's a difference you are probably not bright enough to understand a well thought out answer so Im not going to waste my time. By the way is killing time the same as killing dogs in the ring to you? How about swatting flies? You have a flair for drama maybe you should be an actress.

Answer 6

I do a lot of hunting; I do very little "killing". Hunting is a sport that not only provides food and healthy relaxation for the hunter, but more importantly, provides management of wild game populations to keep them from overpopulating and starving to death. That would be far more inhumane than hunting. Whether some people like it or not, humans are natural omnivorous predators; we are not only part of the food chain, we're in charge of it. Wild game know that we are dangerous predators, and are quite skilled at avoiding us; this is what makes "hunting" a sport. If you could walk up to a deer, elk, or turkey, pet it, shake hands with it, and let it lick your face, I doubt very many people would just walk to to them and shoot them; that would be "killing". "Hunting" wild game, even some wild dogs, is legal; "killing" domestic pets is not. That's not just my opinion, that's the law.

Answer 7

there is a big difference i cant stand when people say that im not an avid hunter but i do go and hunting is intended to provide the animal with a single shot quick kill which i know does not always happen but hunting is not watching two animals kill each other ripping flesh off of the other its much more humane

Answer 8

I look at hunting as a means for food when someone is in need ,and this is their means of nourishment. Killing is a sport, that gives the killer some false sense of pride for destroying an animal for no reason.
My grandfather was named in the NRA magazine many years ago as one of the best gun makers in America. At that time, guns were used to hunt for food. My father, who was a ballistics expert did not believe in the killing of animals at all and refused to do so. He taught me that unless you are in need there is no reason to kill any animal. It was not a sport, because the animal was always at a disadvantage.

Answer 9

yes I draw a line hunting you don't go out and beat the deer everyday just to make it mean or what ever you do to make it mean (I have herd this is how but since i don't raise fighting dogs I don't know for sure).
then put 2 or more in a ring and make them fight to the death

with hunting the goal is to have a quick and clean kill

i guess if i had to put it in a nutshell hunting no intentional prolonged suffering
Killing would be intentional prolonged suffering

Answer 10

I don't know about you, but I don't eat dog meat. If I were to hunt, it would be to eat as well as to use the hides. I don't hunt, because I don't need to, but I would not hesitate to do so if that's what I needed to do to eat; I have zero interest in hunting for trophies. Allowing animals to harm each other for sport, rather than killing them as quickly and cleanly as possible for survival needs, are worlds apart, in my opinion.