# Have you ever killed anything before in your life? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601 "2012-04-12T20:15:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601/81 "2012-04-14T10:39:24Z")
Didn’t kill per se, but inadvertantly caused the death of one of my cats. She was a stray who wandered in and I kept her. She was very shy and a very fussy eater. My father was in hospital and in between ferrying my mother to visit him, for three weeks I didn’t notice the cat hadn’t eaten anything for several days, nor had she drank anything. Despite my mother’s protests (because it meant I was’t taking her to see her husband) I took the cat to the vet and it turned out she was desperately ill with a tumour, that had I noticed earlier could have been treated. The vet did her best, but the damage had been done and poor puddy tat had to be put to sleep. It weighs on me, heavily, and I’ve never gotten another cat since. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601/82 "2012-04-14T11:51:33Z")
A variety of critters while fishing and [hunting](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/rbp2/photo.jpg) (last year’s take). Dispatched a few dangerous dogs when we lived outside the city. I guess I should include the normal amount of bugs, mice, etc. that I refuse to share quarters with. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601/83 "2012-04-14T12:07:53Z")
I’ve hunted for food and killed deer, rabbits, ducks and turkeys. I’ve gone “varmint hunting” in the past and killed rats, possums, squirrels and racoons. I’ve accidentally run over racoons, skunks and possums while driving and once had a bird of some sort fly right into the side of a car I was driving on the Garden State Parkway. Lots of mice, although one of my cats usually does the job and bugs…anything with more than 4 legs is dead meat in my house! ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601/84 "2012-04-14T15:01:51Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I once shot an elephant in my pajamas… How did the elephant manage to put your pajamas on? ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601/85 "2012-04-14T20:07:23Z")
Yes killed bugs over my life usually because I don’t like them in front of my face. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601/86 "2012-04-14T22:53:45Z")
fish, a squirrel(with a gun), rats, mice, lab rabbit, partridge(with a gun) ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601/87 "2012-04-15T00:35:04Z")
Guilty of insecticide:D, bactericide, and rodentcide. Some hunting, though not for years. Mercy killings of squirrels and rabbits brought home by Ducati Cat are the norm these days. I fully support the widespread killing of cows, chickens, and pigs for my sustenance, but I’d hate to have to do it myself. It’s all so icky! There’s a mosquito buzzing my screen right now, so I have to go. And kill it. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601/88 "2012-04-15T01:16:35Z")
I ran over a squirrel once. I saw it in the road and slowed waaaaaaaaaaaaay down giving it tons of time to decide which way to run. Then I heard a sickening _thump-thump_ under the driver’s side tires and I saw it flopping back and forth in the road. For all I know, he committed suicide by Aerostar. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601/89 "2012-04-15T01:28:40Z")
I’ve intentionally killed lots of animals, probably mostly fleas. Of larger things: I killed an apple tree without trying to. I think I hit a skunk with a car once. I definitely hit a cardinal with a car once. But those weren’t intentional. Largest thing I ever killed intentionally? Probably a weed or something. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601/90 "2012-04-15T12:51:39Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > I definitely hit a cardinal with a car once. No wonder the Catholics are out to get you! ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601/91 "2012-04-15T14:51:32Z")
Deer, duck & groundhogs (paid 50$ a groundhog by a farmer to remove them from his pastures) took out the whole family. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-killed-anything-before-in-your-life/618601.md?page=4)