# I don't 'get' hunting **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 21, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605 "2009-10-21T14:38:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/141 "2009-10-23T18:40:49Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > **Scylla** and **Ghardester** just knocked it out of the park. I’m checking into this thread pretty late in the game, but yes they did. I’m not a big hunter, I’m not even a hunter anymore, though I did a small bit of bird, squirrel and rabbit hunting in the past - and I still have a interest in fishing. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/142 "2009-10-23T19:15:56Z")
Here is a cute story about why you need a gun or some other strong weapon to hunt deer: > **[highaltitudeimports.com - This website is for...](http://ww16.highaltitudeimports.com/off-topic/73068-roping-deer.html?sub1=20230914-2045-40c7-9154-f30ab834e355)** > > This website is for sale! highaltitudeimports.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, highaltitudeimports.com has it all. We hope you find... ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/143 "2009-12-07T07:50:58Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > I like hunting. > > I like killing. > > I like carving. > > I like grilling. > > I love the outdoors. > > I find it thrilling. > > Fresh meat is healthy and filling. > > * * * > > Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with all the pussified people that have a problem with hunting? Somebody oughtta drop them in the middle of the woods a la Bear Grylls for a proper taste of reality. > (snip) I think I actually agree with you on some level. My problem with hunting stems from the way most people I know around here do it. The employ all types of modern conveniences to help them track and kill prey. I’m not talking about powerful bows or guns, but electronic gadgets, bottled scents, etc. that our ancestors couldn’t even dream of. Plus, there are deer stands that, if I understand correctly, conceal the hunter and dispense food that is supposed to attract deer. Then the hunter can pretty much shoot the deer at his/her leisure, without all that pesky tracking. I admit that I know almost fuck-all about hunting, but my feeling is, if you’re going to hunt, goddamn it you **hunt**. Get in there and track your prey, kill it with a bow or gun, and clean it yourself. You know, Bear Grylls style:) ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/144 "2009-12-07T07:57:39Z")
I hate to say it, but in may respects I blame Disney for the change in attitudes towards hunting. So many people out there equate “Deer” with “Bambi” that it becomes difficult to understand that Deer aren’t cute and cuddly, they’re pests and/or sources of food. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/145 "2009-12-07T08:14:59Z")
> [@On another topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/520311/1): > > hello there, > Are you interested in hunting deer? I would like to give out here some types of deer stands. Please have a look at : Reported. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/146 "2009-12-07T09:24:25Z")
Regarding the spammer who resurrected this zombie thread, it’s unfortunate that vBulletin doesn’t provide an automated method of purchasing advertising based on keywords or whatever… > [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > I hate to say it, but in may respects I blame Disney for the change in attitudes towards hunting. So many people out there equate “Deer” with “Bambi” that it becomes difficult to understand that Deer aren’t cute and cuddly, they’re pests and/or sources of food. But they are gorgeous creatures (as well as being pests, eaters of decorative plants, risks to drivers and/or sources of food.) “[Every year in the United States](http://blog.al.com/redstone-rocket/2009/01/deer_strikes_costly_and_danger.html) approximately 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions occur resulting in 29,000 human injuries, 200 human fatalities, 1.3 million deer fatalities, and $1 billion in property damage.” Yet the ancestral environment makes us fear mountain lions, which cause about 1 human death every 10 years. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/147 "2009-12-07T11:17:01Z")
BigT Do you realise that by quoting that spam post, you have prevented the Mods from deleting it. Rather defeats the purpose of reporting it, no? You may now want to report your own post.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/148 "2009-12-07T12:04:09Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > "[Every year in the United States](http://blog.al.com/redstone-rocket/2009/01/deer_strikes_costly_and_danger.html) approximately 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions occur… That number seems awfully high to me. That’s about a 1-in-200 chance for every person in the U.S., per year. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/149 "2009-12-07T12:58:18Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > That number seems awfully high to me. That’s about a 1-in-200 chance for every person in the U.S., per year. Sounds about right. Remember, while most people living in cities will never hit a deer, people living in rural areas will often hit several deer each year. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/150 "2009-12-07T19:59:22Z")
> [@statsman1982](#): > > I think I actually agree with you on some level. My problem with hunting stems from the way most people I know around here do it. The employ all types of modern conveniences to help them track and kill prey. I’m not talking about powerful bows or guns, but electronic gadgets, bottled scents, etc. that our ancestors couldn’t even dream of. Plus, there are deer stands that, if I understand correctly, conceal the hunter and dispense food that is supposed to attract deer. Then the hunter can pretty much shoot the deer at his/her leisure, without all that pesky tracking. > > I admit that I know almost fuck-all about hunting, but my feeling is, if you’re going to hunt, goddamn it you **hunt**. Get in there and track your prey, kill it with a bow or gun, and clean it yourself. > > You know, Bear Grylls style:) I think Bear Grylls style is letting somebody else kill it for you while you nap in a 5 star hotel, then you pose over the corpse and drink some piss for a paycheck. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/151 "2009-12-07T20:09:54Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Sounds about right. Remember, while most people living in cities will never hit a deer, people living in rural areas will often hit several deer each year. Resident of rural America here. My car(s) have had body work done at least a half dozen times, all have been deer related. Also, for every deer I’ve hit, I’ve had dozens of near misses. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/152 "2009-12-07T20:51:59Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Sounds about right. Remember, while most people living in cities will never hit a deer, people living in rural areas will often hit several deer each year. I wouldn’t necessarily say “often”, but 1 in 200 “seems” very low to me given that I pass two-five recent deer carcasses (and many older ones shoved further aside) every time I drive the 60 miles to my parent’s place. Multiply that by however many rural roads in this country–which means, accounting for the urban population, it passes the smell test. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/153 "2009-12-07T22:01:07Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > BigT Do you realise that by quoting that spam post, you have prevented the Mods from deleting it. Rather defeats the purpose of reporting it, no? > > You may now want to report your own post.😃 I’m actually surprised it wasn’t deleted, as it has served its function. But that would mean your post would need to be deleted, too. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/154 "2009-12-08T04:16:40Z")
I say we nuke the thread from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/155 "2009-12-08T04:58:01Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > Well, first off, was it truly necessary to quote that whole entire post just to say that? > > Secondly, it’s not horseshit, because I didn’t say the universe “cared,” nor do I think it does. You’ve entirely missed the point which is simply that a hammer hammers or it’s a waste. The universe doesn’t say it’s a waste. I do. I disagree. You can use a hammer for a lot of things. You can use it as a lever, to pry apart two stones. You can use it as a rod, as material for building. You can use it as a threat, where only the premise of hammering does the work. Just because the hammer isn’t used for its intended purpose, does not mean that it does not serve some purpose. And it is not a waste. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/156 "2009-12-08T05:52:43Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > That number [1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions per year] seems awfully high to me. That’s about a 1-in-200 chance for every person in the U.S., per year. Thank you. It seemed high to me as well, but I was too tired to dig further. The 200 deer-related fatalities per year sounded ok though and was backed by other sources. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/157 "2009-12-09T13:45:28Z")
> [@Jettboy](#): > > It’s just a deer, but it strikes me as bizarre that anyone —including a number of people I love— would get good, pleasant, positive feelings, from killing something. It’s them or us, fella. What I love are those stories in the paper about parents introducing their young children to the pleasures of hunting. When I hear about a seven-year-old who’s killed her very first elk, I get a warm feeling all over. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/158 "2009-12-09T18:28:34Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > :: checks to see whether we are in the Pit :: > > :: growls irritably, reminds self not to curse :: > > For the Rhymers who hunt, there are about six reasons that I can think of. Not all the reasons apply to all of us, of course. > > [ol] > [li] **Tradition**. I, one of my brothers, our baby sister, and our two double-first cousins hunt in memory of our shared paternal grandfather, who taught us (except for the baby sister) to hunt and whom we all loved.[/li][li] **Cameraderie**. Another of our cousins has a different paternal grandfather than my brothers & double-first cousins, but we’re very close to him. Because relationships need watering if they are to thrive, he comes down from Chicago to hunt with us. This is a much more enjoyable ritual than getting together to get drunk after one of our parents’ funeral, which we do but obviously don’t look forward two.[/li][li] **Initiation**. My stepdaughter is coming with us this year, on her first hunt. This is intensely important to her, because she is not related by blood to anyone in the family but wishes to be part of it. Sharing this ritual solidifies and solemnizes the bond. Similar motives obtained when my Chicago cousin’s nephew first hunted with us, and hopefully, next year, his son will join us as well.[/li][li] **Connection**. Not to one another–that’s covered in reasons 1, 2, & 3–but to the reality of life on Earth. You see, despite what some people think, food does \*not[/] originate in supermarkets or bodegas, for us or for any other creature. All animal life exists at the expense of other life. All predators live at the expense of other animals. Humans are predators. Compare the placement of your eyes in your skull, and the shape of your teeth, to those of cats and deer if you disagree. By actually killing and eating something, we force ourselves to see that we are part of the natural world, not separate from it. This also discourages us from being smugly condescending about the activities of others, as it encourages us to think about the cost of our lives.[/li][li] **Morality**. If there is an ethical difference between eating wild game we have killed ourselves and meat that was raised on a factory farm, I think the superior position goes to eating the game. Neither the deer nor the cow volunteers to be slaughtered. But the deer, at least, is allowed to run free rather than being confined under conditions that are often torturous and cruel.[/li][li] **Appetite**. Venison is tasty. So is wild turkey.[/li][/ol] You skipped hookers, poker and booze. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/159 "2009-12-09T19:01:11Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > hookers, poker and booze. oh my! ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Smashy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mr\_Smashy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Smashy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605/160 "2009-12-09T19:19:27Z")
If the situation were reversed, don’t think that deer wouldn’t take the shot at you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-hunting/514605.md?page=9)