Please explain the "fun" of hunting

[Guinastasia]

@Orwell

Actually, deer are NOT everywhere. You see far fewer deer in the big woods in northern PA, as well as in large game lands compared to a few decades ago. There are probably more deer overall, but hunters see fewer. Studies show that deer are changing their behavior, becoming more nocturnal and increasingly living in small wooded patches in suburban areas.

Deer hunting in PA has become a divided sport. Hunters who have access to posted private land in or near farms see deer, while those forced to hunt public game lands see very few deer. Even if you have private land to hunt, most bucks seem to only come out at night, as evidenced by game cameras that invariably show bucks only at night.

I live in southwestern PA. Different area. Even then, I suppose it just seems like they’re everywhere. I’m tired of stepping of having to step around deer pellets when I take my dog outside.

[jz78817]

Deer thrive on the fringes of human development. the more we build out towards formerly rural areas, the more they cling to the food supplies in those areas.

the net effects of that are 1) increased negative deer-human interaction (think collisions on the road,) and 2) inability to “cull the herd” since hunting is usually verboten in residential areas.

[MrsTime]

I wouldn’t call it fun, but we had a rough period once when the kids were growing like weeds and liked to eat, we got a moose and appreciated every morsel of the illegally killed animal. Moved and things got much better .

[kayaker]

@Guinastasia

I live in southwestern PA. Different area. Even then, I suppose it just seems like they’re everywhere. I’m tired of stepping of having to step around deer pellets when I take my dog outside.

I’m about an hour drive east from you. My 09 Jeep Patriot has hit 3 deer, killing one, in the 5 years I’ve been driving it. Many near misses as well.

[Namkcalb]

@Orwell

The problem is with people who know nothing at all about a subject yet have ironclad, erroneous and foolish opinions about it.

Tell me about it! Foxes are a major pest in both the UK and Australia. The people most hurt by their rampage used to kill a limited number of foxes in community events. Instead, ignorant city folk used the tyranny of the majority to force their ignorance on others and got all proper fox hunting banned, depriving thousands of dogs of their livelihood.

It didn’t even protect the foxes… bullets leave the animal to slowly suffer, whereas a group of hunting dogs don’t leave anything to waste.

[Musicat]

You’d understand if you came to the World Famous Soady Deer Camp, t’ank you very much.

[LiliesOfTheField]

Thank you for your great ideas. I hadn’t thought about CSA or getting in with cops. Both are great options.

[Urbanredneck]

I’ve never been big on hunting for pure pleasure or sport but I find target shooting fun and am ok with hunting for food or to control animal populations.