Hunting - Why?

[TheSeagull]

Hi,
Sorry if this is in the wrong forum or there's already a thread, the search is taking a while to load.
I'm just wondering why people still hunt in the day and age of supermarkets? Everything is ready available if you pop down to your local asda so why is there still people who go out and kill such things as grouse and deer? What is the point? I don't see why it is viewed as a sport, it's just plain barbaric in my eyes, can anyone tell me a genuine reason why hunting still goes on and people shoot the other species that predate on the species they want to shoot? My uncle goes out and shoots deer and I'm having trouble making conversation with him now, I know that deer numbers need to be kept down but why don't we just reintroduce species that we have hunted to extirpation like the Grey Wolf or European Lynx?
Thanks,

[earthdragon64]

I can fully understand why people would hunt for food rather than just go to a supermarket, personally I only buy things from supermarkets that I can't get elsewhere, even if elsewhere is a bit more expensive. I mainly cook things from scratch and quite honestly supermarket meat in particular is often poor quality and ethically unsound.

As far as killing purely for sport, that is something I don't get either. I've heard people say that it's a challenge, I can almost understand that in relation to deer stalking, although personally the only shooting I'd do is with a camera. However, to me, shooting a bird that's driven towards you isn't that much of an achievement and certainly doesn't qualify as a sport.

As for re-introducing large predators such as Wolves or Lynx, where exactly would you re-introduce them, and in what numbers?

[treecreeper]

There's been a lengthy discussion on this thread:

Hunting

[Maiden]

Originally Posted by TheSeagull

Hi,
Sorry if this is in the wrong forum or there's already a thread, the search is taking a while to load.
I'm just wondering why people still hunt in the day and age of supermarkets? Everything is ready available if you pop down to your local asda so why is there still people who go out and kill such things as grouse and deer? What is the point? I don't see why it is viewed as a sport, it's just plain barbaric in my eyes, can anyone tell me a genuine reason why hunting still goes on and people shoot the other species that predate on the species they want to shoot? My uncle goes out and shoots deer and I'm having trouble making conversation with him now, I know that deer numbers need to be kept down but why don't we just reintroduce species that we have hunted to extirpation like the Grey Wolf or European Lynx?
Thanks,

It`s the adrenalin rush. "Man the great hunter".
I hate it!

[The Woodman]

Why do women do it then?

[Maiden]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

Why do women do it then?

Some women need the adrenalin rush, and can also be as blood thirsty as "some men"
There are farmers around here ,who kill foxes with dogs. I "had a go "at them one evening . I was told to****off and mind my own business.

I retorted that ,Welfare of helpless animals was my business"
It was quite frightening and I was so upset. I thought they were acting "shifty" and I have passed them before.

[Amoeba]

I can understand hunting for food, even the enjoyment behind it. I can imagine there would be a sense of achievement for acquiring your own meat from the wilderness and knowing that animal was not caged or fed hormones or antibiotics or given limited space to roam. I guess there's also the sense of control over one's life, breaking away form a reliance on supermarkets and a step towards being more self-sufficient.

Maybe that's why hunting has always been a kind of sport because it re-kindles the satisfaction from the original purpose... even though the original purpose has been lost to some. I don't like the idea of hunting for sport. Although a hunter may feel satisfaction and a sense of achievement, some will still find the act of killing the animal a necessary unpleasantry. Then there is the sport hunter, if the act of killing is not for food and just for killing, where does the reward come from? That I don't understand.

[Stinky Bob]

Before I moved to the country I was dead set against hunting of all kinds (which included fishing even catch and release), but since living in a game shooting area where the local gamekeepers will breed thousand upon thousands of red legged partridges and pheasants I have changed my tune somewhat, I still think its barbaric (perhaps I just dont understand) but I do see the impact that it has on the local economy even if it is for just 5 months of the year.

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by Amoeba

I can understand hunting for food, even the enjoyment behind it. I can imagine there would be a sense of achievement for acquiring your own meat from the wilderness and knowing that animal was not caged or fed hormones or antibiotics or given limited space to roam. I guess there's also the sense of control over one's life, breaking away form a reliance on supermarkets and a step towards being more self-sufficient.

Maybe that's why hunting has always been a kind of sport because it re-kindles the satisfaction from the original purpose... even though the original purpose has been lost to some. I don't like the idea of hunting for sport. Although a hunter may feel satisfaction and a sense of achievement, some will still find the act of killing the animal a necessary unpleasantry. Then there is the sport hunter, if the act of killing is not for food and just for killing, where does the reward come from? That I don't understand.

This is fine if hunting with a gun (or bow & arrow) but hunting with a pack of dogs... Well there generally isn't much left of the victim.

[RobinP]

Isn't killing (not the 'hunting' bit) with dogs illegal? If I saw it I'd ring 999.