I eat what I shoot

[GoatGuy]

This is an interesting topic that often makes good fireside conversation.

Many folks only shoot what they can eat and justify the hunt as part of the utilitarian roots of hunting. That is certainly true but huntings utilitarian roots also included trying to control other species for various reasons including protecting livestock, range and increase food sources.

I suppose the question is: Is hunting only a tool used to feed your family?

Or is hunting a tool used in the bigger concept of conservation?

Does hunting include controlling certain populations of what are considered inedible species when they're out of control? Or do we just let nature take her course?

There are several wide ranging examples that could be used. A farmer that shoots gophers out in his pasture. Shooting foxes and other predators where they may threaten a population or entire species. Harvesting predators so that there is enough of a surplus that hunting can occur. An example of this is caribou - habitat for the caribou in the North is not considered the limiting factor and it is believe that carrying capacity is perhaps greater than double what population is at but without predator control hunting opportunities will continue to decline to the point where there won't be enough of a harvestable surplus to justify hunting of any type.



What's your take?

[quadrakid]

personally i always felt my urge to hunt every fall has greater roots than simply bringing home meat and enjoying the process.i don,t like it when hunters justify what we do by saying we eat the meat. i think that gives the antis ammunition because the fact is most of us can buy meat at the supermarket.we hunt because it is ingrained in us to hunt,it is a connection going back eons in time.most people including non hunters can be found at one time or another staring into a campfire for long periods and loving it. ask them why and its tough to get a good answer. i think that too is one of mankinds connections to our distant past. it,s tough to explain why we hunt,meat,coservation,predator control? i think it goes much deeper and is tough to put in words.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

For me...as long as the species population is not in jeopardy, I have no problem pulling the pin.
That said, my season is not "successful" if my freezer is MT at then end of it all.

SSS

[RiverOtter]

Good topic GG.

I beleive if you are going to hunt ungulates, it only makes sense that you would hunt predators as well. Nothing goes to waste in nature and any predator that is shot and left by a hunter, will either be eaten by other predators and/or break down into ground nutrients for the plant life that supports ungulates.

I would much rather see a predator gunned down by a hunter than left to face natures consequencies, when numbers are over carrying capacity. I'm sure a predator would choose a bullet over starvation or being eaten alive as well, given the choice.

RO

[BOOMSTICK]

I suppose the question is: Is hunting only a tool used to feed your family?

Or is hunting a tool used in the bigger concept of conservation?

It is both. I can't say which comes first though. As for conservation, many folks don't realize that certain species are their own worst enemy as far as multiplying and exceeding carrying capacity. That is where the extreme population highs and lows usually come from. I feel it is our duty to continually harvest the surplus every season. The opposite is also true - when populations are at a low, we need to limit our own hunting and do what we can to control predators and improve habitat.



Does hunting include controlling certain populations of what are considered inedible species when they're out of control?


Without a doubt a balance needs to be kept. We do need healthy predator populations, but not out of control, so we need to do what we can.

I look at it this way - say ~ 200 years ago, game populations maybe had to deal with predators & the possibility of exceeding carrying cap. Add to that today the sport hunting and habitat destruction, railway & highway kills, nuisance animals, and the cycle gets pretty complicated. Habitat destruction and encroachment will not slow down, but we can control predators to give the game populations we hunt a little more breathing room.

[steel_ram]

For many, it's tradition, abit of frontierism, a time to share nature and harvest with family and friends.

For others it's the challenge of pirsuit, hunting as a predator.

Some guys just like to kill stuff, some much more than they need. Wheather it feeds there ego's, or satisfies some prehistoric erge, they're closet sadists, who knows?

[BlacktailStalker]

I don't hunt to feed my family.
I hunt because I love being in the country you coincidently find game in.
I like being "out there."
I shoot enough for good feasts throughout the year (preferably elk but sometimes 2 deer) but when I reach what I consider "enough," I trophy hunt, just to get out that much more.
I dread tagging out.
If I did dump something else, I could easily consume it (since most of the days I spend in the hills after my freezer is full is for blacktails and we all know they aren't that big ;))

There are more hills and mountains I've stood at the bottom and said to myself, "I wonder whats up there" and gone and found out at a later date just because.

Frankly, I think its a disease and I have it bad.

Some days I spend more time observing sign and scouting for next year, than I do looking for what made it :biggrin:

[browningboy]

For me it's strictly just a vacation, I like the thrill of the chase, getting out and exploring, throwing a cast or two for trout, quadding, getting canned by the campfire at night etc!.....
As I am the only one that eats it, a animal lasts quite a while so I am now strictly after a trophy otherwise it can walk away or my buddies can pull the pin.
To me it's just getting out with your friends or family and enjoying the outdoors.

[Nailgunslinger]

I love the outdoors but if I wasn't going to eat what I killed with the exception of something trying to kill me or a problem animal, I wouldn't hunt.

[Gateholio]

I don't need to hunt for meat. I am a chef, I can get wholesale prices on as much meat as I want, I make a good living and can afford it. my GF is from a farmer family and the beef (which is so excellent, far better than anything in the grocery store)is close to free...

I hunt because I love to hunt.

My dad hunted when he was younger, then moved about when I was born, lost his hunting buddies nd never hunted again. My brother does not hunt, nor does my sister. My brother fishes when he is out cruising on his sailboat, but it is more of a "practical" thing for him to do than a passion. When I was a kid, I fished like crazy, was always interested in guns and hunting, with zero prompting from my family. I think it is just "in" some people to hunt.

I like deer, bear and moose meat, so part of hunting those animals is to bring home meat. But I'm not too fond of coyote meat, and they are fun to hunt, too...

One of the reasons I often use to "justify" hunting to unknowlegable people is "free range, organic meat". They pause and say.Hmmm..I pay premium at the butcher for that. This is an easy conversation. But it's not 100% accurate. I hunt because I like to hunt. Bringing home meat is a secondary bonus. If the law stated we did NOT have to recover meat, I would still do so on ungulates, but I don't think that it is a sin to hunt for "trophies" and th e met being secondary, either.

[hunter1947]

When it gets to a certain point when a species is in danger in population you would think that the wildlife branch would steep in and close all hunting etc in that region. I myself come from a big family of 7 ,I was the only hunter in the family ,money was tight for our family back then and when I brought deer home and put it on the table it really helped out our needs. Nowadays it would be cheaper to go to the farmer and get your meat. I myself love hunting and the meat from game is the best you can get out there. If there were animals that were getting low in numbers in an area I was hunting I would be the first to stop hunting that area and move to an area that had more in numbers. I have always been a firm believer in conservation.http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif

[kenkell1]

I hunt because I love to hunt and I do eat what I shoot but not because I need the meat. I love elk, moose and deer. I won't eat bear so I don't hunt them and the same goes for caribou.
Now...on the other hand I won't eat wolf but I dare one to step out while I am hunting.
I am also a firm believer in conservation as well.

[rocksteady]

I love to eat what I hunt....in most cases...

Deer, elk etc - never goes to waste......

Coyotes in teh winter - No munching here, I do it for several reasons. Control predators to maybe assist the ungulate population to get through the winter. I do salvage thier pelts and give them to a registered trapper friend, who puts them in the auction and he gets whatever he can for them....Also its excellent exercise in the winter months, better than sitting on my arse watching the boob tube...

Gophers - No munching.....Do it for several reasons...Remove the vermin for ranchers/farmers, to prevent possible injury to livestock...in a more humane manner than poison...Nothing deserves to die a slow painfull death like that....Plus it is also excellent practice to hone shooting skills, trigger control etc, which in turn, I believe , makes me a better shot during the fall...This creates better skills for a clean, one shot kill on an ungulate....

[Phreddy]

IMHO, there is a big difference between hunting and killing for the sake of watching something die.
I was raised to beleive that if I'm going to kill it, I'm going to eat it. Life is precious and should not be taken lightly. I far prefer organic game meat to that which is fed enough chemicals to make it glow in the dark. If the season turns out to be a dud, fine, I've enjoyed the time in the bush, but it is nice to have a full freezer at the end of the season.
With that said, I do kill gophers or groundhogs in my yard, as they tend to ruin a lot of hard work. If I see a wolf, it's dead because I've seen the waste of game that they kill for the fun of it.

[bc sportsman]

Never shot anything I wasn't intending to eat with rare exceptions.

I would have no problems shooting gophers or some predators if they are causing significant damage to private lands/livestock or excessively depleting the ungulates!

[Mr. Dean]

Primarily, I hunt because I like too. Bagging critters that fair well for the table is a bonus. :smile:

For the most part, I believe in hunting for the freezer 1st, but it would be hyprocrital of me if I stated that I haven't killed animals that were left to become fertilizer. Some of my hunting is done in the name of conservation... The number of dead crows, starlings and squirrels around my pad is staggering. :wink:

Also, in the name of conservation, I plan on taking a yote or two. Their pelts will adorn a place in my home AND I will try some of the meat just because I haven't before, if I get lucky enough to have one lined up in the hairs.

Since I took up hunting big game, every kill has found its way into my home as a decorative piece. From my 1st deer antlers mounted on a plaque, to the half mounted black bear in my front entrance. I highly doubt that this trend of mine will stop anytime soon.

I am a firm believer that ALL legal hunting is done in the name of conservancy and that for any animal to survive, another MUST die. I take great pride in doing the 'dirty work' myself and not turning a blind eye to it.

So Goat,,, as you can see, there is a multitude reasons "why"... but at the end of the day, it's because I want too.

[Bow Walker]

I started hunting because my Dad hunted. I had no clue what was out there, and no clue about conservation, politics, or antis - I just tagged along with Dad and a couple of his buds. Yes, I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed being out in the bush, miles from home, as the sun came up over the horizon and slowly lifted/dissipated the mist from in among the trees. I enjoyed the quiet, the slow awakening, the birds, squirrels, and assorted animals coming "awake" and foraging for food, calling for a mate, and or just singing out for the hell of it. I grew to enjoy the exercise of hiking/hunting. I loved the scenery and the different types of terrain - which I wouldn't have been able to see if it weren't for the hunt. Most of all I liked eating what Mom cooked from the "harvest(s)".

I still love all the above things. I still enjoy just getting out and being in the bush - only now (and for years) I've packed along the means to harvest my own game. Harvesting animals is secondary to being healthy enough to be out there in the first place.

So yes GG, I hunt to feed my "family" not because we need it, but because we enjoy it - which, I suppose, makes it a sport. As Mr. Dean says -
So Goat,,, as you can see, there is a multitude reasons "why"... but at the end of the day, it's because I want too.

[newhunterette]

This is an interesting topic that often makes good fireside conversation.

Many folks only shoot what they can eat and justify the hunt as part of the utilitarian roots of hunting. That is certainly true but huntings utilitarian roots also included trying to control other species for various reasons including protecting livestock, range and increase food sources.

I suppose the question is: Is hunting only a tool used to feed your family?

Or is hunting a tool used in the bigger concept of conservation?

Does hunting include controlling certain populations of what are considered inedible species when they're out of control? Or do we just let nature take her course?


What's your take?


personally i always felt my urge to hunt every fall has greater roots than simply bringing home meat and enjoying the process.i don,t like it when hunters justify what we do by saying we eat the meat. i think that gives the antis ammunition because the fact is most of us can buy meat at the supermarket.we hunt because it is ingrained in us to hunt,it is a connection going back eons in time.most people including non hunters can be found at one time or another staring into a campfire for long periods and loving it. ask them why and its tough to get a good answer. i think that too is one of mankinds connections to our distant past. it,s tough to explain why we hunt,meat,coservation,predator control? i think it goes much deeper and is tough to put in words.


I have on a few occasion stated my stand on how I got into hunting - and I will state - "I HUNT ONLY WHAT I EAT" if you take offense to me stating that fact oh well sucks to be you - let an anti criticise me for it , let a fellow hunter criticise me for it - but hold your child in your arms and have the doctors tell you she is "code Blue" not breathing because she ate some kind of chemically processed farm raised animal and went into anyphilactic shock and stopped breathing due to an extreme allergic reaction to this product you purchased at your local Safeway/Save On/ IGA whatever food store- after you have experienced that kind of horror then criticise me for saying "I HUNT ONLY WHAT I EAT" - I hunt according to all the posted guidlines and regulations we have as licensed hunters, I hunt during the allowed seasons and with allowed methods - I am a wildlife conservationalist - I pay my yearly fees and buy my tags according to laws - but again "I HUNT WHAT I EAT" and if I am so blessed to harvest a large animal worth hanging on my wall to show the beauty of that creature and it so graciously giving its life for my family (especially my daughter) to eat healthy, I will again pay the fees for having that animal mounted in a way that shows its glory forever by a qualified artist called the taxidermy

my 5 cents worth and my fireside camp conversation :)
Alison

[Rubicon500]

Reading some of these posts it kind of makes me chuckle, people out right say they only shoot what they eat... And the next sentence they talk about shooting Coyotes, wolves or gophers and how they dont eat them haha. Leave the world peace humanitarian speech at home

[Rock Doctor]

Reading some of these posts it kind of makes me chuckle, people out right say they only shoot what they eat... And the next sentence they talk about shooting Coyotes, wolves or gophers and how they dont eat them haha. Leave the world peace humanitarian speech at home

x2:-P:-P
I was kinda thinking the same thing.

[hunter1947]

You got that right RD ,good one ,:lol:.

[RiverOtter]

No problem here Allison. I have no issue with anyone who puts a "Hunt only what I eat" limitation on themselves. The only time I take exception is when those same folks condemn predator hunters, trappers or anyone who does things differently under the law.

I think of predator hunting as ungulate enhancement, as I rarely buy store meat, except chicken and pork(Got a weakness for BACON......grin)

RO

[Fisher-Dude]

So if someone drops by and "shoots the $hit", is their diet of questionable origin? :confused:

[RiverOtter]

So if someone drops by and "shoots the $hit", is their diet of questionable origin? :confused:

NO problem with the shooting, but I'd have a tough time with the, "Eating what I shoot", part......:eek:

RO

[johnes50]

personally i always felt my urge to hunt every fall has greater roots than simply bringing home meat and enjoying the process.i don,t like it when hunters justify what we do by saying we eat the meat. i think that gives the antis ammunition because the fact is most of us can buy meat at the supermarket.we hunt because it is ingrained in us to hunt,it is a connection going back eons in time.most people including non hunters can be found at one time or another staring into a campfire for long periods and loving it. ask them why and its tough to get a good answer. i think that too is one of mankinds connections to our distant past. it,s tough to explain why we hunt,meat,coservation,predator control? i think it goes much deeper and is tough to put in words.

I think you pretty well explained why I hunt as well. It's not for the meat. I can buy fresh bison locally a lot cheaper then hunting. And friends are always giving me moose, elk, venison.

Nobody in my family hunted, but I couldn't stay out of the woods when I was a kid, hiking, fishing, camping, hunting. It was very instinctual. I went by myself most of the time. I never could explain it to my family or friends, just had to get out in the woods. I think most of the antis have lost that instinct and will never understand why hunters hunt.

[Mr. Dean]

... i don,t like it when hunters justify what we do by saying we eat the meat...

But if this is the reason why a person hunts, what's not to like?

[Nailgunslinger]

"the fact is most of us can buy meat at the supermarket"

Sure, you can buy meat in a supermarket but it has no where near the quality or nutritional value of wild game meat. Most people cannot afford organic free-range meat either, so they are stuck eating chemically enhanced meat. I agree it seems like a primal urge to go and hunt and gather but seriously If I didn't get to eat what I killed, I would only hunt animals to protect life, limb and livestock. Even my city slicker wife is complaining about how far deer season is away,now that we've eaten our last deer roast. She says she likes it better than beef. Now if I can only get her to stop crying before I shoot it lmao.:p

[savagekiller420]

I agree with the fact that it is hard to point to one reason why i hunt...i enjoy eating or at least trying everything i shoot, but when it comes down to it id be in the bush wether there was a deer hunting season or not so id have to say hunting goes alot deeper than just hunting for food...but i totally agree that id eat anythin from the bush before i started eating gmo beef or any other kind of genetically enhanced food..so bring on the antis...lol

[Rock Doctor]

Nobody in my family hunted, but I couldn't stay out of the woods when I was a kid, hiking, fishing, camping, hunting. It's was very instinctual. I went by myself most of the time. I never could explain it to my family or friends, just had to get out in the woods. I think most of the antis have lost that instinct and will never understand why hunters hunt.

This is very true about myself as well.

[wsm]

i am one of those. up till now i only shoot what i eat. having said that i do understand and recognize the need to control predator species for various reasons. Im woking myself up to it, have to figure out what to do with it once dead

[Walksalot]

Only eating what one shoots is a very noble idea but a bit unrealistic. If everyone adopted this philosophy then rodents, scavengers and predators of all description would be hitting the dinner table. I have seen the most staunch "live and let live" person do a 180 degree turnabout when ground hogs invaded her garden. She hired a rodent control person to clean up her problem so her hands could stay squeaky clean. There is a balance where all predators and prey animals can co-exist without the peaks and valleys of a "let nature take it's course" uncontrolled environment. This balance can only be accomplished by regulating the populations. It's a dirty job but I would be a bit hesitant to get Mike Rowe on the phone any time soon.

[kenkell1]

Reading some of these posts it kind of makes me chuckle, people out right say they only shoot what they eat... And the next sentence they talk about shooting Coyotes, wolves or gophers and how they dont eat them haha. Leave the world peace humanitarian speech at home
I wouldnt even classify an edible animal in the coyote, wolf or gopher category. Most if not all when talking about eating what they shoot are talking about an edible animal like elk,moose,deer,bear,caribou,sheep,goat.

[KevinB]

I wouldnt even classify an edible animal in the coyote, wolf or gopher category. Most if not all when talking about eating what they shoot are talking about an edible animal like elk,moose,deer,bear,caribou,sheep,goat.

I've never tried wolf or coyote. Why would you say they are inedible? Have you tried them, or do you know someone who has? Maybe they taste horrible? I was quite pleasantly surprised a few years ago when I tried some cougar (no jokes now!), it was as good as any other game meat I've had. Never had gopher before either but I can't see why it wouldn't be completely edible??

I think the point was that there are hunters who will try to justify to non-hunters by saying that they only shoot what they eat, when they sometimes do otherwise - why not just say that you mostly eat what you shoot but that you also shoot some things just because you like to hunt and you don't want to eat them (and don't have to)? We hunt for our OWN reasons and I don't like to try and placate some clueless yuppie by making it sound like I hunt ONLY for a reason that THEY think is acceptable (i.e. for food only). Yup, a big reason for hunting, for me, is for the meat, but it's by no means the whole story. Really, if it was for the meat and for no other reason, even free range organic local happy hippy meat from a store would be cheaper than hunting, for most of us...That being said a full freezer is very high on my list of a successful hunting season!

[sealevel]

I have thinned out some bears for a couple farmers . And more then a few problem bears around camps and as a kid i shot most every thing else that walked or flow around our stump farm. so no i don`t eat what i have shot.

[Wolfman]

The food that comes from the hunt is certainly of value and I am sure you all agree that having a freezer full of meat is a good thing. The conservation element is equally important and when I am out there I feel I'm doing my part in the conservation scheme of things as well - whether I'm hunting OR fishing.

There is something deeper though: Just being out there is magical. Nature designed us to be hunters and when we play our part in nature it just feels right. It is the 'antis' who are disconnected from the natural order of things, not the folks who hunt and fish.

Wolfman

[BiG Boar]

I think the question here really is, what is your biological man clock saying? Just as women have a "clock" so do we men, and it tells us to go into the forest, kill and eat. Anyone who hasnt experienced that feeling just doesnt have a very big "clock" I guess. Now lets all go kill some bears....

[longleader]

I've never tried wolf or coyote. Why would you say they are inedible? Have you tried them, or do you know someone who has? Maybe they taste horrible? I was quite pleasantly surprised a few years ago when I tried some cougar (no jokes now!), it was as good as any other game meat I've had. Never had gopher before either but I can't see why it wouldn't be completely edible??

But with those (wolf, coyote, gopher) you'd first have to get by the stink ........never been quite that hungry! I remember as a kid pulling the hide off a gopher, by the time the hide was off I had lost all traces of hunger - say, maybe there could be the source of the next weight loss craze product.....

Cougar is a different story - very clean animal, and yes, it can taste fine.

[newhunterette]

[quote=longleader;278879]But with those (wolf, coyote, gopher) you'd first have to get by the stink ........never been quite that hungry! I remember as a kid pulling the hide off a gopher, by the time the hide was off I had lost all traces of hunger - say, maybe there could be the source of the next weight loss craze product.....[quote]

I have recipes for almost any kind of critter - I have tasted many different critters because I feel you can't be a judge on how something is iffn ya have never tasted it

Yes cougar meat is very tasty if prepared correctly as any other meats are and I have a saying regarding cougar but I am staying out of trouble as much as I can these days :-? I have respect for predator hunters and I suppose if I was offered wolf, coyote etc I would give it a taste as people with different cultural backgrounds eat different foods.
But for me I enjoy certain meats and those are what I will hunt for as again I hunt only what I eat.

[boonerbuck]

There's a primal urge in all of us to hunt. For some, once it's triggered it becomes a passion. I'm one of those.

I know plenty of people who hunt just for food and it is gone about as a chore. That also is a part of our primal make up. Both are rewarding and both can bond families and friends.

For the amount of hunting I do in a year and the amount of meat I end up with it is hardly economical. I could fill the freezer easily but then what do I do? I'm not going to keep killing to fullfill my desire, instead I raise the bar on what I decide to persue. It's not about killing or sustenance...

As far as killing what I don't eat...There are some species I persue I don't care to eat. If I feel they are managed properly and I'm not harming the long term health of their population then I have no reservations about it.

I am a avid predator hunter and I'm about to leave on a grizz hunt. Some don't understand it and I am challenged to justify it to them but the truth is I don't have to. Besides... if they don't feel it, I doubt anything could help them understand.

[The Hermit]

I eat what I hunt, but I also kill predators in the name of conservation and don't eat coyote, grizz, gopher etc. I have never killed a grizz because I didn't want to eat one... I am now thinking that killing one in my lifetime (bow hunt) is a must do... want the rug!