The ethic treatment of amimals is one of the main instructions they gave us in the long and hard hunting examination (Jagdschein). You have to track wounded animals, you have to kill wounded ones in a fast and human way, they teach you how.

So, my question, hunter and PETA member, do you know a person? I do. Can you image to be a PETA member?

We have a guy who shoots with us who is a vegetarian.

He has no ethical objections, he just does not like to eat red meat.

Strange but true.

While I respect the animals greatly and always keep ethics in mind, i can't really imagine joining an organisation such as PETA. I understand their objectives and i agree with many of their statements on animal abuse and cruel behavior, but i can't agree to the methods they use. I feel that protests, assaults on fur-wearers, paint throwing and actions like it are actions of mentally degenerate mob who are intellectually incapable of expressing themselves differently. If instead of shouting, waving posters on protests and attacking fur-shops they actually sat down and used all that wasted time and mental capacity on thinking how to actually resolve the problem of animal abuse in reality, the problem would be on its way of disappearing. The thought of fighting violence against animals with violence against people (even if it is psychological violence) seems odd to me. Then again, not all animal protection groups are like that. I guess some radical groups give a bad name to all of them. I can't see a fundamental collision between being a conservationist and a hunter. In fact, i think one helps being better at the other. Just the operating methods that some more "vocal" groups use put me off.

I (seldom) go hunting because I like eating game; I don't hunt birds because I don't like their taste; for the same reason I don't go fishing. Going hunting being a vegetarian, seems to me a bizarre behaviour.

It would be easier if you were schizophrenic...

Rich

no

Joining PETA (Gaia, or Green Peace, for instance) surely not. Anecdotically, my hunting associate came to hunting in a most ironic way. As a (now retired) teacher, he was anti-hunting and could not imagine how one could enjoy killing those beautiful animals. Like most educationalists, he also passed over his philosophy to his pupils. However, being intellectually honest, he wanted more than just brandishing emotional "Bamby-ist" arguments which were not backed up scientifically. Therefore and in order to arm himself with stronger anti-hunting arguments, he enlisted in our hunter's educational program. He followed the 3 months long theory and practical classes before passing the official hunting exam, necessary to obtain a hunting licence. He succeeded (60% of candidates do fail) and then, having become much more knowledgeable about hunting matters, he became a... hunter himself

Its a real problem that most green/environtment organisations (or most of their members)are against hunting and forestry.

Once there were the "People Eating Tasty Animals" organization, and well the "union" was possible.

Not possible now , IMHO, a real contraddiction.

I'll tell you what, how about if I join for the sake of scientific experiment?

I'm reasonably bunny hugging anyway, it's just the deer I like to eat.

I'm sure that somewhere a Jewish Nazi exists; I've never met him though.

My intention is to kill as quickly and cleanly as I can.
I don't set out to intentionally cause suffering to any animal for the pleasure of watching it suffer.
So I see no contradiction in being a hunter, a killer and being ethical.

However, where I differ from PETA is that it is a personal ethic, something about the way I conduct my own life and actions and not something I feel that I have to shove down others throats via news grabbing public demonstrations.

quote:

He succeeded (60% of candidates do fail) and then, having become much more knowledgeable about hunting matters, he became a... hunter himself

...nice story...have often thought true hunters would naturally evolve into 'peta-lites' if they could not hunt (in the same manner as roosevelt, selous and others became conservationalist in their twilight years)...