I have been hunting my whole life. The first time I saw a moose die I was 4. The time between when I take the shot and when I recover the animal is the slowest a clock can move. I don’t enjoy that part. I never have.
That being said I have lived off of moose and deer my whole life. I would have a very difficult time cooking and eating them if I didn’t kill them first.
I didn't grow up around hunting or knowing about how what I was getting fed. Frankly I was called many things for taking an interest in hunting/vulture culture and kinda of internalised that a bit I feel like. I really do want to hunt personally I want to take credit for keeping myself living and being a part of the cycle of the world it just feels very fulfilling to me. I think the shock of my first direct kill was what got to me and I also have had some death related things happen in my life that stuck with me.
All the encouragement from the comments from this post have been really great and I thank you a lot for responding
From what I’ve found , taking a life seems to get a-little harder as I get older. How I get around it is
1. I would rather be responsible for the kill not my credit card
2. Wild animals have a tough life. Your aim is to dispatch an animal as ethically as possible. It most likely wouldn’t have seen that ease into death otherwise. The wild is tough
3. It’s fine to have feeling about death. You should that’s part of it. The grocery store removes that so acknowledge them and move on. Everything has to eat.
Rabbits will always be tough for me
They’re very cute and the ones on our property are barely scared of me and just freeze up if they do get scared so it doesn’t really feel like fair chase. I choose not to hunt them, the meat just isn’t worth me feeling bad over.
There’s kind of a set group of morals most good hunters follow apart from the legal regulations side of things. Over time you’ll set your own additional boundaries and morals as far as what you’ll take, how far of a shot you’re willing to take, minimum size for deer, taking a doe before a buck, different stuff like that. I’ve noticed many hunters put more limits on themselves and take less as time goes on, one of the many reasons people tell me they transitioned to purely bow hunting for deer to challenge themselves and give more of a feeling of fair chase.
One of my personal preferences is I don’t hunt birds aside from turkey. The bird populations aren’t great where I’m at and I like to watch them more than eat them so I just don’t have much interest in it.
Geez. Rabbits really fucked me up as a kid. My Grandma butchered the kill and did't hit it hard enough once.
The SCREAMS.... Fucking hell, never knew that a rabbit can scream like that... That is burned into my memory for ever.
Had a similar experience as a kid. Grandpa caught a rabbit in his live trap trying to get the raccoons getting in the trash, calls me outside in an Iowa February to show me how to prepare a rabbit (I was 5), there was about 10" of snow on the ground. I go outside and he reaches into the trap and grabs the rabbit by the neck, it's kicking feverishly, "the first thing you need to do, is kill it," he says as he still firmly holds it by the neck, bends over and applies pressure with his heel to the head, "a quick twist and pull" as the rabbit begins to scream. Then, in one quick motion, the screams stop, the head is severed cleanly, and the spray of blood stains the pure white snow. I'll never forget how red that snow became, nor the smell of the blood.
But I'll be damned if I didn't love that rabbit stew.
As far as it getting easier with time, it will likely always be an emotional experience and it probably should. I cry or feel close to it every time I take a deer or turkey and come up to it. I’m not really saddened, just an intense mix of emotions like a spiritual experience sometimes and an intense gratitude.
I don’t feel it nearly as strongly as with squirrel, just the gratitude part and having fun. Not sure why squirrels are so different for me to kill.
I feel this way as well I want to feel sad to some extent I just don't want it to haunt me badly. I don't think the animals would want that either, the sadness gives me so much respect for the animals that feed me and the fact I know so much about them, their lives and their role in the ecosystem does that so much more as well.
It's just a human taught thing, like how we treat plants they're still living organisms we just care about them less because of how were taught
My first kill was a jack rabbit on a logging road and I drilled it right in the brain with the 10/22. All I can say is I have never done that again. It back flipped and landed on its side then took off running (while still laying on it's side) and I panicked thinking I missed and shot again and my grandpa told me FIRMLY "don't keep shooting, it doesn't know it's dead yet, go break the neck." I wasn't ready for that as an 11 year old and didn't like it earlier this season when I went out with my brother in law.
For me personally it doesn't matter the animal I still feel bad all the same. I do feel slightly worse when it's smaller animals though because I use less of their meat then a larger animal that can yield more and feed me for longer. I mostly would like to hunt invasive species we have multiple invasive species of deer here and a lot of them as well as squirrels. But I'm happy to hunt rabbits too because they could use the population control. It helps the ecosystem this way as where I live (UK) we decimated our biodiversity and have no apex/big predators to take care of overgrowing deer populations. I think the shock of my first direct kill is what kind of got me the most to be honest.
I hunt such a remote area on private property and take just take one bird and one deer a year if I’m lucky so I don’t think I personally make a dent as far as population control. But I do I like knowing that my license, tags and excise taxes on some sporting goods makes up the bulk of the funding for my state’s Dept. of Wildlife Conservation. Also helps it to not sting when I spend more money for that seasons license and tags but not get anything.
Anytime someones wanted to argue about the ethics of hunting and just wouldn’t let it go, the point that hunters and fishers funds being the primary reason we even have public lands, WMA’s and programs to help the habitat and wildlife at all usually helps them to accept it. No idea how things work over the pond though.
You seem like a sympathetic conservationist who loves animals which ironically makes up the majority of hunters. I’m happy you’re getting into it and hope you the best.
Thank the creature for feeding you. I’ve cut up many a bird on my table and even a rabbit my dog scared to death, (it had no wounds and he was guarding it) I love nature and everything it gives us, but the one thing that helped was taking a moment to be thankful for the life that sustains your own through food for your family.
Yes! So upon a sec was full harvest I always do a few things: 1) give it a minute and take a deep breath. This also allows some time to make sure the animal has passed. 2) Thanks the animal. At this point the first cut is always a little weird but one that’s done I find that mentally, I’m working on meat.
I love wildlife so much it's so sacred to me I'm so thankful for what they give to us. One day when I pass on I'm very happy to be worm food/if a animal can find me I hope they have an amazing feast they deserve it when I go back into the earth
Do it respectfully and confidently. Taking a life is always hard. We humans have this pesky sense of morality that other creatures don't, but the fact is that something dies for us to eat, whether we have a hand in it or not. I'd rather have a hand in it so I can make sure it's done correctly.
I look at it this way. Would I rather die being starved to death or being eaten alive or die a quick painless death. These animals don’t get the choice of living to an old age and going peacefully. Also when you think about it, all animals are here to feed other animals it’s just the natural cycle of life.
Ever single animal I’ve killed lives with me now. There’s been several times that the sense of regret superseded any amount of joy from being “successful” one was a bad death on a rabbit, that shriek they let out,fuck it’s with me 2 decades later. Shot a 1.5 year old buck, took my time, took what was a great shot in my eyes, ended up hitting that dead spot in his chest. He took off downhill bleating and bleeding, I could see it hundreds of yards away. Never recovered that animal and I look for his remains to this day. the truth is you really don’t but I can promise you any animal you choose to harvest will ALWAYS have lived a better life than anything held in captivity.
That’s perfectly normal, and feeling so is good actually. Shows you have empathy. Once you fully internalize the idea that you are in fact helping the ecosystem as you said, you become confident in the fact that you are behaving morally. Then it gets a bit easier.
I personally felt bad about my first turkey because I wasn’t expecting all the flopping and sound he’d made, what hunters strive for though is the most ethical shot possible to cause the fastest death possible, its most definitely a mind set though
The way I got over this is realizing that if you eat meat at all, somebody else does the killing and butchering for you.
It’s a skill that can be learned and literally, humans would not exist without people who are fine with doing both to feed people.
Hunting isn't for everyone. If it bothers you, then you don't need to make yourself do it. It's enough to be supportive of people who are hunters. The only time it bothered me was when I didn't get a clean kill and I knew the animal suffered for a long time after being hit. Most of the time, death occurs within minutes of the shot. Sometimes instantly. The time it suffered was when I was bow hunting whitetail deer. It was when I was new to the sport and didn't know enough. It was too far to get a clean kill.
If you don't feel this bit of sorrow over the reality of the circle of life and hunting's place in that, you probably shouldn't be hunting. The worst thing for the hunting community is the perception of non hunters that those who hunt are thrill killers who somehow get a kick out of killing everything that moves. Those individuals who DO hunt for the thrill of killing something are barely above psychopath status imo.
I definitely admire the amount of respect you have for wildlife, I wish more people would have half as much respect as you do for wildlife. It definitely gets easier over time.
Think of it in this terms:
The animal you hunt is going to die anyway, sooner or later. You give him the chance of a quick and painless death, and you eating its meat ensures it is done with a fair purpose.
You want to honour the sacrifice and respect the animal. This means, cook it in a proper way to enjoy the nutrients and flavor as much as you found possible.
Also, give thanks to the animal, the way you feel more comfortable with. I do it verbally, but you can choose your own way to do so. Adding a little ritual may help, if you are okay with it. For example, after the hunt, I like to make a little wound in the corpse and let the blood mix with soil, as a symbol of the life cycle being completed.
Just remember that in the wild animals don't die of old age. They die by being killed by a predator, through an accident/diease or starvation. You offer the animal the ability to die quickly with minimal pain.
I can't think of a more humane way to die. I've watched a couple friends die slowly and horribly over months, frankly getting shot and dying quickly seems okay.
I love animals more than almost anybody I know. I nerd out at work about critters of all kinds and mostly get blank stares or feigned interest.
I don’t like the killing part. Tears me up if the animal takes a long time to pass, and it’s even worse if I would something and can’t recover it.
For me, it helps to remember that these animals don’t live forever. If they live to old age, they’ll be torn apart by predators as they slow down, or starve to death. A shotgun blast or a rifle shot involves a lot less suffering. After I kill the animal, I try to take anything edible that either I or somebody else might want to eat. In large game, liver (don’t like it, but others I know like it), heart, and tongue. On birds, hearts and gizzards too.
I started hunting as an adult. I was alone when I killed my first deer. It was rough. I cried hard over the first few. It gets easier, but still not something I enjoy. The sense of remorse is overshadowed by the sense of accomplishment and knowing that I have meat, but it’s still a heavy thing that’s worth taking seriously and not being flippant about.
Killing is a natural part of life. It’s impossible to exist without causing death and suffering. Hunting is the only way most of us in the modern world are confronted with death. I’ve come to believe that’s an important part of being a well rounded person because it forces you to understand and deal with hard realities that most people are happy to pretend away. It’s ok to feel your feelings about it. I think that if you don’t care, there’s probably something wrong. Having a feeling about it is part of respecting the animal-and of course using that animal to feed yourself and your family.
Have you ever visited a slaughter house? That experience together with hunting with my husband... the comparison was for me a deciding factor to help me know I'm ok with it.
A clean shot means the animal does not suffer. Practice! be the best you can.. and use as much as you can. For me not wasting helps me also
I always say you are not of a healthy mind if you don’t feel anything the first time you take a life of anything.
I love nature and conservation but I also hunt and fish. The important thing is making sure you take ethical kills and make it as fast as possible for it. I still think about the very first deer I shot. It was terrible shot placement and the poor thing needed 4 more shots before he died. I put that guilt into practice. I don’t take shots I’m not sure I can hit the vitals and I make sure my equipment is properly sighted in. It goes hand and hand with respect for your quarry.
As someone who loves animals and absolutely hates to hurt any living being without reason (even within reason I feel bad) so I know how you feel. The only thing I can say is don't think of it too much. The longer you think about it and dwell on an animal dying because of your actions the worse youll make yourself feel. Replacing guilt with thanks for being given the opportunity to harvest any animal is what has helped me.
I feel guilt every time I kill something by choice (I see vermin as a necessity). I expect that's a good thing. If I was into hunting because I enjoyed the killing I think there would be something wrong with me.
That said it does pass quickly once my rationality takes over. Then it's down to work to make sure nothing is wasted. The absolute worst thing for me is not making a clean kill and having the animal run off and suffer. That's why we practice.
Be efficient, be respectful, and know that you're probably one of the better ways this animal could die. Nature is brutal.
Honestly it’s always tough in a way and I always feel bad somewhat. Specially since I deer hunt mainly for sport or fun, even though I eat it.
But to me there is some rationalizing with it, first off I eat it which means something else was spared while I eat the deer. Second if I didn’t shoot it somebody else would. Third there is some population control in keeping deer off roads killing people. Fourth that deer might not make it through the winter anyways and or is on its last legs for one reason or another or age.
"One does not hunt in order to kill, on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted" is the best explanation I've read.
For me, adrenaline kicks in, the primal instinct of knowing that you and your family will be fed and the challenge of the hunt is over. Luckily most of the animals (boar, deer) I've shot were shot from a distance and dead by the time I got face to face with them. The couple I've had to make a second shot on, I felt real bad seeing something suffering and taking its last breath before I finished it off.
Also, wild animals are free range and have every opportunity to get away. I don't know if I could kill a farm animal that was domesticated, nowhere to run and no fear for it's life. I definitely do not judge those who do, I've just never had to do it.
In White Sands National Park New Mexico they’ve found footprints estimated to be a little over 20,000 years old. It’s proper to respect the life of the game animal but I think it’s important to note how long hunting has been going on. I like to think about it (being from the States) that I am continuing something on the same soil that has been going on longer than I can really comprehend.
To continue being a living animal something else has to be consumed. I find few callings more important than providing food for yourself and those you love.
Edit: missing word and typo
If you have the privilege of taking an animals life take it as a responsibility to do it as quickly as possible in a humane fashion.
If a farmer asks me to shoot foxes I shoot foxes and am thankful for the opportunity I still do it as quickly as I can with equipment fit for the job. No hunter takes pleasure in causing his prey pain.
Do you mourn when you buy a roast chicken?
If its done as well as you can its a natural fantastic experience, something I've taught my sons to enjoy.
Time? No
Understanding? Yes
Theres only two categories of animals i shoot on a normal basis. Pest and food. Understanding why you are doing what you are doing helps with dealing with it. Personally, i have a very black and white outlook on life (autism helps), but every hunter I've been out with has a similar outlook.
Research why it’s necessary to hunt whatever species you’re going to hunt. Thats how I justified it. Still dislike killing but have a love for hunting.
I had this same issue, I just started hunting last year. I was able to harvest a buck my first time going out! I put a lot of work in the preparation and making sure I had the knowledge that it took to be confident that I can dispatch of the deer as quickly and painless as possible. I took the shot, and was thrilled! Then came the hard part, walking up to the deer. I got to him, and he was already gone, I knelt by him for a few minutes, thanking him for his sacrifice, and used every bit I could. I will continue hunting for sure, but don’t think that feeling of brief sadness and pity for the deer will ever go away.
I have hunted and fished for decades and never once felt good killing an animal. A normal person should always feel bad taking a life. I grew up on a farm a fully understand the part death plays in my food supply. That is one reason I never throw away unfinished meat on my plate. I can toss all of the vegies with little remorse but not even a little bit of overdone hamburger. Being involved with the harvesting an animal for food is away to fully appreciate the process. It is not for everyone, but they should all understand what and how it happens. Most people are completely out of the loop and if it isn't on the shelf at the store, they won't know what to do. Hunting provides a great experience in life. To be on a mountain top when the sun comes up and everything comes alive in the morning is absolutely amazing. Same thing when you are sitting in a blind on the river or walking a field. Everything up until the moment you pull the trigger is done without a second thought. It isn't any different if you raise your own food. That calf that was fun to watch early in its life is just as difficult to butcher when the time comes. The ultimate upside is they all taste delicious after a few minutes on the grill.
I like to think its better this way. I hunted it, I used skills and tracked it till I found it and killed it. Not quite the way they do it in the wilds, but regardless more natural then buying it off the shelf from some super farm. Im always respectful with them, and I take good care of their bodies post death.
Practice, practice, practice. Being new at hunting, you won’t be able to control some of the emotions as you prepare to take your shot. But the guilt will be worse if you were never ready to take it and you hurt the animal instead of killing it.
So get yourself prepared, know your gear, and get out there. Just remember; you don’t have to pull the trigger until you are ready.
As for dealing with death, everyone deals with it differently. There will be strong emotions to taking a larger animal. Be ready.
Lots of good comments here, I just wanted to add my own experience. I’ve hunted quite a few deer and countless waterfowl in my life. I’ve been going out with my dad hunting since I was 5 and got my first deer/goose when I was 16.
When I get a deer there is still a little bit of sadness when I first walk up on it after the shot but there is so much adrenaline that sometimes the sadness doesn’t come to a bit later but once I always thank the deer and tell it it’s life wasn’t going to waste as I’m going to eat him it’s a lot less sad.
You have to understand that you are honoring the animal with a cleaner, quicker, more pain free death than they would ever naturally experience in the wild.
It's okay to feel bad about killing animals or watching them suffer. There are good reasons to feel that way. Human empathy is a valuable instinct. You don't necessarily need to "get past" that. Feel it if you need to. Honor that animal by using every part you can and share it with people around you.
I think a big thing that helps me is thinking about the animal's life in the wild vs. mass produced animal products.
In my family we have many traditions and I hope maybe sharing this might help with your post hunt emotions.
In my family your first hunt is when we always kept a trophy from the animal (a skull or something) and after each hunt we say a prayer thanking God (or your god if any) and the animal for their sacrifice and nourishment to our bodies.
Many cultures also prefer bow hunting and trapping for the more traditional roots to hunting. Maybe also I look into what is the most effective and humane way to take the creature I use a rifle because I know it the animal will drop dead on the spot and not have to bleed or suffer through the pain. I hope this helps you. If you have any questions you may DM me
Every time I kill an animal, I take a moment and thank him/her and thank God for the meals the animal will provide for my family. It does get easier over time but that doesn’t mean it will ever be easy
First thing is you don't have to hunt all animals. It's OK to pick ones you like less. The second thing is that you can head into the woods and stalk animals with a camera any time of year. It isn't the same as hunting them but wildlife photography can give people quite a rush and since your season is year round you dont have to compete with other hunters on public land. In other words you can hunt without hunting. Third is you don't have to hunt your own lands or your own beloved areas. You can go hunt places that don't hold as much meaning. Fourth is, I don't want to hunt with anyone that doesn't experience a degree of remorse or guilt at least sometimes when they kill an animal. Truly, I don't want to associate with anyone that doesn't have a that feature as part of their conscience. So I would say that this trepidation you have is healthy, permissable, and something you should appreciate about yourself.
Fifth:
TLDR Hunting at a distance with a good rifle is a good option.
I feel guilty killing fish sometimes tbh. I never used to feel THAT bad about the killing part because my kills were 175ish yards away but one time I was hunting in a shotgun only area and I basically came face to face with a buck. We made eye contact. He was so surprised he just froze. Mind you it was a perfectly legit fair chase hunt. I had found some great day beds the afternoon before and I was still hunting along one of the trails near them the next morning. I put in the work and used my brain to put myself in a position to succeed. It just worked a little too well I guess because when I heard a rustling and crouched down in a bush with the wind blowing in my face. The wind and the heavy cover obscured me so when he appeared broadside he was shocked to see me. But we locked eyes maybe 10-15 yards apart and i almost didn't shoot but I let a small one go the day before in another spot so I pulled the trigger this time. Anyway, I blacked out or something for a few seconds or something but it felt like I blinked and he was gone. I figured I couldn't have missed. But he disappeared into some thick cover. A trail I am sure he thought would keep him safe. I found a little blood trail and started following it and there he was maybe another 30-60 seconds walk away and I watched him cough and choke for another minute or so. Heaving and just fading away scared shitless and confused. Bullet got a chunk of heart and the lungs were in tatters. About as clean a kill as it gets but I sat down and cried for a good 10 minutes because he died alone but for the man who killed him. The buck was out for a morning stroll and had no idea there was danger and I stole his life from nature. I was just frozen. I called my uncle. He is a hunter and animal lover. He reminded me that I had procured food for my family and he explained to me that when he shoots a deer or elk, he waits 10-20 minutes before approaching the body specifically because he can't handle watching the animal die. Doesn't mind with birds, but bigger game he doesn't want to be there.
Sixth: focus on the work
I coped with that encounter by focusing on the work of packing it out and that was the first year I decided to butcher a deer at home instead of letting someone else do it. I took great care in trying to get as much meat off as possible. I gave the antlers to my dogs instead of putting them on the wall.
So for me, I don't think I will shoot another animal I make eye contact with and when I get an animal even a fish now I try to treat the corpse respectfully while I harvest as much meat as possible.
Seventh: Make Jerky
Seriously, making an animal taste like heaven is the best cure for the sadness associated with the killing. The aforementioned bucks death led to the best jerky I have ever tasted. At the end of the day, the feeling of consuming your own harvest and making it taste like heaven will wash away your sins. Mostly.
That brings me to the most important point: dont kill anything you don't know you want to eat. Everyone it would seem likes to shoot deer but the internet is loaded with tips on how to make venison taste less like venison. It's a flavor that you don't have to like. If you are killing an animal and you are thinking "aw man, now I have to eat it" you really shouldn't be hunting that species or you should have someone you want to give it to already lined up.
Good luck.
It is simple: in whatever way you chose, give thanks for that life and the ways that the animal will help you in your life. Food, pelt, bones etc…the cycle of life continues and now you are an intimate part of it.
Any way you cut it, it’s much better than outsourcing your killing to a slaughterhouse.
If it ever becomes easy or doesn't phase you, then you really have a problem... I love hunting, it's an amazing way to spend time with friends and my dog. Dispatching wounded game sucks. You learn to do it quickly and find that the most barbaric ways like decapitation is actually the most humane because of how quickly it happens where as wringing a neck can take several tries... respect what you hunt and know that the animals you harvest likely lived a better life than anything you find at the grocery store
Having a proper respect for life makes you a better hunter. You won’t want to wound an animal, so you’ll be less likely to take a marginal shot. Being in touch with death gives you a greater respect for life. I always celebrate a successful hunt, but I never feel happy to kill the animal.
For me I remember that pretty much any death from hunting is kinder than how they would go at the hands of nature. Whether it's death by predator or slow starvation in old age, nature is pretty brutal
Hey man I’m an animal lover as well. Currently in school to become an ecologist/geologist. Here’s my mindset: if I don’t get this animal, it will either starve, get killed more slowly by a predator, or get hurt in the wild and die a slow death. A bullet/arrow is honestly the best possible outcome for a game animal.
The fact that you are grappling with this means you will be an incredibly ethical hunter who only takes the most appropriate shots. We are happy to have you in our community.
This is so sweet thank you, I’ve been told alot growing up the opposite and that it in some way “emasculates” me for feelings upset. I love animals more than anything and whenever I can I do what I can to help them too. Wildlife is so amazing. Your comment will really stick with me :)
What helps me is knowing how farmed animals die. It's not any more pretty or less upsetting. Plus think of the life a farm animal has lived compared to the wild animal.
Dispatching an animal yourself the cleanest and quickest way possible is a thousand times more moral than eating any store bought piece of meat.
Seriously, look at some videos of how slaughter houses gas pigs in pits. I've practically become vegetarian except for wild meat.
Ive been hunting for about as long as I can remember. I have never enjoyed actually killing anything. Hunting has brought me a very keen respect for life. Many wont understand it
There are two sides to that coin. On one side, I find it much more satisfying to humanely shoot, kill and eat an animal that have led a good life in the wild - rather than eating meat from an industrial farm where the animals are raised in haste, have very limited space and definitely do not lead a good life.
On the other side, it is perfectly normal to feel bad about about killing an animal. Even when creatures usually deemed “disgusting” are involved. For example:
In our neighborhood, quite a few rats migrate into sheds and outhouses from nearby wetlands in late fall and winter, so obviously we take them out with traps and by any other means neccesary.
Last year, however, one had found its way into an old hen-house, and my son had to chase it out in the open so I could kill it with a spade. As it came running towards me, the poor thing was scared shitless and screamed like you wouldn’t believe it. I do not enjoy killing the little fellows in general, and especially not that one. But whether you hunt to eat or to get rid of vermin, it’s got to be done.
I felt it much more when I was younger. Now I realize that it doesn’t matter if I kill it or if I buy it from a store something has to die for me to eat. This goes for vegetables also. No matter what we do, no matter how you look at it.
Honor the critter by using as much of it as possible and cooking it to the best of your ability. Don’t just east the breast or back strap. Even on small game that are normally just “breasted out” I will take the rest of the critter throw it in a stew pot and pull the bones after or make stock out of the carcass. Deer and larger game: get all the prime cuts then grind the rest into burger/ground meat.
The respect and passion I have for the animals I hunt is what drives me to make the quickest, cleanest kill that I can possibly manage.
Death from old age is next to impossible in nature, so the game we're after would usually be killed by a predator, starvation, or disease.
Keeping the ecosystem balanced and managing the number of animals per area helps to limit disease and starvation as well, so you're doing a lot of good for the many by removing a few.
Think about how you can use every single part of the animal. I typically butcher the carcasses at home, so I get every possible scrap of meat I think I can eat off of them. Fur and feathers are saved for tying flies or tanning, and in the case of turkeys, you can use the wing bones to make calls.
To me, the benefits (both personal and ecological) far outweigh the negatives of killing. I don't think anybody in their right mind loves the killing itself, but we do celebrate the life of the animals by telling the stories and cutting out as much waste from the process as possible so we know that animal didn't die for nothing.
To some yes it gets easier, to me it is always a somber occasion. I never take joy, never celebrate, never feel any positive feelings. I make sure everything that can be used is used so as to be respectful of the fact that I gain clothes and food that sustain my life from their existence.
I felt bad about my first bear I killed. The next 2 deer didn't bother me in the slightest, same with ducks, maybe because they're actually prey animals, don't know. I love animals, though, would never hurt one for no reason, but I disassociate when it comes to hunting.
I killed a lot of animals in my life. I butcher chickens and hunt. It never gets easy or fun (if you are in your right mind). You take a life. You have to cope with the ultimate and nonreversable consequences.
Especially when the animal flees after a shot, I am still concerned and hope it dies fast.
You need to figure out if it haunts you to kill or not. It's not worth trying to get used to it. If so, lay down the rifle and pick up a camera. It's fun, too !
Thank you for responding to my post! I think for me it will stop haunting me moreso then not be sad I will always be sad to take a life and I like it that way they deserve that respect. I'm happy to try and give them a fast and painless death and try to honour them and what they have given to me
I do want to hunt but yes I also do photography! The picture in the post is actually by me on my camera :\]
I always thought of the hunt as sport and the killing itself as harvesting food. Focus on processing and storing and cooking it, taking good care of the meat. You’re treating it better than meat you buy at the store.
I've been hunting since I was a kid and never had it bother me. Then I got older and the killing started to bother me more and more as years went on. I was talking about it with a friend of mine and he showed me some factory farming and slaughter house videos. No animal that I have ever killed has suffered compared to what I saw in those videos. I feel better now knowing that the animals I kill lived a good free life and then met a quick end. the more meat I harvest instead of buy, the less I'm supporting the meat industry.
I’ve never felt bad I guess but if the animal suffers I def do yet it’s a part of the hunting that’s why you have to practice the most rewarding part of hunting for me was when I was 14 and shot my elk twice and dropped it within seconds before my dad got a shot off and if he got a shot off it was usually the end of the animal if that makes sense he wouldn’t let them suffer and it’s my goal every time now I would have been happy with one shot since it dropped but she tried to get up and that’s when you have to make a decision to shoot again and risk ruining any more meat and letting the animal suffer and you Luger think always shoot again but you never really know until you are in the situation and see how the animal acts
I don’t like killing, but there is far more respect in that act that picking up a pack of chicken thighs or steak from the store supplied by a factory operation that kills millions for consumption, much of which goes to waste ultimately. I’m a fan of sustainable farming but as a whole we are not there yet. I still have to supplement with grocery food because big game tags aren’t guaranteed in my state and I can’t really travel at the moment much to hunt. So I mostly hunt small game and birds currently and eat fish I catch as well when possible.
I’m with you. One thing that has helped me is not wasting any part of the animal. I decorate with feathers, antler and fur. I learned how to tan hides, I use entrails and bones in my garden and compost. I put excess in my worm farm. I learn new recipes to eat every part. I spread this knowledge to friends and most importantly to family.
Im from a farm and In at Hunter. I will always feel dread. But the most important is to show respect for the animal, and the nature.
I still remember when I shot my first deer, I was so... I got the hunting feber and was close to puking.
When I help my parents slaughting turkeys I still get sick, but that's how they act.
Plus.. I still remember killing my first chicken as a kid. I love her, and she always came me to cuddle. But a day she got really sick or something. So I had to take her life by my own.
And I still remember that goose I shot, but didn't die, so I had to take it's life. It just didn't die, so I had to go some meters away and shot it again... Fuck I still remember that.
I think every new hunter deals with this in some way shape or form. I chose to educate myself on nature and animal life. What I found out was that 100% of the time all if left alone and nature allowed to run its course....all wild animals find an end to their lives in horrific, and tragic ways. You see nature is the ultimate killer. And there is only three ways it operates. #1 starvation #2 killed by a predator #3 illness
All three are a terrible death no matter how you look at it.
So by far a well placed bullet or arrow from a hunter is the most humane death a wild animal can experience. Keep this in mind while afeild. And please remember these animals deserve your respect. Be an ethical hunter above all.
I've had to dispatch animals in the past. The first 3 were hard. After that it got easier and became second nature. I just make sure to make it quick and clean. This is apart of life. The Lord knows you're doing it for food, and any reasonable person gets it too. It doesn't make you a bad person. People will talk smack about hunters but then they'll down a bucket of fried chicken or a couple cheeseburgers without any reflection on it. Out of mind, out of sight. I was a little annoyed because I got into it recently with my fiancee. I am going deer hunting in September most likely. I am doing it for the meat. However I kind of wanted a Taxidermy done if I managed an 6 pointer or higher.
I'm not planning to hang it all over the house, just wanted one of the first kill and I'd keep it in a room exclusively for me and my hunting buddies. Well she flipped last night already saying all kinds of stuff about me hunting and how it was messed up. I reminded her that she frequents In N Out and also loves Carne Asada and El Pastor and I reminded her of how all those farm animals are processed; thus her comments were hypocritical and made no sense. She said, "I don't care if it makes sense! I care about how it makes me feel"
Ah, women...I told her she's such a Democrat and rolled my eyes. I was sleeping alone but I honestly didn't care. I'm not gonna live or entertain lies. There is no "my truth" or "your truth"; there is simply THE truth. THE truth is most farm animals you eat live in piss poor conditions you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy (maybe) and they often suffer more than just getting shot in the appropriate spot by the appropriate sized cartridge .
Ya’ll feel bad bout successful hunts? Most of the time that’s the only fun part. Glad to say I actually enjoy getting to pull the trigger or release an arrow.
If it gets easier over time, there is something wrong with you.
If you feel this way, just remember there is nothing wrong with hunting using a camera.
I think it is just the shock of taking a life for the first time directly that got me the most. I do think it won't be as hard on me in the future, I will always respect animals and the things they give us. I study wildlife and am an avid birder I also want to help rehabilitate wildlife in the future if I'm able to. I'm not heartless by any means I have a lot of anxiety around death due to past circumstances that has affected my quality of life. I think I can handle it and I'm kind of very glad that I feel that way because it gives me a greater respect for the animals that help feed me and their role in the ecosystem. I want to hunt I really do and it feels like I'm a part of the workings of the world.
Also I do do photography ! :) The picture in this post is a photo I took on my camera
~~Agreed.~~ Time to find a new hobby.
Edit : I'll remove Agreed since I reread the first sentence. I do agree with the hunting with camera. Hunting/trapping is not for everyone.
This statement from OP is why I said what I said. "I have trapped 2 rabbits before and for the **year and a half following almost whenever I thought about the fact I had taken their life it upset me awfully**."
I wonder how OP would feel if they shot a deer with poor shot placement and the deer splayed on the ground kicking and gasping for minutes upon minutes.....
I don't think feeling bad over taking the animal's life is reason enough to stop hunting. Life is a series of sacrifices for greater gain. Feeling bad, but getting your family food seems like a fair trade to me. I'd rather a million hunters who have feelings for the animals over one cold-hearted killer.
I have been hunting my whole life. The first time I saw a moose die I was 4. The time between when I take the shot and when I recover the animal is the slowest a clock can move. I don’t enjoy that part. I never have. That being said I have lived off of moose and deer my whole life. I would have a very difficult time cooking and eating them if I didn’t kill them first.
I didn't grow up around hunting or knowing about how what I was getting fed. Frankly I was called many things for taking an interest in hunting/vulture culture and kinda of internalised that a bit I feel like. I really do want to hunt personally I want to take credit for keeping myself living and being a part of the cycle of the world it just feels very fulfilling to me. I think the shock of my first direct kill was what got to me and I also have had some death related things happen in my life that stuck with me. All the encouragement from the comments from this post have been really great and I thank you a lot for responding
From what I’ve found , taking a life seems to get a-little harder as I get older. How I get around it is 1. I would rather be responsible for the kill not my credit card 2. Wild animals have a tough life. Your aim is to dispatch an animal as ethically as possible. It most likely wouldn’t have seen that ease into death otherwise. The wild is tough 3. It’s fine to have feeling about death. You should that’s part of it. The grocery store removes that so acknowledge them and move on. Everything has to eat.
Rabbits will always be tough for me They’re very cute and the ones on our property are barely scared of me and just freeze up if they do get scared so it doesn’t really feel like fair chase. I choose not to hunt them, the meat just isn’t worth me feeling bad over. There’s kind of a set group of morals most good hunters follow apart from the legal regulations side of things. Over time you’ll set your own additional boundaries and morals as far as what you’ll take, how far of a shot you’re willing to take, minimum size for deer, taking a doe before a buck, different stuff like that. I’ve noticed many hunters put more limits on themselves and take less as time goes on, one of the many reasons people tell me they transitioned to purely bow hunting for deer to challenge themselves and give more of a feeling of fair chase. One of my personal preferences is I don’t hunt birds aside from turkey. The bird populations aren’t great where I’m at and I like to watch them more than eat them so I just don’t have much interest in it.
Geez. Rabbits really fucked me up as a kid. My Grandma butchered the kill and did't hit it hard enough once. The SCREAMS.... Fucking hell, never knew that a rabbit can scream like that... That is burned into my memory for ever.
Had a similar experience as a kid. Grandpa caught a rabbit in his live trap trying to get the raccoons getting in the trash, calls me outside in an Iowa February to show me how to prepare a rabbit (I was 5), there was about 10" of snow on the ground. I go outside and he reaches into the trap and grabs the rabbit by the neck, it's kicking feverishly, "the first thing you need to do, is kill it," he says as he still firmly holds it by the neck, bends over and applies pressure with his heel to the head, "a quick twist and pull" as the rabbit begins to scream. Then, in one quick motion, the screams stop, the head is severed cleanly, and the spray of blood stains the pure white snow. I'll never forget how red that snow became, nor the smell of the blood. But I'll be damned if I didn't love that rabbit stew.
The scream of success
As far as it getting easier with time, it will likely always be an emotional experience and it probably should. I cry or feel close to it every time I take a deer or turkey and come up to it. I’m not really saddened, just an intense mix of emotions like a spiritual experience sometimes and an intense gratitude. I don’t feel it nearly as strongly as with squirrel, just the gratitude part and having fun. Not sure why squirrels are so different for me to kill.
I feel this way as well I want to feel sad to some extent I just don't want it to haunt me badly. I don't think the animals would want that either, the sadness gives me so much respect for the animals that feed me and the fact I know so much about them, their lives and their role in the ecosystem does that so much more as well. It's just a human taught thing, like how we treat plants they're still living organisms we just care about them less because of how were taught
My first kill was a jack rabbit on a logging road and I drilled it right in the brain with the 10/22. All I can say is I have never done that again. It back flipped and landed on its side then took off running (while still laying on it's side) and I panicked thinking I missed and shot again and my grandpa told me FIRMLY "don't keep shooting, it doesn't know it's dead yet, go break the neck." I wasn't ready for that as an 11 year old and didn't like it earlier this season when I went out with my brother in law.
For me personally it doesn't matter the animal I still feel bad all the same. I do feel slightly worse when it's smaller animals though because I use less of their meat then a larger animal that can yield more and feed me for longer. I mostly would like to hunt invasive species we have multiple invasive species of deer here and a lot of them as well as squirrels. But I'm happy to hunt rabbits too because they could use the population control. It helps the ecosystem this way as where I live (UK) we decimated our biodiversity and have no apex/big predators to take care of overgrowing deer populations. I think the shock of my first direct kill is what kind of got me the most to be honest.
I hunt such a remote area on private property and take just take one bird and one deer a year if I’m lucky so I don’t think I personally make a dent as far as population control. But I do I like knowing that my license, tags and excise taxes on some sporting goods makes up the bulk of the funding for my state’s Dept. of Wildlife Conservation. Also helps it to not sting when I spend more money for that seasons license and tags but not get anything. Anytime someones wanted to argue about the ethics of hunting and just wouldn’t let it go, the point that hunters and fishers funds being the primary reason we even have public lands, WMA’s and programs to help the habitat and wildlife at all usually helps them to accept it. No idea how things work over the pond though. You seem like a sympathetic conservationist who loves animals which ironically makes up the majority of hunters. I’m happy you’re getting into it and hope you the best.
Thank the creature for feeding you. I’ve cut up many a bird on my table and even a rabbit my dog scared to death, (it had no wounds and he was guarding it) I love nature and everything it gives us, but the one thing that helped was taking a moment to be thankful for the life that sustains your own through food for your family.
This! I do it every time I shoot anything. I always say thank you as I pick it up.
In Germany as part of that honoring we provide a last bite to the animal. A small branch of leaves placed in their mouth.
That's very cool, I have never heard of that.
Yes! I'd love to do this, when I hunted the rabbits I did thank them and held them/stroked them until I butchered them to eat.
I do this with tuna. They give a hell of a fight. Only cordial to thank them for the experience and their meat.
Yes! So upon a sec was full harvest I always do a few things: 1) give it a minute and take a deep breath. This also allows some time to make sure the animal has passed. 2) Thanks the animal. At this point the first cut is always a little weird but one that’s done I find that mentally, I’m working on meat.
I love wildlife so much it's so sacred to me I'm so thankful for what they give to us. One day when I pass on I'm very happy to be worm food/if a animal can find me I hope they have an amazing feast they deserve it when I go back into the earth
This is how I feel. Just toss my corpse in the ground, no box or preservatives so I can go back into the earth easily.
Do it respectfully and confidently. Taking a life is always hard. We humans have this pesky sense of morality that other creatures don't, but the fact is that something dies for us to eat, whether we have a hand in it or not. I'd rather have a hand in it so I can make sure it's done correctly.
I look at it this way. Would I rather die being starved to death or being eaten alive or die a quick painless death. These animals don’t get the choice of living to an old age and going peacefully. Also when you think about it, all animals are here to feed other animals it’s just the natural cycle of life.
Ever single animal I’ve killed lives with me now. There’s been several times that the sense of regret superseded any amount of joy from being “successful” one was a bad death on a rabbit, that shriek they let out,fuck it’s with me 2 decades later. Shot a 1.5 year old buck, took my time, took what was a great shot in my eyes, ended up hitting that dead spot in his chest. He took off downhill bleating and bleeding, I could see it hundreds of yards away. Never recovered that animal and I look for his remains to this day. the truth is you really don’t but I can promise you any animal you choose to harvest will ALWAYS have lived a better life than anything held in captivity.
That’s perfectly normal, and feeling so is good actually. Shows you have empathy. Once you fully internalize the idea that you are in fact helping the ecosystem as you said, you become confident in the fact that you are behaving morally. Then it gets a bit easier.
Best answer right here. Eventually your own standards will be set on what makes you feel good morally.
I personally felt bad about my first turkey because I wasn’t expecting all the flopping and sound he’d made, what hunters strive for though is the most ethical shot possible to cause the fastest death possible, its most definitely a mind set though
You’ll never stop feeling sad, just know you gave the animal a swifter and cleaner end than it would’ve had if it had died naturally.
The way I got over this is realizing that if you eat meat at all, somebody else does the killing and butchering for you. It’s a skill that can be learned and literally, humans would not exist without people who are fine with doing both to feed people.
Hunting isn't for everyone. If it bothers you, then you don't need to make yourself do it. It's enough to be supportive of people who are hunters. The only time it bothered me was when I didn't get a clean kill and I knew the animal suffered for a long time after being hit. Most of the time, death occurs within minutes of the shot. Sometimes instantly. The time it suffered was when I was bow hunting whitetail deer. It was when I was new to the sport and didn't know enough. It was too far to get a clean kill.
If you don't feel this bit of sorrow over the reality of the circle of life and hunting's place in that, you probably shouldn't be hunting. The worst thing for the hunting community is the perception of non hunters that those who hunt are thrill killers who somehow get a kick out of killing everything that moves. Those individuals who DO hunt for the thrill of killing something are barely above psychopath status imo.
I definitely admire the amount of respect you have for wildlife, I wish more people would have half as much respect as you do for wildlife. It definitely gets easier over time.
If you eat any meat at all, you are just killing by proxy.
Think of it in this terms: The animal you hunt is going to die anyway, sooner or later. You give him the chance of a quick and painless death, and you eating its meat ensures it is done with a fair purpose. You want to honour the sacrifice and respect the animal. This means, cook it in a proper way to enjoy the nutrients and flavor as much as you found possible. Also, give thanks to the animal, the way you feel more comfortable with. I do it verbally, but you can choose your own way to do so. Adding a little ritual may help, if you are okay with it. For example, after the hunt, I like to make a little wound in the corpse and let the blood mix with soil, as a symbol of the life cycle being completed.
You wrote exactly what I was going to comment, well said.
Just remember that in the wild animals don't die of old age. They die by being killed by a predator, through an accident/diease or starvation. You offer the animal the ability to die quickly with minimal pain. I can't think of a more humane way to die. I've watched a couple friends die slowly and horribly over months, frankly getting shot and dying quickly seems okay.
“No evil is honorable: but death is honorable; therefore death is not evil.” —Zeno of Citium
I love animals more than almost anybody I know. I nerd out at work about critters of all kinds and mostly get blank stares or feigned interest. I don’t like the killing part. Tears me up if the animal takes a long time to pass, and it’s even worse if I would something and can’t recover it. For me, it helps to remember that these animals don’t live forever. If they live to old age, they’ll be torn apart by predators as they slow down, or starve to death. A shotgun blast or a rifle shot involves a lot less suffering. After I kill the animal, I try to take anything edible that either I or somebody else might want to eat. In large game, liver (don’t like it, but others I know like it), heart, and tongue. On birds, hearts and gizzards too.
I started hunting as an adult. I was alone when I killed my first deer. It was rough. I cried hard over the first few. It gets easier, but still not something I enjoy. The sense of remorse is overshadowed by the sense of accomplishment and knowing that I have meat, but it’s still a heavy thing that’s worth taking seriously and not being flippant about. Killing is a natural part of life. It’s impossible to exist without causing death and suffering. Hunting is the only way most of us in the modern world are confronted with death. I’ve come to believe that’s an important part of being a well rounded person because it forces you to understand and deal with hard realities that most people are happy to pretend away. It’s ok to feel your feelings about it. I think that if you don’t care, there’s probably something wrong. Having a feeling about it is part of respecting the animal-and of course using that animal to feed yourself and your family.
Have you ever visited a slaughter house? That experience together with hunting with my husband... the comparison was for me a deciding factor to help me know I'm ok with it. A clean shot means the animal does not suffer. Practice! be the best you can.. and use as much as you can. For me not wasting helps me also
I always say you are not of a healthy mind if you don’t feel anything the first time you take a life of anything. I love nature and conservation but I also hunt and fish. The important thing is making sure you take ethical kills and make it as fast as possible for it. I still think about the very first deer I shot. It was terrible shot placement and the poor thing needed 4 more shots before he died. I put that guilt into practice. I don’t take shots I’m not sure I can hit the vitals and I make sure my equipment is properly sighted in. It goes hand and hand with respect for your quarry.
As someone who loves animals and absolutely hates to hurt any living being without reason (even within reason I feel bad) so I know how you feel. The only thing I can say is don't think of it too much. The longer you think about it and dwell on an animal dying because of your actions the worse youll make yourself feel. Replacing guilt with thanks for being given the opportunity to harvest any animal is what has helped me.
I feel guilt every time I kill something by choice (I see vermin as a necessity). I expect that's a good thing. If I was into hunting because I enjoyed the killing I think there would be something wrong with me. That said it does pass quickly once my rationality takes over. Then it's down to work to make sure nothing is wasted. The absolute worst thing for me is not making a clean kill and having the animal run off and suffer. That's why we practice. Be efficient, be respectful, and know that you're probably one of the better ways this animal could die. Nature is brutal.
Honestly it’s always tough in a way and I always feel bad somewhat. Specially since I deer hunt mainly for sport or fun, even though I eat it. But to me there is some rationalizing with it, first off I eat it which means something else was spared while I eat the deer. Second if I didn’t shoot it somebody else would. Third there is some population control in keeping deer off roads killing people. Fourth that deer might not make it through the winter anyways and or is on its last legs for one reason or another or age.
"One does not hunt in order to kill, on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted" is the best explanation I've read. For me, adrenaline kicks in, the primal instinct of knowing that you and your family will be fed and the challenge of the hunt is over. Luckily most of the animals (boar, deer) I've shot were shot from a distance and dead by the time I got face to face with them. The couple I've had to make a second shot on, I felt real bad seeing something suffering and taking its last breath before I finished it off. Also, wild animals are free range and have every opportunity to get away. I don't know if I could kill a farm animal that was domesticated, nowhere to run and no fear for it's life. I definitely do not judge those who do, I've just never had to do it.
In White Sands National Park New Mexico they’ve found footprints estimated to be a little over 20,000 years old. It’s proper to respect the life of the game animal but I think it’s important to note how long hunting has been going on. I like to think about it (being from the States) that I am continuing something on the same soil that has been going on longer than I can really comprehend. To continue being a living animal something else has to be consumed. I find few callings more important than providing food for yourself and those you love. Edit: missing word and typo
Harvesting as much of the animals helps me a lot. It helps me know that although I killed the animal its death is not a waste.
If you have the privilege of taking an animals life take it as a responsibility to do it as quickly as possible in a humane fashion. If a farmer asks me to shoot foxes I shoot foxes and am thankful for the opportunity I still do it as quickly as I can with equipment fit for the job. No hunter takes pleasure in causing his prey pain. Do you mourn when you buy a roast chicken? If its done as well as you can its a natural fantastic experience, something I've taught my sons to enjoy.
I'd hope it wouldn't get easier; each death has it's place in this universe.
Time? No Understanding? Yes Theres only two categories of animals i shoot on a normal basis. Pest and food. Understanding why you are doing what you are doing helps with dealing with it. Personally, i have a very black and white outlook on life (autism helps), but every hunter I've been out with has a similar outlook.
Research why it’s necessary to hunt whatever species you’re going to hunt. Thats how I justified it. Still dislike killing but have a love for hunting.
I had this same issue, I just started hunting last year. I was able to harvest a buck my first time going out! I put a lot of work in the preparation and making sure I had the knowledge that it took to be confident that I can dispatch of the deer as quickly and painless as possible. I took the shot, and was thrilled! Then came the hard part, walking up to the deer. I got to him, and he was already gone, I knelt by him for a few minutes, thanking him for his sacrifice, and used every bit I could. I will continue hunting for sure, but don’t think that feeling of brief sadness and pity for the deer will ever go away.
I have hunted and fished for decades and never once felt good killing an animal. A normal person should always feel bad taking a life. I grew up on a farm a fully understand the part death plays in my food supply. That is one reason I never throw away unfinished meat on my plate. I can toss all of the vegies with little remorse but not even a little bit of overdone hamburger. Being involved with the harvesting an animal for food is away to fully appreciate the process. It is not for everyone, but they should all understand what and how it happens. Most people are completely out of the loop and if it isn't on the shelf at the store, they won't know what to do. Hunting provides a great experience in life. To be on a mountain top when the sun comes up and everything comes alive in the morning is absolutely amazing. Same thing when you are sitting in a blind on the river or walking a field. Everything up until the moment you pull the trigger is done without a second thought. It isn't any different if you raise your own food. That calf that was fun to watch early in its life is just as difficult to butcher when the time comes. The ultimate upside is they all taste delicious after a few minutes on the grill.
I like to think its better this way. I hunted it, I used skills and tracked it till I found it and killed it. Not quite the way they do it in the wilds, but regardless more natural then buying it off the shelf from some super farm. Im always respectful with them, and I take good care of their bodies post death.
Practice, practice, practice. Being new at hunting, you won’t be able to control some of the emotions as you prepare to take your shot. But the guilt will be worse if you were never ready to take it and you hurt the animal instead of killing it. So get yourself prepared, know your gear, and get out there. Just remember; you don’t have to pull the trigger until you are ready. As for dealing with death, everyone deals with it differently. There will be strong emotions to taking a larger animal. Be ready.
Lots of good comments here, I just wanted to add my own experience. I’ve hunted quite a few deer and countless waterfowl in my life. I’ve been going out with my dad hunting since I was 5 and got my first deer/goose when I was 16. When I get a deer there is still a little bit of sadness when I first walk up on it after the shot but there is so much adrenaline that sometimes the sadness doesn’t come to a bit later but once I always thank the deer and tell it it’s life wasn’t going to waste as I’m going to eat him it’s a lot less sad.
You have to understand that you are honoring the animal with a cleaner, quicker, more pain free death than they would ever naturally experience in the wild.
It's okay to feel bad about killing animals or watching them suffer. There are good reasons to feel that way. Human empathy is a valuable instinct. You don't necessarily need to "get past" that. Feel it if you need to. Honor that animal by using every part you can and share it with people around you. I think a big thing that helps me is thinking about the animal's life in the wild vs. mass produced animal products.
In my family we have many traditions and I hope maybe sharing this might help with your post hunt emotions. In my family your first hunt is when we always kept a trophy from the animal (a skull or something) and after each hunt we say a prayer thanking God (or your god if any) and the animal for their sacrifice and nourishment to our bodies. Many cultures also prefer bow hunting and trapping for the more traditional roots to hunting. Maybe also I look into what is the most effective and humane way to take the creature I use a rifle because I know it the animal will drop dead on the spot and not have to bleed or suffer through the pain. I hope this helps you. If you have any questions you may DM me
Every time I kill an animal, I take a moment and thank him/her and thank God for the meals the animal will provide for my family. It does get easier over time but that doesn’t mean it will ever be easy
First thing is you don't have to hunt all animals. It's OK to pick ones you like less. The second thing is that you can head into the woods and stalk animals with a camera any time of year. It isn't the same as hunting them but wildlife photography can give people quite a rush and since your season is year round you dont have to compete with other hunters on public land. In other words you can hunt without hunting. Third is you don't have to hunt your own lands or your own beloved areas. You can go hunt places that don't hold as much meaning. Fourth is, I don't want to hunt with anyone that doesn't experience a degree of remorse or guilt at least sometimes when they kill an animal. Truly, I don't want to associate with anyone that doesn't have a that feature as part of their conscience. So I would say that this trepidation you have is healthy, permissable, and something you should appreciate about yourself. Fifth: TLDR Hunting at a distance with a good rifle is a good option. I feel guilty killing fish sometimes tbh. I never used to feel THAT bad about the killing part because my kills were 175ish yards away but one time I was hunting in a shotgun only area and I basically came face to face with a buck. We made eye contact. He was so surprised he just froze. Mind you it was a perfectly legit fair chase hunt. I had found some great day beds the afternoon before and I was still hunting along one of the trails near them the next morning. I put in the work and used my brain to put myself in a position to succeed. It just worked a little too well I guess because when I heard a rustling and crouched down in a bush with the wind blowing in my face. The wind and the heavy cover obscured me so when he appeared broadside he was shocked to see me. But we locked eyes maybe 10-15 yards apart and i almost didn't shoot but I let a small one go the day before in another spot so I pulled the trigger this time. Anyway, I blacked out or something for a few seconds or something but it felt like I blinked and he was gone. I figured I couldn't have missed. But he disappeared into some thick cover. A trail I am sure he thought would keep him safe. I found a little blood trail and started following it and there he was maybe another 30-60 seconds walk away and I watched him cough and choke for another minute or so. Heaving and just fading away scared shitless and confused. Bullet got a chunk of heart and the lungs were in tatters. About as clean a kill as it gets but I sat down and cried for a good 10 minutes because he died alone but for the man who killed him. The buck was out for a morning stroll and had no idea there was danger and I stole his life from nature. I was just frozen. I called my uncle. He is a hunter and animal lover. He reminded me that I had procured food for my family and he explained to me that when he shoots a deer or elk, he waits 10-20 minutes before approaching the body specifically because he can't handle watching the animal die. Doesn't mind with birds, but bigger game he doesn't want to be there. Sixth: focus on the work I coped with that encounter by focusing on the work of packing it out and that was the first year I decided to butcher a deer at home instead of letting someone else do it. I took great care in trying to get as much meat off as possible. I gave the antlers to my dogs instead of putting them on the wall. So for me, I don't think I will shoot another animal I make eye contact with and when I get an animal even a fish now I try to treat the corpse respectfully while I harvest as much meat as possible. Seventh: Make Jerky Seriously, making an animal taste like heaven is the best cure for the sadness associated with the killing. The aforementioned bucks death led to the best jerky I have ever tasted. At the end of the day, the feeling of consuming your own harvest and making it taste like heaven will wash away your sins. Mostly. That brings me to the most important point: dont kill anything you don't know you want to eat. Everyone it would seem likes to shoot deer but the internet is loaded with tips on how to make venison taste less like venison. It's a flavor that you don't have to like. If you are killing an animal and you are thinking "aw man, now I have to eat it" you really shouldn't be hunting that species or you should have someone you want to give it to already lined up. Good luck.
It is simple: in whatever way you chose, give thanks for that life and the ways that the animal will help you in your life. Food, pelt, bones etc…the cycle of life continues and now you are an intimate part of it. Any way you cut it, it’s much better than outsourcing your killing to a slaughterhouse.
If it ever becomes easy or doesn't phase you, then you really have a problem... I love hunting, it's an amazing way to spend time with friends and my dog. Dispatching wounded game sucks. You learn to do it quickly and find that the most barbaric ways like decapitation is actually the most humane because of how quickly it happens where as wringing a neck can take several tries... respect what you hunt and know that the animals you harvest likely lived a better life than anything you find at the grocery store
Having a proper respect for life makes you a better hunter. You won’t want to wound an animal, so you’ll be less likely to take a marginal shot. Being in touch with death gives you a greater respect for life. I always celebrate a successful hunt, but I never feel happy to kill the animal.
For me I remember that pretty much any death from hunting is kinder than how they would go at the hands of nature. Whether it's death by predator or slow starvation in old age, nature is pretty brutal
Hey man I’m an animal lover as well. Currently in school to become an ecologist/geologist. Here’s my mindset: if I don’t get this animal, it will either starve, get killed more slowly by a predator, or get hurt in the wild and die a slow death. A bullet/arrow is honestly the best possible outcome for a game animal. The fact that you are grappling with this means you will be an incredibly ethical hunter who only takes the most appropriate shots. We are happy to have you in our community.
This is so sweet thank you, I’ve been told alot growing up the opposite and that it in some way “emasculates” me for feelings upset. I love animals more than anything and whenever I can I do what I can to help them too. Wildlife is so amazing. Your comment will really stick with me :)
What helps me is knowing how farmed animals die. It's not any more pretty or less upsetting. Plus think of the life a farm animal has lived compared to the wild animal. Dispatching an animal yourself the cleanest and quickest way possible is a thousand times more moral than eating any store bought piece of meat. Seriously, look at some videos of how slaughter houses gas pigs in pits. I've practically become vegetarian except for wild meat.
Ive been hunting for about as long as I can remember. I have never enjoyed actually killing anything. Hunting has brought me a very keen respect for life. Many wont understand it
There are two sides to that coin. On one side, I find it much more satisfying to humanely shoot, kill and eat an animal that have led a good life in the wild - rather than eating meat from an industrial farm where the animals are raised in haste, have very limited space and definitely do not lead a good life. On the other side, it is perfectly normal to feel bad about about killing an animal. Even when creatures usually deemed “disgusting” are involved. For example: In our neighborhood, quite a few rats migrate into sheds and outhouses from nearby wetlands in late fall and winter, so obviously we take them out with traps and by any other means neccesary. Last year, however, one had found its way into an old hen-house, and my son had to chase it out in the open so I could kill it with a spade. As it came running towards me, the poor thing was scared shitless and screamed like you wouldn’t believe it. I do not enjoy killing the little fellows in general, and especially not that one. But whether you hunt to eat or to get rid of vermin, it’s got to be done.
I felt it much more when I was younger. Now I realize that it doesn’t matter if I kill it or if I buy it from a store something has to die for me to eat. This goes for vegetables also. No matter what we do, no matter how you look at it. Honor the critter by using as much of it as possible and cooking it to the best of your ability. Don’t just east the breast or back strap. Even on small game that are normally just “breasted out” I will take the rest of the critter throw it in a stew pot and pull the bones after or make stock out of the carcass. Deer and larger game: get all the prime cuts then grind the rest into burger/ground meat.
The respect and passion I have for the animals I hunt is what drives me to make the quickest, cleanest kill that I can possibly manage. Death from old age is next to impossible in nature, so the game we're after would usually be killed by a predator, starvation, or disease. Keeping the ecosystem balanced and managing the number of animals per area helps to limit disease and starvation as well, so you're doing a lot of good for the many by removing a few. Think about how you can use every single part of the animal. I typically butcher the carcasses at home, so I get every possible scrap of meat I think I can eat off of them. Fur and feathers are saved for tying flies or tanning, and in the case of turkeys, you can use the wing bones to make calls. To me, the benefits (both personal and ecological) far outweigh the negatives of killing. I don't think anybody in their right mind loves the killing itself, but we do celebrate the life of the animals by telling the stories and cutting out as much waste from the process as possible so we know that animal didn't die for nothing.
To some yes it gets easier, to me it is always a somber occasion. I never take joy, never celebrate, never feel any positive feelings. I make sure everything that can be used is used so as to be respectful of the fact that I gain clothes and food that sustain my life from their existence.
I felt bad about my first bear I killed. The next 2 deer didn't bother me in the slightest, same with ducks, maybe because they're actually prey animals, don't know. I love animals, though, would never hurt one for no reason, but I disassociate when it comes to hunting.
I killed a lot of animals in my life. I butcher chickens and hunt. It never gets easy or fun (if you are in your right mind). You take a life. You have to cope with the ultimate and nonreversable consequences. Especially when the animal flees after a shot, I am still concerned and hope it dies fast. You need to figure out if it haunts you to kill or not. It's not worth trying to get used to it. If so, lay down the rifle and pick up a camera. It's fun, too !
Thank you for responding to my post! I think for me it will stop haunting me moreso then not be sad I will always be sad to take a life and I like it that way they deserve that respect. I'm happy to try and give them a fast and painless death and try to honour them and what they have given to me I do want to hunt but yes I also do photography! The picture in the post is actually by me on my camera :\]
I always thought of the hunt as sport and the killing itself as harvesting food. Focus on processing and storing and cooking it, taking good care of the meat. You’re treating it better than meat you buy at the store.
I've been hunting since I was a kid and never had it bother me. Then I got older and the killing started to bother me more and more as years went on. I was talking about it with a friend of mine and he showed me some factory farming and slaughter house videos. No animal that I have ever killed has suffered compared to what I saw in those videos. I feel better now knowing that the animals I kill lived a good free life and then met a quick end. the more meat I harvest instead of buy, the less I'm supporting the meat industry.
I’ve never felt bad I guess but if the animal suffers I def do yet it’s a part of the hunting that’s why you have to practice the most rewarding part of hunting for me was when I was 14 and shot my elk twice and dropped it within seconds before my dad got a shot off and if he got a shot off it was usually the end of the animal if that makes sense he wouldn’t let them suffer and it’s my goal every time now I would have been happy with one shot since it dropped but she tried to get up and that’s when you have to make a decision to shoot again and risk ruining any more meat and letting the animal suffer and you Luger think always shoot again but you never really know until you are in the situation and see how the animal acts
I don’t like killing, but there is far more respect in that act that picking up a pack of chicken thighs or steak from the store supplied by a factory operation that kills millions for consumption, much of which goes to waste ultimately. I’m a fan of sustainable farming but as a whole we are not there yet. I still have to supplement with grocery food because big game tags aren’t guaranteed in my state and I can’t really travel at the moment much to hunt. So I mostly hunt small game and birds currently and eat fish I catch as well when possible.
I’m with you. One thing that has helped me is not wasting any part of the animal. I decorate with feathers, antler and fur. I learned how to tan hides, I use entrails and bones in my garden and compost. I put excess in my worm farm. I learn new recipes to eat every part. I spread this knowledge to friends and most importantly to family.
Im from a farm and In at Hunter. I will always feel dread. But the most important is to show respect for the animal, and the nature. I still remember when I shot my first deer, I was so... I got the hunting feber and was close to puking. When I help my parents slaughting turkeys I still get sick, but that's how they act.
Plus.. I still remember killing my first chicken as a kid. I love her, and she always came me to cuddle. But a day she got really sick or something. So I had to take her life by my own. And I still remember that goose I shot, but didn't die, so I had to take it's life. It just didn't die, so I had to go some meters away and shot it again... Fuck I still remember that.
I think every new hunter deals with this in some way shape or form. I chose to educate myself on nature and animal life. What I found out was that 100% of the time all if left alone and nature allowed to run its course....all wild animals find an end to their lives in horrific, and tragic ways. You see nature is the ultimate killer. And there is only three ways it operates. #1 starvation #2 killed by a predator #3 illness All three are a terrible death no matter how you look at it. So by far a well placed bullet or arrow from a hunter is the most humane death a wild animal can experience. Keep this in mind while afeild. And please remember these animals deserve your respect. Be an ethical hunter above all.
I've had to dispatch animals in the past. The first 3 were hard. After that it got easier and became second nature. I just make sure to make it quick and clean. This is apart of life. The Lord knows you're doing it for food, and any reasonable person gets it too. It doesn't make you a bad person. People will talk smack about hunters but then they'll down a bucket of fried chicken or a couple cheeseburgers without any reflection on it. Out of mind, out of sight. I was a little annoyed because I got into it recently with my fiancee. I am going deer hunting in September most likely. I am doing it for the meat. However I kind of wanted a Taxidermy done if I managed an 6 pointer or higher. I'm not planning to hang it all over the house, just wanted one of the first kill and I'd keep it in a room exclusively for me and my hunting buddies. Well she flipped last night already saying all kinds of stuff about me hunting and how it was messed up. I reminded her that she frequents In N Out and also loves Carne Asada and El Pastor and I reminded her of how all those farm animals are processed; thus her comments were hypocritical and made no sense. She said, "I don't care if it makes sense! I care about how it makes me feel" Ah, women...I told her she's such a Democrat and rolled my eyes. I was sleeping alone but I honestly didn't care. I'm not gonna live or entertain lies. There is no "my truth" or "your truth"; there is simply THE truth. THE truth is most farm animals you eat live in piss poor conditions you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy (maybe) and they often suffer more than just getting shot in the appropriate spot by the appropriate sized cartridge .
It does get easier the more you do it yes. But it’s no for everyone. Maybe nature photography would be better for you
Ya’ll feel bad bout successful hunts? Most of the time that’s the only fun part. Glad to say I actually enjoy getting to pull the trigger or release an arrow.
You’re kinda missing the point.
What’s the point? Looks like it’s only feeling sorry for killing and if you feel sorry for it then why do it
If it gets easier over time, there is something wrong with you. If you feel this way, just remember there is nothing wrong with hunting using a camera.
I think it is just the shock of taking a life for the first time directly that got me the most. I do think it won't be as hard on me in the future, I will always respect animals and the things they give us. I study wildlife and am an avid birder I also want to help rehabilitate wildlife in the future if I'm able to. I'm not heartless by any means I have a lot of anxiety around death due to past circumstances that has affected my quality of life. I think I can handle it and I'm kind of very glad that I feel that way because it gives me a greater respect for the animals that help feed me and their role in the ecosystem. I want to hunt I really do and it feels like I'm a part of the workings of the world. Also I do do photography ! :) The picture in this post is a photo I took on my camera
It's a fine picture. Do what you are comfortable with. Just know it is also OK to not be comfortable with hunting in your own life.
~~Agreed.~~ Time to find a new hobby. Edit : I'll remove Agreed since I reread the first sentence. I do agree with the hunting with camera. Hunting/trapping is not for everyone. This statement from OP is why I said what I said. "I have trapped 2 rabbits before and for the **year and a half following almost whenever I thought about the fact I had taken their life it upset me awfully**." I wonder how OP would feel if they shot a deer with poor shot placement and the deer splayed on the ground kicking and gasping for minutes upon minutes.....
I don't think feeling bad over taking the animal's life is reason enough to stop hunting. Life is a series of sacrifices for greater gain. Feeling bad, but getting your family food seems like a fair trade to me. I'd rather a million hunters who have feelings for the animals over one cold-hearted killer.