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Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 7:36 am
by Bull at a Gate
On the other site, where a few of us still visit from time to time, one of our number and I have been discussing the hunting of animals. Specifically, I have asked the question, "what is it about the killing of an animal which is important to the trophy hunter"? I am interested in what pleasure is gained from the act of killing. I can accept that stalking, tracking, living in the wilderness, and so on could be a lot of fun. But what I don't get is why it is necessary to actually kill the animal rather than, for example, taking a photo?

I understand killing for food. I understand the sport of target shooting. But what I don't understand is what a hunter feels when he or she kills purely for the sake of killing.

It has been suggested that I ask a trophy hunter to explain. So, anyone care to enlighten me?

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 8:06 am
by 500N
Taking over from SOPS ?

I was wondering when someone would post it.


"It has been suggested that I ask a trophy hunter to explain. So, anyone care to enlighten me ?"

No.


"I can accept that stalking, tracking,"

Which is happens.
Do you think people just walk up to an Elephant and shoot it ?
I know people who have walk 10's of kms tracking Elephant on the off chance they
MIGHT get a suitable shot that they are comfortable in taking that will result in
a quick death.

And that is apart from the fact that you might just gets squashed to death, gored, crushed against a tree
as happens reasonably often each year. That doesn't make the papers.

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 8:16 am
by 500N
"But what I don't understand is what a hunter feels when he or she kills purely for the sake of killing."

Er, who said they just kill for the sake of killing ?

Do you think they just leave the elephant to rot afterwards ?

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:38 am
by Bull at a Gate
Why the secret? Why won't you enlighten me? And what would you do with a dead elephant? Seriously, are you going to mount the elephant's head on your living room wall? Are you going to turn its feet into umbrella stands? I am genuinely interested in what pleasure a trophy hunter gets from killing.

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:57 am
by limeygal
Bull-I don't understand it either. I await incoming :-ss

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 12:16 pm
by 6050
I personally do not indulge in such things, but hay what ever gets them off. Why do some people like such and such and others don't. A relic of a bygone era, but does it matter. Why judge.

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 1:10 pm
by Ex-Ascot
It's a macho upper class elitist very expensive 'sport'. Please note that HRH Prince Harry comes here to Botswana every year and promotes preservation. Unlike the King of Spain who came here 3 years ago on an elephant hunt, slipped and broke his hip. Oh dear never mind. For the record hunting here is now banned by the order of our President. Poachers are shot on sight and questions asked later. We have very little poaching here now. Indeed they have moved many rhinos from SA up to here for breeding programmes not far from us.

We have tracked, photo-hunted, followed big game in the bush hundreds of times. It's fun. If you know what you are doing it is actually not that dangerous so where is the macho bit? OK we have had a few close calls but they were warnings like elephant mock charges. You read it and act accordingly.

These malakas want a trophy on their study wall so they can tell their 'story' of the daring expedition. It makes up in their minds for their one inch penis.

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 1:52 pm
by Joy ride
Killing to eat is understandable.
Killing to sell (e.g. ivory, horn, fur) is questionable
Killing for fun/glory/sadistic pleasure is totally repugnant, a crime against nature. Regrettably some animals do it, but humans should know better by now.

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 2:04 pm
by Sisemen
And then there's killing to remove vermin or overstocking

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 2:11 pm
by ian16th
Ex-Ascot wrote: It makes up in their minds for their one inch penis.


But what about us with little ones?

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 2:21 pm
by Airborne Aircrew
Strangely enough there's also killing for conservation but it seems to be far too complex of a subject for those rabidly opposed to hunting cuddly beasties and they summarily fail to grasp it. Their type were, for the most part, those who demanded the elimination of the not so cuddly beasties in centuries past because they were a threat to them and their livestock. The result is the cuddly beasties have no predators and breed ad infinitum causing food shortage, encroachment into human domains, disease and death amongst their numbers. But that's ok as long as nasty humans don't shoot then.

One thing that really frosts my arse is taking place as I type. The professorial elites of the University of Michigan wanted greenery in their hallowed town of Ann Arbor so they progressively bought up rings of land around the town and made them green lands and disallowed building. This encouraged the deer to move in. The deer have thrived and, god forbid, have taken a liking to the Hydrangeas etc. planted in the gardens of the professorial elite. So what are there geniuses doing? They are spending $90,000 to cull 100 deer... Yes, you read that right, $9000/deer. The meat will not be given to the local food kitchens or the poor but it will simply be wasted. The idiots cause the problem and then kill to save their plants... That frosts my arse and I'll bet non-of the anti hunters can explain it...






Please note: I have never hunted. I have trapped and snared for food and I am considering hunting Whitetail deer in the future for both the meat and for the conservation aspect.

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 2:44 pm
by om15
I find the desire to kill innocent animals for pleasure inexplicable.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 98626.html

Heinz Strathmann, the zoo's chief executive, was quoted as saying he "reacted with disbelief".
"I think this is very sad, and it's not okay. We had five elks, now we have only three," he told The Local.

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 2:53 pm
by boing
[Quote]I understand killing for food. I understand the sport of target shooting. But what I don't understand is what a hunter feels when he or she kills purely for the sake of killing.
It has been suggested that I ask a trophy hunter to explain. So, anyone care to enlighten me?[/Quote]

Bull's initial quote makes some sense but subsequent comments confuse the issue with poor logic.

1. Trophy hunters kill animals for sport so all animal killers must be trophy hunters - obviously not true.
2. Trophy hunters kill relatively rare animals so all animal hunting is bad - obviously not true.
3. Hunters kill purely for the sake of killing - obviously not true.

I am a hunter (retired).
I think trophy hunting is a pointless activity because a trophy animal is often poor quality food and the experience of trophy hunting is often spoiled by the use of a guide which in my view removes the personal achievement of the hunt.
Hunters that hunt for other than trophy reasons cover the whole range from people who kill with no passion at all (Hey, this is just food for the family) to those for whom hunting is really a mystical experience which is as valid for a WASP as it is for an aboriginal.
The chances of anyone not bought up in the country understanding hunting is remote. You have to have been bought up so that you have an inherent understanding of nature, life, death and re-creation.

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:17 pm
by Airborne Aircrew
Boing:

Well put and you are quite right... City dwellers would have no grasp...

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:42 pm
by boing
I am often surprised at how "dead" people are to the world around them.

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:53 pm
by 500N
Just logged on.

Now to go and read how many times "big gun / small penis" is mentioned.

Edit
Not as many as on the other place.

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:58 pm
by 500N
Ex-Ascot wrote:These malakas want a trophy on their study wall so they can tell their 'story' of the daring expedition.
It makes up in their minds for their one inch penis.


The same can be said of other man toys, aircraft being one of them ;)
all the while Polluting the atmosphere pumping obnoxious gases into the air !

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:04 pm
by 500N
Bull at a Gate wrote:Why the secret? Why won't you enlighten me? And what would you do with a dead elephant? Seriously, are you going to mount the elephant's head on your living room wall? Are you going to turn its feet into umbrella stands? I am genuinely interested in what pleasure a trophy hunter gets from killing.


The dead elephant more often than not ends up in small pieces carried away.

As one hunter said to me, the bush telegraph works very well and he was stunned
how people turned up to get a piece (locals).

Yes, if I was so inclined I would mount an Elephants head on my wall.
As it is, I made a decision a long time ago that if I was going to shoot an elephant it would
probably be a PAC animal (Problem Animal Control). An animal that would get shot regardless
but if they can get a hunter to shoot it (for money) they will do so.

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:11 pm
by 500N
Ex-Ascot wrote:It's a macho upper class elitist very expensive 'sport'.

We have tracked, photo-hunted, followed big game in the bush hundreds of times. It's fun. If you know what you are doing it is actually not that dangerous so where is the macho bit? OK we have had a few close calls but they were warnings like elephant mock charges. You read it and act accordingly.


"macho" Not everyone. I agree that "some" are like that but not everyone.

"upper class", not really and certainly not everyone. Most Elephant hunters I know are not "upper class"

"it is actually not that dangerous"
With a guide less so and yes, you can read the warnings signs but the danger is still there and yes,
animals are still unpredictable.

Re: Any animal killers here?

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:22 pm
by 500N
I supposed of everyone who criticizes hunting never goes fishing and
no one in the family goes fishing either.