wasting meat?

[uneekness]

i too have not hunted anything, I have all the gear waiting to be used, I have that itch inside making me want to hunt, its in our blood like someone mentioned before. its not something we can help its just in there from our ancestors, like all carnivores we need to hunt to survive, I know this is not necessary nowadays but it does not rid the fact we as men are HUNTERS, I have not killed anything yet because I am having this very debate with my own mind as to weather its right/necessary to hunt and kill, I know for sure that when the time comes as it inevitably will, I will not enjoy the kill, but I will do it anyway which makes no sense i know, but I will be eating my kills, so this animal has been killed humanely for a reason, as I do this when fishing, it all gets used, I know im rambling on but trying to express my feelings on the matter, I think that if you dont enjoy the kill then why do you do it, why dont you just do all the stalking and field craft etc until you have that clear head shot and the just say "bang, got you" ant then move on without firing a shot?? I am not disagreeing with anyones opinions as I am still weighing up the pros and cons

rant over lol

[teabag_46]

Some people are hunters, some are gatherers. I enjoy hunting, and I always have enjoyed it, from being a kid, when I first learned to snare rabbits.

When I kill something, I get pleasure from knowing that I have successfully employed the skills that I learned as a boy. Pleasure from the ACTUALLY KILLING ? I have to admit to being ambivalent about that.

I have had days (and nights) when I have been out for hours, and not got anything (apart from cold and wet), but still enjoyed the whole experience.

In third world countries, where some people still hunt because they have to, I strongly suspect that the hunters do get pleasure from the kill - not because they have killed, but because they have been successful, in what is effectively their job. That is probably what people in 'developed'countries mean too, when they say they enjoy hunting and killing.

As to wasting meat, when I shoot something, if it is edible, it comes home with me, I was brought up not to waste ANY food. Using an animal as bait for something else is NOT wasting it.

Financially speaking, shooting an animal does NOT provide free meat - you have to pay for your equipment and ammunition, travel to and from your hunting area etc. and if you were to work out how expensive the actual meat costs, just multiply the time spent on the hunt by the current minimum wage, then do the same for the time you spend skinning and gutting. Again, do the same for the time spent cooking, and don't forget to add on the cost of the ammunition and gas or electric used; you will find that it is actually cheaper (and more efficient) to go to Asda !

Speaking of efficiency, if the nourishment/energy that you gain, from the animal, is less than the energy expended in hunting/killing/cooking it, then you have, in effect been UNSUCCESSFUL in your hunt.