Why would people take the time to come to a hunting forum and shame people? I think the shaming comes down to another form of bullying. I don’t like bullies, but I know what they like. Rivaling in the fact that they got a rise out of somebody. Shaming so they can feel righteous. So they feel better about themselves. If you don’t like hunting, varmiting, pesting, seeing or hearing that sort of thing why visit a hunting forum for any other reason?
As for showing off your kills, if I could nail a Prairie dog at 275 yrds or more with an air rifle I would be pretty proud of my skills too! And, I would want to show that to others who enjoy the same. I’m proud of my skills as a hunter and I enjoy it. If it’s not your cup of tea that’s great I’m not going to stomp on you because you can’t figure out if you should dress like a guy or a woman in the morning. I’m just going to ignore you, mind my own business. Buy my groceries go home and go about my business. Because deep down I know that what you do doesn’t effect me unless I let it. I’m not going to let someone rent space in my head or waste my time.
The only flack I get is from relatives, and people who eavesdrop on private conversations in real life. Anytime one of them chirps up I have plenty of answers:
Growing up my beagle was sprayed by skunks living under our shed more times than I can even count. I remember it being on the order of once or ( sometimes twice) a month in the spring summer and fall. For 6 years! Nothing like letting her in the house and as she runs to the living and you gasp as your eyes water as you get a whiff. Then before she touched try to grab her and wrestle her to the bathtub (she HATED baths). Scrub her with the enzyme that helps but doesn’t completely remove the stench as she whimpered. She almost constantly had a faint oder of skunk. We tried a few different methods of getting rid of them until I had enough and started shooting them. That worked, just make sure you don’t wound them so they die under the shed, finish it quickly and as humanely as possible. “Oh poor skunk what did it do to you?” Ha come give my dog a bath and buy us a new living room rug or couch!
“But squirrels are so cute!” Sure they are, go feed them peanuts at the park! They’re cute until one gets into the garage or shed and starts pissing and pooping all over everything. Good god that stuff doesn’t come off, I had to throw away a ton of my belongings that got covered before I found out about it.
“Oh my gosh you shot a bunny in your yard?” Yup! Dug under the fence and ate most of the vegetables we planted after eating most of flowers my wife planted and some her whatever bushes she likes and spends time to care for. Sorry bunny you’re now rabbit stew. Wifey grew up on a farm, family recipe.
Chipmunks dig under our stone walls. Any idea how much work it is to build one??? I do! Any idea what it costs if you wanted to hire someone to build or reconstruct a stone wall? A lot more than a tin of pellets.
Ground hogs. Ever had one mess up a patio you laid down for your fire pit out behind the yard? Like the bunnies had them eat your vegetable garden, your lawn, flowers? Yeah, they do a number on things I’ve worked hard on. “Did you have to shoot it?” Well there’s other ways to deal with them but I was worried if I trapped and dumped it in your yard it would come back.
Wild turkeys, I have no love for those f**kers! Tore up a 10’ foot of grass 100 feet long down to bare earth. Roots and everything! Nope, not having it! Not in my backyard. Turkey soup, my dad loves it.
Don’t have problems with wild pigs up here but those things seem vicious and the population out of control in areas. Not to mention they aren’t exactly defenseless even against a person with a riffle of you don’t get a one shot.
I could go on but y’all get the point.
Again, I like to hunt. It’s not the kill it’s the skill. I like knowing that I have the skills that we used a long time ago to feed and clothe ourselves long before we became domesticated. It’s an instinct and I’m glad I possess that instinct. I’m proud of my skills and marksmanship. If your not that’s ok. If you like to blast squirrels for fun, great. Sometimes I do too. If you just like shooting paper for accuracy that’s cool. I’m ok with whatever makes other people happy with very few exceptions and in this day and age there’s some whacked out stuff going on. I don’t personally have to agree with it. But it’s not my place to tell others how to live their life nor others mine. And it is DEFINITELY not my place to judge! There’s only one fit for that, and someday I’ll meet them. Until then, to each their own.
Sorry but not sorry for writing a book there…
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