Is anyone else burned out on people passing judgment on killing varmints?

[trooper618]

WillB, so you are stating that if you make a bad shot ,regardless of the reason, that that person is not good at hunting. Well, I guess everyone that hunts is not good at it. I have seen many videos of professional hunter’s missing and making bad shots. Because crap happens and that crap equals a bad shot. But a bad shot can be a lethal shot. And I would say if you are killing pest the pest are not innocent. But I guess we all need to get to your level of excellence. Cause you apparently don’t ever miss or make a bad shot. 

 

[bubblerboy64]

It’s about free will and right and wrong. Essentially as I see it’s a question what do we get to pick and choose over. Certainly we get to choose what we do and how we do it. The next question is do we get to decide what is right and wrong in what we do. ( I guess that question applies to all aspects of life) That my friends is a deep one. Some of us believe there are pretty clear parameters defining the ideals of hunting / pesting . BUT it is on a bell curve. Some would say all killing of animals is wrong and on the other extreme are people who have absolutely no regard for animal life and care less. The game laws are the hard limits. Under the middle of the curve are people who feel that clean quick kills are goals for every shot taken at animals understanding that by its nature those goals are not always achieved. I’ve questioned the logic of separating pest from non-pest hunting but don’t believe I’ve changed any minds .

 

[JungleShooter]

It's about respecting innocent lives.

I would say if you are killing pest the pest are not innocent.

Well, that innocence pretty much disappears into thin air when I read the RAP SHEET of US pest animals that one of our newest members, Eric, has assembled — most of the entries are from personal experience — being the victim of such innocent pest animals.....

Here: https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/is-anyone-else-burned-out-on-people-passing-judgment-on-killing-varmints/page/7/#post-1055635

Edit: Ed has added a valuable contribution on human victims of innocent pests, here: https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/is-anyone-else-burned-out-on-people-passing-judgment-on-killing-varmints/page/8/#post-1058358



Matthias

 

[WillBrayJr]

It's about respecting innocent lives.

I would say if you are killing pest the pest are not innocent.

Well, that innocence pretty much disappears into thin air when I read the RAP SHEET of US pest animals that one of our newest members, Eric, has assembled — most of the entries are from personal experience — being the victim of such innocent pest animals.....

Here: https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/is-anyone-else-burned-out-on-people-passing-judgment-on-killing-varmints/page/7/#post-1055635



Matthias

Take the lowly Ground Hog. They can definitely pose issues on a farm with digging holes, they're certainly not digging the holes to purposely harm livestock. That's where the innocence part lies.

 

[crosman2016]

It is what it is. If you don't want to kill something, then don't. If you do, then have a good reason, and do it as quickly as possible. I don't see a problem with it either way. JMHO.

 

[Flintsack]

Innocent Flora Just minding its own business, trying to reach maturity…

mike

 

[Guest]

Ok mike. There are no hard feelings on my part held towards anyone. I just think we need to consider what we do. And not develop a hardened heart towards any animal. This may seem ridiculous but I kill groundhogs but I actually like them. Maybe that says something about me and my character. I have time on my hands and I think about this stuff. Animals are poorly treated in the food industry (different subject). Maybe my fear is in the next life I’ll come back as a groundhog? LOL There are people that believe that . I assume they are all vegetarian

If rather be a skunk than a cow.

 

[Pale_Rider]

Everyone’s got there own level of ethics or lack thereof. I suppose if you asked one of them PEETA fellas he would argue that killing the groundhog, whether you enjoy it or not, is inhumane, unethical according to HIS definition of the word. He might even suggest a humane way of dealing with the situation is to bring it home as a pet. You see how absurd that sounds. About as absurd as one man’s definition will sound to the next man. A fruitless discussion IMO

 

[N2 Shooter]

I have to chime in here. Below is a picture of a house two doors down from a rental property I am renovating. The homeowner would see the groundhogs around his house, but he thought they were harmless. They didn't make noise like barking dogs, nor did he feel they were dangerous like a wild stray dog because they always ran away when they saw people.

But after he got a call from his wife while at work that the basement wall caved in. He thought she was seriously over reacting, until he got home and saw this.

Anyone got a $50,000 to spare? Because the city said his house was no longer safe to live in, and condemned it! A hard working man in his 60s had to leave his castle because of these damn groundhogs! To top it off, the city want's to charge him $8000 to tear it down.

So let me be perfectly clear.

If I got a clear kill shot on a groundhog, I'm a take it. If I only get the chance to blow his foreleg off, I'm a take that shot too. If I can only get a shot in the belly, so he takes off with his guts bringing up the rear, BOOM, I'm taking that shot too.

Not one PETA tree loving vegan or high on the horse exceptional hunter extraordinaire is gonna pass the hat to help me take care of my investment, so I'm gonna do what I got to do, opinions be dammed! Ohio didn't make groundhogs year around legal game for nothing!

Own cattle? You hate them.
Own horses? You hate them too.
Got a little home in the suburban jungle? You better hate them too.

Got opinions, and you want to implore for these pest to be put down gently? Save em for the good Lord on high. 

 

[Flintsack]

When it comes to varmints, the best medicine is most often a good dose of lead.

mike

That’s why we called them Varmints.

 

[bambuino]

When it comes to varmints, the best medicine is most often a good dose of lead.

mike

That’s why we called them Varmints.

"succumbed to acute lead poisoning" is a phrase you hear when you hang around conservation and resource managers out here.

 

[Thebloodyhound90]

Well if someone is being intentionally cruel or reckless with shot placement and just wounding animals left and right and then bragging about it, something like that is wrong. But general pesting if done as humanely as possible shouldn’t garner any criticism. 

 

[Flintsack]

Hound:

“Well if someone is being intentionally cruel or reckless with shot placement and just wounding animals left and right and then bragging about it,”


Wow. That is really something, what you said up there. I have never personally known anyone who would do what you described above, although I’m sure they exist in very small numbers. If they were dumb enough to do such a thing, would they publish pictures of it and brag about it online? They would be crucified.

mike

 

[Thebloodyhound90]

Hound:

“Well if someone is being intentionally cruel or reckless with shot placement and just wounding animals left and right and then bragging about it,”


Wow. That is really something, what you said up there. I have never personally known anyone who would do what you described above, although I’m sure they exist in very small numbers. If they were dumb enough to do such a thing, would they publish pictures of it and brag about it online? They would be crucified.

mike

Not intentionally. But I’ve seen folks who’ve downed an animal with like 6-7 shots and post their “trophy” online where you can see gut shots and a missing jaw etc. They basically don’t realize they made the animal suffer and think down is just down regardless of how.


Or some like to brag about catching critters in “hav-a-hart” traps before drowning them in the cage. They’re out there and I say judge them to kingdom come. But the average guy pesting humanely? Folks shouldn’t be frowning upon that. 

 

[Flintsack]

Hound
Somehow now we’ve segued into trapping. I’m not sure how that happened.

When I was a young man we used to trap muskrats for their pelt. On a good year we would make six dollars per muskrat. This was back in the 1970s. We used leg trap sets under the ice. That way if one was trapped, they drown. Was that bad also? The ones that were above ground, and didn’t drown, had a much tougher time. Hmmm, You would make it seem that I don’t have a heart.

mike

 

[Thebloodyhound90]

Hound
Somehow now we’ve segued into trapping. I’m not sure how that happened.

When I was a young man we used to trap muskrats for their pelt. On a good year we would make six dollars per muskrat. This was back in the 1970s. We used leg trap sets under the ice. That way if one was trapped, they drown. Was that bad also? The ones that were above ground, and didn’t drown, had a much tougher time. Hmmm, You would make it seem that I don’t have a heart.

mike

I have no idea why you’re being rude. Are you taking this personally? Well don’t, idek who you are or what you do so relax. 

 

[Flintsack]

Hound
One year I used the money I made trapping muskrat to buy a Sheridan blue streak. My trapping partner‘s name was Karen, we made over $100 each one year. Or maybe it was Tom…

Thank you for your comments.

mike 

 

[Flintsack]

Hound:

I have no idea why you’re being rude. Are you taking this personally? Well don’t, idek who you are or what you do so relax. 


Actually, I didn’t take your comment personally. Yes, I did share some personal experiences of mine, that were relevant to the topic. On most forums that’s OK.

This post is really about not judging other people through your own lens. …but if you do, keep it to yourself. My interpretation of your comments was that you were judging other people. Since I started the post, I feel OK with calling you out on it.

Mike

 

[bambuino]

He loaned me a trap and for several weeks that trap slammed shut up to 2-4 times a night, occasionally two animals in one trapping. Into a water-filled barrel the whole thing went.

Or some like to brag about catching critters in “hav-a-hart” traps before drowning them in the cage.

Doesn't sound braggartly to me. Bet if you asked that fella he prolly tell ya trapping and dispatching ferals is kinda disgusting, dirty work. He maybe even tell ya that the prime motivation for such work was to protect his kids from the risks of disease and parasites. Go figure...

Mark

 

[Flintsack]

I’ve actually heard it’s highly effective to put a brick in one of those traps, for exactly that purpose. I know one of my neighbors was tired of getting accidental bullet holes in his traps.

Killing something is destroying it, in many ways it’s an ugly process. My goal is always a clean one shot kill, that’s one of the reasons I took up field target.

mike