110 replies to this topic

[Zimbochick]

OK so I chose my avatar of a white lioness because I think they are beautiful and magical, and also political. I worked in Namibia for a number of years, and lived just outside the fence of Etosha National Park. The obstetricians I worked with were involved in a white lion breeding project, and it was also at that time that a farmer shot an entire pride of white lions because he thought they may be responsible for some livestock losses, although they were protected at the time, and it turned out it was a pack of hyenas eating his livestock. Cheetah, which are extremely endangered, are also frequently killed for supposedly killing livestock.

Sadly at this time the largest white lion breeding programs are for the trophy hunting businesses which really sickens me. Also last year the last remaining male "Desert Lion" was killed by hunters.

I guess you are either for all hunting, or against all hunting. I would like to say I am okay with hunting deer, and other breeds that are plentiful, but it's such a slippery slope. Canned hunting and poaching is a huge money-making business in Africa. Some more ethical hunting companies only allow their paying customers to hunt as part of culling programs, others don't care as long as they are getting paid.

Where's the line with hunting do you think?

[Hula]

in texas they have places you can go hunt in a closed area, not real fair for the animal. i can't even really understand deer hunting. such a beautiful docile animal why kill it? overpopulation is one thing but the "sport" of going into the woods to hunt deer? I could understand it a bit better if you needed the food, but most people don't. I would also prefer hunters hunted with bow and arrow as to guns. killing exotics I find shameful

[LISA]

hunting as a Sport - NO hunting to supplement your diet and/or to feed your family- Yes

[Zimbochick]

Around here (GA) everyone hunts. People say they are going to eat the deer, but seldom do. I honestly don't have as much of a problem with that type of hunting, although I wouldn't do it Trophy and canned hunting is disgusting. An aquaintance of mine went on a hunting trip in South Africa. The lions were hand-reared and totally tame, and as you said WM, the "hunter" only got one shot, which in this case only injured the lion, so the guide had to finish it off. I guess I just don't get what the satisfaction could possibly be from shooting a tame animal, have someone else kill it for you because you are such a useless shot, and then hang its head on your wall. Culling is a neccessary part of wildlife management, and if the animals are going to be killed (humanely) anyway, then I guess if they offer hunters the opportunity, at least they will make some money from it. When I was a kid hunting was definitely not an acceptible past-time. It was all about conservation, and perhaps it was also because poaching is such a big issue in Southern Africa. The only time I ever heard of people shooting wild animals was in self-defence, or if they were obviously rabid. People would go out of their way to not harm wild animals. I guess times have changed.

[LISA]

I blame the Asians for that! sorry...who seriously needs powdered tiger penis????

[wedjat]

Hunting just for animal parts that are said to have magical powers---especially to men in the far east---is particularly disgusting. Education/science is the answer to that problem but it takes SO long for that kind of information to be accepted that it will be a miracle if the animals of Africa live long enough to survive the parts poachers.

yes, which is why the U.S. bans so many of those imported products. Unfortunately, the demand in the east like you say is too high. Those poor animals.

I have to say, I hate hunting. I don't think I could ever date a hunter. It just seems so cruel, probably because I personally could never have it in me to kill an animal.

I get that overpopulation leads to disease & starvation, etc. but at times I feel shouldn't nature take its course? I don't know, just the thought of it saddens me.

[wedjat]

Hunting just for animal parts that are said to have magical powers---especially to men in the far east---is particularly disgusting. Education/science is the answer to that problem but it takes SO long for that kind of information to be accepted that it will be a miracle if the animals of Africa live long enough to survive the parts poachers.

yes, which is why the U.S. bans so many of those imported products. Unfortunately, the demand in the east like you say is too high. Those poor animals.

I have to say, I hate hunting. I don't think I could ever date a hunter. It just seems so cruel, probably because I personally could never have it in me to kill an animal.

I get that overpopulation leads to disease & starvation, etc. but at times I feel shouldn't nature take its course? I don't know, just the thought of it saddens me.

I have read some non-fiction diaries of early explorers of the Western frontier where they described the abundance of the wildlife, many of which they said was so skinny and diseased that they couldn't get enough meat off them to feed their camp. It wouldn't be that pleasant to see animals in the wild who are sickly and dying in stages before our eyes. I think legal hunting does have its place in a society that has encroached do badly on their natural habitats. But I agee with you about killing an animal. I couldn't do it either. I even have trouble killing spiders Earwigs? Different story....I hate those suckers! I'll kill them with an apology to the gods.

Spiders are evil.

[Zimbochick]

What an arrogant prick. They have animal conservation experts dedicated to such things with a tad more experince than an overgrown schoolboy.

Shooting An Elephant - Why GoDaddy's CEO Was Wrong

[PERM BANNED]

So because he destroys an animal that was destroying a food source for starving people, he is a bad guy. Because said starving people get to eat the animal, it's not wasted or collected as a trophy, he's still a bad guy? What world do you live in where feeding starving people by killing an animal in a humane way is morally rehensible? Do you not eat meat? Cause if you do, you're simply creating some fictional barrier where you don't have to think of the reality that someone else is slaughtering cows, chickens and pigs so you can receive a nice, plastic wrapped package at your local store. Killing animals that are at risk of extinction, I agree is wrong. But killing overpopulated animals, such as the white-tail deer, even for sport, is much more appropriate and just in my book then simply allowing them to starve. We have removed the other predators that attack and rip deer apart and consume them while still alive. And I'm sure you'd be opposed to allowing wolves to return to now populated areas. As soon as one killed your cat or dog, you'd be asking for someone else to remove the problem. Nothing in that video was offensive to any rational person. People need to eat, and part of our diet are other animals. Nothing graphic or showing the elephant suffer was exposed to the viewer. The next time you drive through McDonalds, Taco Bell or pick up some frozen steaks at Kroger, remember that days earlier someone else clubbed, shot or staked your meal in the head and stripped the meat off their bones.

[PERM BANNED]

I disagree. Animals in the wild are often healthier in terms of lack of hormones and resistant bacteria as well as healtheir in terms of fat and protein content. I'll leave personal taste out of the equation. When I was stationed in Washington, I hunted Elk around Mt. Saint Helens. Some of the best meat I ever had. While I'm not partial to venison, I use it when I make chili or jerky as its cheaper than buying beef. I would argue that an animal taken in the wild had a much more enjoyable life from its perspective than one grown in a cluttered farm.