I have no idea if this is a good idea. It is not a science. If you love animals with a passion you’ll hate the abuse of animals with an equal passion. If you love animals slightly, you’ll dislike the abuse of animals to an equal extent.
The more you genuinely care about animals the more empathy you have for them. You can feel what they feel and that is not anthropomorphizing animals. It is simply being knowledgeable about them and connecting one’s emotions to that knowledge. It is a connection with nature and our roots.
The balance between loving and hating in respect of animals and what happens to them is very similar to Newton’s Third Law, which states that forces are equal and opposite. All forces come in pairs. When you push off the ground with your foot you exert a force on the floor. The floor exerts an equal force on your foot.
The same principles are in play in the balance between caring for animals and hating the abuse and the needless killing of animals.
This is why I hate people who hunt animals for sport. Yes, hate is a strong world but so is love. You can’t hate sport hunting and respect the person who does it. Sport hunting is a human self-indulgence. It cannot be justified. If sport hunters justify it by saying there is a need to cull animals to keep numbers down, I argue that is a false argument.
The only reason why wildlife populations need to be kept down is because human population numbers have risen resulting in an encroachment onto the habitat of wildlife such that the animal then becomes a problem to people. It is a self-induced problem and the solution should be focused on people.
Sport hunting is good for the economy. It is good for people. It is an abuse of animals.
In the long term the planet cannot sustain 7 billion people as the earth’s resources will be depleted in doing it. By 2050 the population will be over 9 billion.
The reason why I say Grumpy cat is exploited and rant about it is because I love Grumpy cat. Why do I love her? Because she is vulnerable. The more vulnerable an animal is the more we should love and care for that animal. There is an equality in that equation too.
I’ll end there.
What, Ben furthers your perspective on thinking that these animals in the wild, have a better chance of humane treatment than those who are held in a loving environment? The humans, as you know, keep predatory animals at bay? Why do You not see this?
Okay. I was once held captive, by a maternal Bobcat; no moon, complete blackness… She grrrwld at me. (She had kits, behind her, that I could not see.) I quickly took the truck to the front screen door, to let my daughter out, and tell her to keep the door shut. I went back, and parked the GMC truck, nxt to the gravel. I quietly exited the truck, wondering where the female was… She had left me, unharmed, knowing that I did not intend to harm her. This was down in Arkansas, bordering the Mark Twain Forest. She literally scared me, Ben. But then, a thought crossed my mind, and I knew that she understood. I would not harm her; she, would not harm me. We understood each other.
Here’s the deal. I take no joy in killing an animal. Anyone that does has a screw loose. I would much rather eat meat that came from a wild animal. I feel its healthier. If there was a way to take an animal in the wild without causing any pain I would be all for it. I would adopt that method immediately. I personally am not a fan of firearms season for deer. To many people taking long shots at running animals. Its the reason I prefer bow season. Less people in the woods = less pressure. That means the animals are in their natural habits. I never take a shot at a moving deer because it adds to much risk. I spend weeks in the summer getting ready for the season by clearing brush around stands so a twig does cause an arrow to get deflected and wound an animal. I also never take a shot over 25 yards. At that range I can put an arrow into the back of a previously shot arrow. (we call that Robin Hooding an arrow) I pass on way more deer than I take. If an angle is wrong or the animal is on alert I wont take the shot. It’s not worth the risk of wounding the deer. There are other rules I try to follow. I never take more than I will use. Never take a female deer thats still nursing young. Never take young animals. I try to take mature animals only. I know it sounds barbaric. In some ways it is. It’s impossible to explain how I can take an animal yet care so much about them. It’s just the way an ethical hunter is wired. I have been screaming to the division of wildlife for 3 years that the bag limits are way to high. I think to many animals are being taken right now. They give out things called damage permits to farmers that allow them in some cases to take over a 100 deer during the summer because they are eating the farmers crops. Most of these deer are dumped in piles in the woods. I think this practice needs to be eliminated. To me deer eating corn is the cost of doing business if your a farmer. I mean, how many business venture have no risk.
Listen its hard to explain. I don’t expect you to say your ok with it. Thats your right. Just as its my right to do something thats perfectly legal. There are tangible benefits to what a hunter does. We help keep animal populations at healthy levels. The Cuyahoga Valley National Forest is a perfect example. There is no hunting allowed in the park. Right now there are deer that are starving to death because there are more deer than land can support. Now if we still had large predators that would help with some of that. Unfortunately my ancestors eradicated most of them out of fear. Now its up to humans to keep populations at the right levels. Before this country was settled they estimate the deer population was about 1-2 deer per sq mile. Now its around 20 in most of the state. Thats a sustainable level. Most biologist want it under 10. The places that have problems have over a 100 deer per sq mile. I am really rambling right now. There is just so much info I could share.
My best friends wife is a vegetarian. Needless to say we have had some long discussions on this topic. We have found a common ground. I took her to see where animals are suffering and she knows how much I respect the animals. She also knows how seriously I take the responsibility of taking another living things life. Like I said its not something I take lightly. I feel remorse every time. I think thats healthy. I dont expect you to understand. I wouldnt if I was in your shoes. I promise you these animals ,in my case are not abused. Its all over very quickly. Its damn near instantaneous. If done properly with a bow the animal doesnt even run. The arrow is so sharp and so fast it passes through before they even have a chance to register what happened. Its almost like getting a shot. They usually take couple steps and fall over. I know its graphic and I apologize if it offends to hear that. But it has to be said. To do it right I have to practice. My worst nightmare is to wound an animal and not be able to recover it. It happens. I have seen it first hand and it pisses me off. If I ever caught someone it would probably get very ugly . I took a deer last year that someone had wounded and didnt take them time to bother finishing the kill. I hate that stuff like that happens. The majority though do it right.
As for the vegan thing. Its not really an option for me. I cant eat a veg only diet. I have Ulcerative Colitis and if I eat to many veggies it plays hell on my system. Also I have developed another because of UC that will require me to need a liver transplant. Lean meat is a life saver for me. When I cut out store bought meat my health got much better. I tried meat free for two months and ended up in the hospital.
I respect your position. I really do. I think animal abuse is an awful thing. I live in the heart of amish country. I see what look like puppy mills and I hate them. We need people like you to stand up for them. I just hope you can see some logic in my argument. I know you hate hunting and thats ok. I dont hold that against you. But hunting has been around forever and its probably not going anywhere anytime soon. But that doesnt mean we cant work together for the good of animals. I would love to see kill permits and unethical hunters gone. I would love to bear hunting done with dogs abolished. I think its one of the most disgusting forms of hunting out there. Well I better get to bed. I could go all night. I know this rambled on and I hope it makes some sense. On a side note. Thanks for taking the time to debate me in a friendlier manner.
No. What I was trying to say was I feel a wild animal has a much better quality of life than that of an animal raised on a farm. That doesn’t apply to all cases. I have seen some farms where the animals are taken care of very well.
You may be correct with that argument, but what you have raised here [besides hackles ;)], is this: why kill animals at all? Did you see my comment to you above, regarding killing other species? Isn’t it horrible enough that we kill other humans in the belief that “we are right, and they are wrong?” It is interesting to me that you chose to quote scripture from the King James bible, written so very long ago, when it was “the norm” to hunt for food. Think again, Ben. You can sustain your family on a garden, supplemented by quinoa, chickpeas, black beans, brown rice, and so on, without killing an animal that feels pain and suffers at your expense. Same goes for those of us who don’t hunt, Ben.
Wait a second. I thought you meant that this animal was under your care, until you decided to kill it in the most humane fashion possible. Am I mistaken, in thinking this? Did you adopt it and look after it, making sure that no harm came his/her way? That was my interpretation of what you said…
Ruth, thanks for responding. Do you have a website, besides this one, that you might mention for our benefit? I understand that you have given your voice, talents and energy to promote the welfare of cats, as well as all animals. I appreciate anything, everything, that you post here. Sorry that I left this so late in the day.