Does Hunting Count As Reducing Animal Suffering?!


Question: Does Hunting Count As Reducing Animal Suffering!?
I know, the question seems a little strange, just hear me out on this one!.

People that stop eating meat for the animals' sake do so because of the horrific slaughterhouse practices!. It's unfair to subject the animals to that!. However, what about hunting!? Some people who feel for animals don't go vegetarian, they just switch to free-range or buy from their local farms because this way they can ensure that the animal led a full life!. The same would be true for deer, elk, moose, and other game that are able to live a full life out in the wild!. Would this be better to do to get meat for your friends and family!?

I'm not trying to be a troll or anything, I'm really interested!. I asked a question recently and was informed that veganism was a lifestyle choice, not just a diet!. I thought about why it was just a diet for me!. I don't HATE animals, but if something's made with goosedown, I don't have a problem with it!.!.!.but as I thought about it, I thought about the baby geese being plucked and cows being killed to make leather!. It just seems unnecessary!. However, my choices shouldn't be forced on anyone else, so if someone wants to eat meat, they will eat meat and that's their choice!. While I don't believe in animal suffering, I believe that it would be more humane to help my friends hunt for their food than to have them eat animals that came from the slaughterhouse!.


I know that this is a crazy question and I'm sure a lot of people will give me all kinds of insulting answers, but I just want to know if any of this seems like it makes sense!. If so, why!.!.!.and if not, why not!? Basically, if I don't want to push my views on others who eat meat, wouldn't it be a good compromise to help them hunt for animals to eat!? This does NOT include animals that will be just used to mount on a wall, but animals for eating and possibly for turning into leather as well!. Www@FoodAQ@Com


Answers:
Personally, I do both!. I hunt and buy meat from trusted
'free range/organic" suppliers!. In my opinion, one is not better than the other but then again, I do not consider meat eating as cruel anyway!.

You can classify hunting two ways: as a way of life or as a sport!.
I am a little bit of both!. I hunt because I like the particular type of meat I can get as a hunter!. Boar, deer, birds etc are a part of my table!. In that respect, it is a way of life!. However, because of laws and other constraints, I cannot do it year round!. In that respect, it is a sport!. But there is a misconception that "sport hunters" are wasting the meat!. Not true!. Even if all they get is the trophy, the meat itself is distributed among the guides, or occasionally to a local feeding program!. You'll be surprised to see some rural schools or homeless shelters serving venison!.
As for a "missed" kill shot, that's an accident!. Accidents are a part of everything that we do!. People drive cars and hit other cars or people!. Hunters shoot at an animal an miss the vital area!. No one likes it but it happens!.
And hunters dont' aim for the head becasue they want to preserve the trophy!. They don't aim for the head because at 100 yards it is a very small target to hit which makes the prospect of a missed shot even greater!. The heart/chest area is bigger and easier to hit and is almost certain to produce a fatal injury!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Probably, but does it really matter anyways!. The animals were put here for us to rule over (Gen!. 1:26)!. Only the peta nuts go on about animals rights and cruelty!. I say they are nuts because their methods are extreme and they actually put animals above that of humans!. I guess they don't believe in Survival of the fittest, sound science!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Not many people know this but hunters, are one of the main reasons for the protection and preserving of land and animals!. A hunter, like myself has a great deal of respect for the animal and nature!. Many thing you buy for a hunting trip has a portion of that proceed go into preserving land and animals!. I personally have never killed an animal that I did not use for meat!. And most hunters don't aim for the head because it is a hard shot!. Hunters want to take down the animal in one shot, because we don't want the animal to suffer!. Shooting it in the belly is probably the worst place to hit, since the stomach acids/ insides, will usually ruin the meat if it comes in contact with it!. THe best place to shoot the animal is the heart and lungs!. Www@FoodAQ@Com

If the deer population
is not controlled in
areas without natural
predators they will
overpopulate and be
a problem to all of us
Hunting is necessary
to help do this
It is more humane
than to allow them to
become diseased and
subject to an increased
number of deer strikes
by autos thus putting
all of us in danger on
the roads!.

JackWww@FoodAQ@Com

Hi HtC,

I wish I'd been able to answer your previous question in time as I see that as not being much different than the annoying "semi-veg" designation and false idea that vegetarian includes fish and/or poultry!. A vegan is a person who tries to limit animal suffering and exploitation as much as possible with the basic idea of "Most Good, Least Harm!." Though that doesn't mean that a vegan has to tolerate being attacked say from mosquitos or lice!. I haven't had an infestation of chickens or cows in my home but I imagine if I did I'd do something about it!.

However, Donald Watson went off on his own from the Vegetarian Society because he believed the suffering of animals providing dairy and eggs was just as bad as those providing flesh!. It was about relieving suffering through one's choice of diet (and other deliberate choices)!. That the diet is healthier is a bonus and talking point!. Therefore, someone can eat a vegan diet, or be a vegan (which inherently means they eat the vegan diet)!.

Not everyone who goes veg does so because of the horrific slaughterhouse practices though that can absolutely be an added factor or added as another justification especially since as you know we are called upon constantly to justify our dietary choices!. I originally did so for political reasons because even as I reduced my intake I was still in active denial about the suffering not just in the final moments but every moment up until death which may be the best part of how we raise them these days!.

As to hunting, one of the reasons given for hunting is controlling the population!. Part of why the population needs to be controlled is the habitat has been gobbled up by humans and humans have eradicated natural predators (who also deserved protection) because they were a threat to livestock which humans brought into their habitat!.

However, I think anything that gets people towards a more thoughtful life is good and hunting is better than how 95% of the meat animals make it to the plate and that other 5% is better than the majority!. Part of the issue is that meat consumption needs to be reduced by most people!. The idea that a meal is not unless it not only has meat but centers around it is flawed!. The recommendations for healthy meat consumption is about 3 ounces every other day not every meal which is even often exceeded in the United States (which eats on average -- even with veg*ns factored in over 8 ounces per day)!.

I don't think you are a troll, I don't think this is a crazy question!. I think it's honest searching and a quest for more thoughtful consumption and that's always good!. We should understand what goes into our body and why!.

As to other people's choices, well!.!.!. that does get touchy but if other people have to pick up the tab for their poor health then it starts being my business!. If people have to suffer in many negative ways which includes health issues, quality of life, loss of income, loss of property value and so much more due to the insane way factory farms externalize so many costs to seduce people with cheap prices then yes, it becomes my business!.

==
http://www!.grist!.org/news/maindish/2006/!.!.!.
_one_of_americas_worst_polluters" rel="nofollow">http://www!.rollingstone!.com/politics/sto!.!.!.


Heh, my turn to pick up the lowered thumbs I guess!. :)Www@FoodAQ@Com

One of the most interesting questions I've seen here!. Very well put!.

I eat meat!. For some time I did not, because I lived with someone who did not eat meat!. And it would make no sense, when I cooked, to cook two dishes, and have a menu, one with meat and the other without!.

The only reason I would become vegetarian would be ethical!. I see no health and physiological reason for me to turn vegetarian!. But I do concern about animal suffering, animal exploitation and the planet resources!. So, maybe some day I will become vegan!. It's kind of an inner conflict!. When I eat meat, I know that probably some animal had to suffer for me to eat it!.

As for hunting, I can understand what you say!. And I agree that it makes sense!. The only problem is that it's not a solution!. With industrialization (that happened a while ago) population has migrated to the cities!. It's a small minority the people that live off the land, at least in a way that you portray, and in a place where hunting is possible!.

In Portugal, where I live, there is a community of hunters!. (a few thousands)!. And I think they are completely out of place!. They claim the right to hunt, as a sport!. So, they can do it in some seasons, bounded by law!. Where I live the number of people that hunt as a means of survival is close to zero!. Almost no one needs to hunt!. And there aren't that much animals to hunt!. It's a strange and stupid sport, for some people!.

In most countries it's the same!. People live in urban centers!. You use the word slaughterhouse!. Well, because most people eat meat, we need to transform meat into an industrie, breed, feed and kill millions of animals!. It's the only way that there is enough meat to supply the demand!. Our species population has incredibly increased in the past 300 years!. And the ever growing demand for meat is threatening our resources, our ecosystems, the other species, that have just the same right as humans to live and prosper in our planet!.

Here is another ethical reason for me to eventually become vegan!. It's triggering a catastrophe the way the demand for meat keeps growing and what it does to our planet delicate balance!. The fact that China and India are changing their diet habits is a big motive for concern!. How will we produce enough meat for everybody!? Will we transform the planet in a huge meat industrie colony, a huge slaughterhouse!?

-------
added:
just to say that I eat meat but my diet is not centered in it!. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit; oh and fish!. and try to make every meal balanced and healthy!. I don't think stopping meat consumption, in the as balanced as I can achive way, would improve dramatically my health!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

The only way hunting reduces animal suffering is by lowering demand for farm raised meat animals!. If a person's meat consumption came solely from hunting they would be on the same achievement level as vegers as far as supporting factory farming!.

There are people who stop eating meat because of the animal suffering!. Most of those, however, also do not wish for the animals to be killed either, whether through hunting or factory farmed meat slaughter!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

"Because I grew up around it and understand how quickly and painlessly you can kill an animal, I don't see it as cruelty!. I think that it would make sense to replace "cruelty" meats with meats that you've killed yourself!."

So if you kill a human quickly it is not cruel!. I doubt many people would agree with this!. This is a very anthropocentric view, to assume that humans' lives are worth more just because they are human!. If you try to construct species membership as morally relevant to what rights someone has, you will quickly realize that it is impossible!.


"I never saw hunting as a bad thing, only sport hunting!. Even now, I know that societies that lived in harmony with nature, like Native Americans, were able to take the life of an animal because they respected its life!."

Respect for life would be not taking life unnecessarily!.

You seem to look for validation a lot!. :(Www@FoodAQ@Com

Most of the vegans and vegetarians I know not only have a problem with animal suffering, but also the unnecessary use of animals!. Since humans don't need meat, dairy, and eggs to get their nutrients, and food from animals sources is actually linked to causing 80-90% of preventable (mainly chronic) diseases, even hunting is seen as deplorable!.

I will concede, however, that a person who only eats meat from their own kills as opposed to someone who eats meat from factory farms is taking a small step in the right direction (if that's the reason they're doing so)!. It is a very, very small step, but something is always better than nothing!.

You definitely don't have to force your choices on someone else, but that doesn't mean you need to make compromises with people who do these things!. You can still say "Your choices are your own, but I don't like what you do at all"!. You don't have to make concessions approve of hunting just because it's not as terrible as slaughterhouses!. I hope this helps!. =DWww@FoodAQ@Com

I personally find hunting less cruel because the animals were free for their entire lives!. But, I have heard many stories of hunters shooting a deer and not being able to find the bodies for days because the animal ran far away from where they were shot!. I can only imagine how long those animals must suffer after being shot and not found!.

If the hunters could hit the animals and kill them very quickly then it is better to hunt than to get meat from the stores!. And if they are only doing it for food!. I find it disturbing that a lot of hunters get a thrill out of killing animals, and mount their heads on their walls as trophies!.

If they are getting all their meat only from hunting then yes it is reducing animal suffering in the factory farms!. If they only do it once a year for a thrill and are still buying from the grocery store, then no, it is not reducing it!.

Edit: I started to read that idiots answer until I looked and saw who it was from!. Reading his answers are a waste of my time:)Www@FoodAQ@Com





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