Pangs of guilt shooting this Roe Buck

[HSi-ESi]

I think "guilt" is a big emotion, best reserved for really bad deeds. Cheating on a spouse, stealing, poisoning someone's dog or burning down their house. That is the realm of guilt and remorse. Killing for meat evokes a lot of emotions -- sometimes regret, second-thoughts, misgivings, existential wonder at the circle of life. It's all part of it and all part of what makes hunting a rich experience, IMO. When you kill something as beautiful as this roe buck without a pang of emotion, it's time to take up golf. Meanwhile, I try to embrace the experience and enjoy the meat.

I like this post from Ben Long.

My Dad always tells the story of when my Uncle quit shooting deer. They were both young and it was in the 50's when ammo was a precious commodity. They had to show meat for each bullet. My Grand-father shot a nice doe that had a yearling with it and had broken the backbone of the doe. It was up a steep slope and since my Uncle could get to the deer the fastest, my Grand-father sent my Uncle up the slope with a knife. My Uncle had to slit the throat of the doe while the yearling bleated from a short distance away. He would hunt with us, but never wanted to shoot deer. Pheasants, ducks, geese, etc were all open for him.

 

[RobG]

My wife no longer kills does with fawns after seeing them hang around after the kill, and I told my kids that fawns do that so maybe we shouldn't shoot a doe with them.... People probably shouldn't probe around too much in the gut pile of a late season cow elk either.

Personally, I don't normally dwell any of this if we are trying to control the population, but sometimes I have to remind myself that the role of these animals is mainly to feed other animals. Life is short and violent when you are part of the food chain. If you think it is bad on land, you should see the lack of mercy in the ocean.

All that said, if I raised chickens I probably couldn't kill the damn things.

 

[ovis2]

Great topic, and I hope it elicits a moment of pause for all. I haven't shot and animal or bird wherein I haven't had that moment of reflection and hope I never do.

 

[devon deer]

Thanks for the replies, and stories, i knew that i wouldn't be on my own, perhaps guilt was the wrong word to use, however i can count on the fingers of one hand that i have previously felt like this before, or even less than those fingers!
It was just prior to squeezing the trigger that i was thinking i am ending it's life, and that was the problem, i had a long time to mull over these feelings.

But, the reward was a great meal with my family tonight, back straps!

Ben, nobody knows for sure who introduced pheasants to the UK, but the consensus of opinion it was the Romans.
The Roe and Red deer are the only indigenous species in the UK.

Cheers

Richard

 

[Southwind]

In all seriousness I'm not sure a non-hunter will ever understand the relationship between the hunter and his quarry and sometimes I don't fully understand it myself. Anytime you take a life it is not taken lightly, we must love and respect the animals we take.

These animals we provide for and they provide for us in both sustenance and spirit of respect and fair chase. Our bond is much more deeper than just the harvest itself, but in that kill we pay the greatest respect and homage to their life.

I was blessed a few nights ago to enjoy a delicious mule deer venison dinner I provided for my family. I was fully invested and connected to a meal from a healthy mature animal I didn't thaw from a frozen package I bought at the grocery store.

Yes, I know what you were feeling, you were feeling that deep respect for these animals we are so connected to.

 

[Kiwi]

Great thread and awesome post Southwind.

 

[Devil Diver Down]

I think I've had a moment of reflection/misgiving/whatever (but not guilt, as I'd define it) about every animal I've ever killed, aside from bugs. The taking of a life should have some meaning, after all. There is solace in the fact you'll make proper use of the meat, conducted an honorable/fair chase hunt and worked hard to make sure the animal didn't suffer needlessly. I'm irritated with myself if I harm a stocker trout I intend to put back, etc. You have to respect the resource and the ecosystem you're a part of. Guilt? Not if I've done it the right way.

And I also had a similar experience when I killed my archery bull a few years ago. His bigger companion, who I had preferred to arrow, stood over him in his last moments and let out a couple of bugles, urging him to move on. It's a moment that let's you know where you stand in the process, but nothing that would shake my conviction to hunt.