I own a pest control business so I have killed a lot of living things, usually by trap or poison. On rare occasions I have shot animals that were trapped. Some out of mercy and some out of a sense that I had to follow a stupid law about not being able to release animals once trapped. State officials suggested to us that drowning was a more humane and safe method than shooting. Tried that one day, most miserable moment in my professional career. Almost twenty years and I still am bothered by it. So, we stopped trapping animals and stuck to insect and rodent control. I have never hunted, don't have a problem with anyone who does but it is just not for me. Funny, I don't think I would ever have a problem pulling a trigger in defense of myself or my family. I think I could rationalize it but killing those animals because they were unlucky to have entered my clients's homes always bothered me.

yes and a firm believer in the THREE S’s.

Interesting topic. Good postings, too!

Occasionally I went fishing trout, which was an interesting experience at first.

Killed chickens when on a army survival course. Did it with an axe. I was surprised how easy it was for me to do.

For some reason though I can't watch others do it, it just makes me sick.

Also can't watch people gutting deer or other animals. I'd love to learn how to do it, but I have to actually force myself to not be sick when I watch it.

Guess one gets used to it over time.

I have hunted since I was 10 years old. Before that I followed my older brother. I turned into a hard core hunter who spent more time hunting than I spent at home. At X-mas the best gift you could give me was a box of shotgun shells. Rabbits to Bears were never safe. I have sat over dog towns for days at a time trying to get as many as I could. Ranchers do not like them. It was the thrill of the chase that I liked.

quote:

Originally posted by Spokane228:
Perhaps a rattlesnake if it decides to make a home too close to my overly curious Maligator.

I’ve never shot one, but I’ve killed a lot of rattlesnakes. Always thought the kids were too young and the dogs too dumb to leave them alone. Well, the kids have gotten older and we recently put the dogs through rattlesnake avoidance training. I was amazed how well it works and how long the lessons stick. I still don’t know that I’ll always give them a pass, but it doesn’t feel necessary anymore.

I replied the other night but thought better of it and deleted it, it was just too long.

Bottom line, I’ve shot and killed a lot of animals, mostly crows out of my neighbor’s corn fields growing up, at his invitation. He gave us corn every harvest as a thank you. Never took any big game, but not for lack of trying. I had one really messy kill with a Canada goose that I felt really bad about, and time hasn’t made it any better. I think I’ve lost any desire to shoot and kill anything that isn’t a nuisance that needs killing. I would like to do some hog hunting at some point, but I’m going to be damned sure of my equipment and ammo before it’s ever a possibility, and I wholly intend to take home as much meat as I can.

I’ve had conversations with people that profess certain things about guns and how deadly they are or are not, and often enough, they’ve never killed anything, let alone shot something and seen the immediate result of what they’re pontificating about. Had one recently that kind of pressed me to ask the question of my fellow forum members.

I thank you all for responding. It’s not an easy topic, and as it said, it brings up a wide range of emotions.

Oh, and as to the conversation about living “being” vs a “living thing,” I felt it was simply more respectful to the potential replies not to ascribe “thing” to something someone may have killed. I didn’t want the conversation to trend that direction. In retrospect, it may have been more concise to have asked “have you ended a life with a firearm?”

I think maybe I'd have used "living creature".... That doesn't have the same connotation to folks.

flashguy

Regardless, that ship has sailed. An edit will reset the poll results.