I posted in the "People you hate" topic that I disliked people who think hunting is wrong and yet still eat meat. It got some people talking I guess, but instead of continuing off-topic there, I thought I'd take it here...

I think hunting is wrong and cruel, but I still eat meat.

It's one thing to consume an animal to survive, even if it's purchasing it at the grocery store, and another to go out into the wilderness and kill something for fun. And don't come back with "We eat it, too!" Go back into the grocery store and buy something that has already been killed, so it doesn't get wasted.

((Sorry, I can't remember who posted this, I just copied and pasted it.))

I won't deny hunting is fun (I think it's a different kind of "fun" though, not like the fun you have when you're partying or at a concert or what have you), it's much more than that.

I just don't understand how someone could think it's wrong and cruel to go out and kill an animal, but still contribute to the slaughter of countless others by buying meat at the grocery store. It's in the store because there's demand for it. If you didn't buy it, there'd be less demand for it, and as a result less would have to be killed. If you don't buy it, it's not "wasted", you're just contributing to demand.

rmg126 wrote:

That would be the one and only DamnImGood you quoted.

I don't hunt, but not because I think it's wrong, I just don't have any use for wild game. I don't eat duck, or deer, or turkey, or pheasant, or whatever...so I don't.

Merci!
And, wild game is 1000x more delicious than beef, chicken, or pork... but that could just be totally psychological. Haha.

Actually, I disagree with the whole "demand" thing. It's the same principle that applies to using reusable shopping bags instead of taking the plastic ones supplied by the store. You may not use the bags, but the next person in line behind you at the checkout will. The plastic bag has already been made, and will end up in the trash somewhere and go to a landfill. And, you may not buy that steak, but someone else will. The cow has already been killed. It's not like the grocery store keeps cows in the backroom and kills one each time someone wants to buy a steak.

So, one person can't change the world?

No, you may not make much of an impact by not buying meat, I totally acknowledge that, but buy buying it you do increase demand, however little. If you, for example, use reuseable bags, or don't buy meat, for an entire year, that is a lot of shopping bags and meat.
I don't know exactly how much meat the average person consumes in a year, but the numbers wouldn't be hard to find (I do know, however, that it has increased significantly in the past few decades). If everyone cut their meat consumption in half, that'd be a tremendous amount. Too much meat is bad for you, anyway.
(I'm not advocating this, and I know it's probably unrealistic, just trying to make a point.)

Your point is also a good argument for what I was quoting in the first place; by not buying that steak, it isn't wasted either - someone else will buy it.

Just as a side note, I do prefer to buy the natural "cage free" eggs, simply because they taste better. I don't particularly care about chickens being in cages...they're chickens. I think as humans we should be more concerned about our fellow humans who are dying in wars right now.

Agreed. And omg, "farm eggs" (as I call them haha) are so good. My friend has three chickens that just wander around and eat whatever the hell the want and their eggs are amazing. I hate those chickens, but I can't deny their usefullness. :p

DREAM3R wrote:

I am not against hunting, but I am against hunting as a sport.

I see this stance a lot. I'm inclined to agree, and I think most people do (including many hunters themselves), but I don't think it's really a thing you can regulate. But it is the law in some places now that you must take a doe before you can take a buck, and many people stop at the doe because that's enough meat for them.
That's not to prevent "sport hunting" though, it's just a more effective method of population control.

Whether you eat meat or not is totally up to you. I'm not opposed to it. But some hate the idea of hunting because they think killing animals is wrong, yet still eat animals that have conveniently killed for them.


I highly doubt animals would stave if we stopped hunting them, but they would undoubtedly need to extend their search for food and end up getting into and eating a lot what is grown for us. Farmers have a rough enough time as it is.

Hunting isn't so much about being nice to each individual animal - it's about the conservation of entire ecosystems.


I see a lot of "hunting for sport" comments. I agree that it's wrong too, but even those who hunt for trophies or just for fun still eat meat. It'd be rare to find a hunter who doesn't eat what he kills. And if he didn't, he'd generally be frowned upon by other hunters.