Its all in the hunt. Not the kill, not the kitchen, not the photos. I can't say that I've eaten everything I've shot (prairie dogs, coyotes, fox, ect.), but I can say I've made use of the animals I consider edible and believe everyone else should as well. Like every other ethical dilemma when hunting, there seems to me a wide variance in what is considered the minimal acceptable use of an animal. Its obvious we all fit somewhere in the middle of the Native Americans who used every usable part of an animal and the buffalo hunters of the past who wasted almost everything. Wild game doesn't tickle my taste buds as a beef ribeye would, but there is much more of a sense of accomplishment and an ease of mind knowing that the skill to provide still lives on with each bite of a wild animal.
There is a sort of compassion that accompanies me to the field. I find it difficult to pull the trigger on uneducated deer. If my goal were to simply fill my tag every year I have no doubt I could do so in a quick manner. The hunt to me is a reason to get out and be part of nature. I have many tags end up in the garbage and that is okay with me because all that means is that I got to hunt the whole season. I consider all the close encounters with young animals to be practice for when or if the time comes when I will have to use this skill in a practical manner. To know I have taken a mature and wary animal simply means I am simply on top of my game as far as hunting skills are concerned.
There are many different opinionated people on this site. The difference from this site to the next is that most of the discussions are healthy, peaceful, and honest and can in fact change the opinions of its readers or at least help some shed some light on why some hunters are the way they are. I enjoyed reading this thread and am encouraged with the enthusiasm it shows. It shows that, all of us are passionate about our....lets call it heritage instead of a sport.
