Mitch, Were You Able to Get a Deer This Year? I saw some references to you, or from you on deer hunting as the season approached. My brother in law got at least one on the Eastern Shore of Virginny. I am not sure if we were sampling this years deer or last years, but boy was it good. I don't think I'll ever eat ground beef again (we eat very little now).

I have a new Christmas 22 semi-automatic, deer who are abundant, and unafraid, and a hunter to help me. What could go wrong (tell Murphy and his law to stay away).

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), December 26, 2001

Answers

Rick, I do not hunt. No one gave me the right to harm natures critters. The deer around here walk up to me and nuzzle my pockets looking for treats, sometimes I have to shove them away to get to my van. If I were to hunt, then someone would need to drag the deer out of the woods, I am physically unable to do that. Meat is a very small part of my diet, I am not above a Bambi steak if some one brings one here, I just do not see any pleasure in hunting anything.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), December 27, 2001.

Mitch, I feel the same way you do about the wild critters of the woods, I would have to be very, very hungry to go out and stalk and kill my food, even dead cow from the grocery store turns my stomach when I look at it and see Elsie the cow staring back at me!!!

I much prefer my food to NOT having a face ;-)!!!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), December 27, 2001.

Mitch, I have never hunted either, but I see it being something I may have to do to survive. I am afraid I would have to pay someone to butcher the deer, for me. We also eat very little meat.

It is interesting how Annie characterizes a hunter as a stalker.

When one buys ones grocery store meat, one has simply paid someone else to stalk, and electrocute (or othewrwise murder ) ones animal.

Why is it more correct to imprison, murder and sell them, than to kill one, after it has led a wild and free life?

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), December 27, 2001.

It is a hard issue for me as well, but since I do eat some meat, it is one that must be faced. We don't eat a lot due to cost and health concerns. I don't eat my chickens, they are just pets that lay eggs, and they die on their own. But I will help butcher a deer, and have helped with butchering lots of other animals as well.

Also I much prefer that the animals have been able to live out on the farm instead of some factory somewhere. If you do eat meat, you should at least learn the process.

It is kind of a coincidence that this came up. Last weekend I had my 15 year old daughter helping to mix the meatloaf, and she almost had a heart-attack. Grossest thing she had ever done, or so she says! But most people think that food comes already wrapped in nice neatr cellophane packages, with no idea of how it is done out in the real world.

People who don't eat meat will rarely see eye to eye with those who do, but I think most who don't eat it, at the very minimum, have respect for those who try to raise their own and treat the animals in a humane way.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 28, 2001.

I have a new Christmas 22 semi-automatic, deer who are abundant, and unafraid, and a hunter to help me. What could go wrong (tell Murphy and his law to stay away). Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com),

Rick I sincerely hope your joking about hunting Deer with a 22- semiauto rifle. Rabbits, Squirrels maybe even woodchucks but not Deer. As my late Grandfather often said "If your going to Kill it, For God's sake don't make it suffer".

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), January 02, 2002.

Kenneth

I have since found out that a 12 guage would be a more appropriate weapon to use, were I to hunt deer.

Thanks for your thoughts. The last thing I would want to do would be to make any animal suffer.

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 05, 2002.

deer hunting is a american tradtion it is everyone right to hunt just as it is everyones right not to hunt if you choose not to hunt then that is your choice. But myself I choose to hunt and enjoy doing so there is no feeling like going out and get some thing to put on the table. A .22 cal. is against the law to hunt a deer with the slug is to small and will just harm the animal and not kill a good starter rifle for hunting is a 30.30 it is a smaller high power rifle but large enough cal. to take a deer in a human way .

-- Kevin Hughes (nhkc135@yahoo.com), June 07, 2002.

Is that a Freudian slip I see "to take a deer in a human way" instead of "a humane way"? Sorry, couldn't resist. Cheers.

-- Carol (c@oz.com.au), June 09, 2002.

Rick, God gave us the right to hunt! ever notice that those things we eat aren't on the endangerd species list? Got any recipes for spotted owl?and as for me deer season opens next week I'll be there with my 308 win. not my 22

-- Jim (d60433@yahoo.com), September 14, 2002.