How hard would it be for you?

[RangerXanatos]

The recent bear thread got me to wondering: How hard would it be for you to kill an animal for food and tools, if you haven't before?

I have never hunted and really don't want to. I don't want to take an animal's life, but I do want to know the process of it in case I had to. Shot placement, gutting, skinning, quartering, bone and tendon usage, etc. to make the most of the kill. So for those of you who have never hunted, how do you think you would do on your first time? For those of you who have hunted, pretend as you haven't and have never been shown how, and then follow up by how you would correct those mistakes you may make with the skills you now know.

I believe mine would be a lot of trial and error guesswork with a lot of the loss of meat, hide, and tendons. Everything I know about this process is by reading on the internet which is a poor substitute to the real thing. I would hope to learn first about how to gut and skin an animal by using something small as squirrels and rabbits, hoping that when I get something bigger, I will be more proficient at keeping the meat, hide, and tools. Also, in a case in which I would absolutely need to hunt, I would not hunt to keep from going hungry, but to hunt to keep my freezer full. I'd rather a surplus of tough meat rather than a deficient amount of tender meat.

[Rick]

I have no problem killing anything if the need is justified. From procuring food to self defense.

[SARKY]

It's very strange, for me I had no "buck fever" on my first kill. I have since then. But no it isn't difficult once you have the proper mind set. I am not a trophy hunter, strictly meat.
As to self defense, I have less of a problem killing a person attempting to do me harm than I do an animal attempting to do me harm.

[BENESSE]

I would do it with a heavy heart and only as a last resort.

Ordinary people, by their own accounts, have learned things fairly quickly when the instinct for survival kicked in and I am content to deal with it if and when the need arises. Target practice is the only way I'll ever prepare for anything of the sort.

[Pal334]

It is always a good thing to keep a bit of regret in your heart when you have to or decide to kill something. That sense of regret is a twinge of humanity that you always want to keep. I am not saying you should hesitate if the need arises. When I do hunt it is for meat. If successful, I try to use everything that is usable. Never think of killing an animal as fun. I have met people that crossed the line and started to think that killing was fun, and they were scary people.

[gryffynklm]

I have never hunted. It is my goal for next year to have the equipment I need. I have a good friend who said he would guide me in that regard.

I'm the same as ranger. I have never had a need to go hunting or the opportunity but feel that in the future I may need to. There is a bit of subsistence hunting around my area.

I have done many things in my life which were uncomfortable but necessary. I will take the same attitude. I have a goal in mind concerning hunting it is necessary to go through the process of the hunt, and processing the meat. I will learn as much as I can and if successful, I will have remorse for the animal. I will respect it and offer thanks to God and the animals spirit. I will be sad but I will get over it because it was not a careless or selfish wasteful act but a well thought out decision.

At least thats what I tell myself.

[Pocomoonskyeyes3]

I have done many things in my life which were uncomfortable but necessary. I will take the same attitude. I have a goal in mind concerning hunting it is necessary to go through the process of the hunt, and processing the meat. I will learn as much as I can and if successful, I will have remorse for the animal. I will respect it and offer thanks to God and the animals spirit. I will be sad but I will get over it because it was not a careless or selfish wasteful act but a well thought out decision.

Karl, If you can keep this, you are miles ahead of MOST hunters in my book.

[2dumb2kwit]

I haven't hunted in many years, but I do kind of miss it. I think that hunting is just nature. We (most of us.) don't "have" to hunt for food, but we are still eating animals that were killed for our consumption. I would hope that people have the same respect for the cow and the chicken, as they do the deer and the bear. Most people on this forum, I believe, have a great respect for all things living. However....having respect for an animal does not remove it from the food chain.

[DOGMAN]

I think everyone can do it. Its really not that hard...it gets easier the more you do it.

I figure I have killed over 50 deer, 20 Elk, a couple of bears, a sheep, hundreds of pheasants, ducks, and grouse, probably about 100 beavers and marten, a horse and several dogs (i euthanize my own animals instead of paying a vet)....sometimes it bothers me- other times I just feel its part of the cycle of life. I feel close to the animals I kill- I view it as those animals die- so i can live. I don't feel like an observer of nature- I feel like a participant. i guess it probably helps if you start young. My son is only two and has seen several dead deer and elk, I can only imagine when he's old enough to pull the trigger- he wont hesitate

[wildWoman]

You can do just about anything if you have to.
I had to shoot my own dog, which was something I was absolutely terrified of doing, but because of where we live the vet was not an option. It's the hardest thing I've done in my life and I wish I wouldn't have had to do it but that's just me being egoistical.
From the dog's point of view (and the same is true for any animal you hunt, I would guess), I'm sure it was a good death. There was no stressful trip to the vet involved, no stranger fiddling with him. It was just him and I, out for a walk as every day, and in one split second his world went dark.
Game animals you'll rarely be able to kill at close range with a headshot, so they will not die instantly. It will take a few minutes. But compare a few minutes of suffering, with you as the killer remaining hidden until the animal is dead, to the other deaths that are in store for wildlife: being bitten and mauled by a predator, slowly perishing in rotten ice, getting hit by car, starvation or illness. Those are the alternatives and I'm sure those deaths are slower and more agonizing than getting shot.

[rwc1969]

If you didn't hunt before and didn't know about shot placement or tracking then the animal, especially if big game, would likely just run off and die and you would never find it. Even if you know how to track, if the animal runs off it will be long gone and rotted or eaten by coyotes or the like before you find it.

Animals aren't like people, if you shoot them they run, and sometimes very far against unimaginable odds.

Also, if you've never hunted before it's likely you would freeze, be too slow to react, or simply not be able to pull the trigger and take a life.

Let's say you do shoot it and find it. Now you gotta gut it. It's not a task for someone who has never even seen the makup of the insides before. Not to mention if you cut the wrong parts it can make the meat taste awful and speed spoilage.

I had no one to teach me. At 12 or so years old I walked out into an old farm field, fell asleep atop a junk pile and when I woke there was a big doe deer out in the field. Having hunted with my uncles a couple times before and hearing stories I knew to aim for the front chest are just behind the shoulder. Boom! The deer ran off and I heard a sound liking someone hollering "mom, mom, mom" real loud over and over coming from where I shot. A young deer was standing behind mom and it was the one I hit.

I ran up to it, reloaded, and waited for the deer to hold it's head still as it was screaming bloody murder for mom. Boom! I felt horrible. Poor deer!

But, being a hunter I immediately began to cut into it. I had saw my uncle gut one deer about 2 years earlier, he said "see that big stomach looking thing, we call that the paunch, don't poke it or you will regret it", and that was all I knew about gutting deer.

I carefully cut a slit and it was real thick and seemed like there was many layers. I couldn't tell if I was cutting guts or belly. All I knew is upon reaching my hand in to try and keep the knife away from the dreaded paunch it was very hot and seemed almost to burn me. I kept cutting and eventually dumped the guts and what seemed like twenty gallons of blood out onto the ground. It was still attached at the neck, diaphragm and anus/ pelvic region. I remember my uncle saying don't cut the guts so "how am I going to get these guts out without cutting?" I thought, and "what is that fleshy layer that is sealing off the lungs and heart from the rest of the guts?". I poked and prodded and eased my way in, into, and around who knows what and eventually just cut the guts off at the diaphragm and above the pelvic bone. I got it back to my uncle's house as he was the only one i knew that could help. He was like "what did you do?" with expletives, and proceeded to clean up the anus area and remove the heart, lungs, and esophagus.

I guess when it comes down to it if you've never done it you can still get it done, it just won't be very pretty. The only way to know how to get it done is to do it. You can watch, but until you take the shot, track it down, gut it, drag it, cut it up and bag it it's all just a guessing game.

It's the old "knowledge without experience is just information" thang. But, it would help greatly to watch someone process an animal from start to finish several times and ask questions as they go. At least that way you'd have somewhat of an understanding of deer anatomy, which parts to cut or not cut, and could physically see where to put your shot for the best effect.

[Beans]

I grew up hunting, killing and butchering hogs and yearling steers for our table, fishing for food ETC.

But I gave up hunting in 1970 because I had no need to hunt for food.

I have killed since then for protection of our pets, ETC, coyotes that were trying to attack our dogs through a fence. I have elimated pack rats that was doing damage to our property.
I have accompanied my son on his deer hunting trips and help prepare his deer.

AS this applies to only me, I have no need to hunt nor do I enjoy elimating colonies of ground squirrels.

FWIW I do understand the need to control the wildlife population and I understand that hunting is part of that.

I do enjoy the outdoors and can watch a deer herd for hours, wild turkeys forge for food, quail and rabbits running around our property, mountain lions in our mountains, even a glimpse of Black bear raises my heart rate. When living in southern Nevada the Mountain Sheep aways grabbed my attention.

I have never hugged a tree nor do i ever plan on it.

After stating all of that If I or my family ever need to eat, I will go back to hunting.

If anyone or anything tries to or causes injury to me or my family, All bets are off and the hunt is on. That issue I have come to terms with a long time ago.

[Beans]

You can do just about anything if you have to.
I had to shoot my own dog, which was something I was absolutely terrified of doing, but because of where we live the vet was not an option. It's the hardest thing I've done in my life and I wish I wouldn't have had to do it but that's just me being egoistical.
From the dog's point of view (and the same is true for any animal you hunt, I would guess), I'm sure it was a good death. There was no stressful trip to the vet involved, no stranger fiddling with him. It was just him and I, out for a walk as every day, and in one split second his world went dark.
.

I feel your pain and anguish on that issue. It may be the right thing to do, but it doesn't make it any easier.

There is nothing egoistical about it. It is called being caring, compassionate human being.

[klkak]

I killed a deer day before yesterday. The only thoughts that crossed my mind were: Sight alignment, breathing, trigger control and bacon wrapped tenderloins for dinner that night.

[Wes in the Rockies]

bacon wrapped tenderloins for dinner that night.

Yes indeed very good!

[crimescene450]

Ive fished for a long time, but never hunted.

I want to hunt in the future, but no one in my family does. Im pretty good at stalking deer because i do it regularly when i hike. but im not sure how im gonna learn to clean and butcher.

Ive read a ton of books, and seen many videos, but i have a feeling it'd be much better to have someone teach you how to do it right.

[Rick]

When I was a kid I taught myself to clean rabbits, squirrels and doves. Didn't do any of it right but I got the job done until someone showed me a better way. As long as you end up at the same place when it's over that's all that matters. Having someone show you just improves your process and makes it easier. You'll do fine when the time comes.

If you have a butcher shop/processing plant nearby you might be able to watch them slaughter a few animals if they will let you. That will give you an idea of how they do it. Just a thought.

[hunter63]

Hunting for me has been just something I was brought up with.
I don't hunt for anything I don't intend to eat.
This has kinda limited what I hunt for these days, deer, turkey, ducks/geese, grouse.

The hunt itself is what keeps me going, and I guess I have slowed down the last few years.

It's not for everyone, and there is nothing wrong with what ever you happen to believe.

I believe it is part of life's cycle, even it ancient times all people didn't think the same, all had their own skills and jobs.

[LowKey]

I've only ever cleaned chickens. There is something un-warm-blooded-animal-like about chickens. It's fairly easy to do them in without too much remorse. I've wanted to get rabbits and goats but the first time I read about killing extra (third) goat kids with a quick hammer blow, hmmm I'm not sure I could do that.

I'm working my way up to hunting quality firearms. Didn't grow up with them like most of you here, so having to learn mostly on my own at a rather late age. The guys at the ranges are cool and all and always willing to let me try a rifle or handgun and give pointers on shooting that particular piece, but hunting seems to be either you've done it or you haven't, and if you haven't, you don't belong to the "club." Tough to learn that way.

[FVR]

I don't hunt much anymore, just don't like to kill that much.

But if I have to eat, anything goes. I'll eat the neighbors cat, may just anyway as it sits on my porch and drives my dogs crazy. It's kind of overfed, how does bbq fluffy sound.

No problems killing to eat, just problems killing for fun or sport.