Hares and Rabbits

[coldkill13]

I would assume his intent was to kill the animal on the first shot, however nothing ever goes exactly as according to plan. As a hunter I have found myself in nearly the same situation many times before. Many times I have had to break the necks of wing-shot fowl by hand. But I did it as soon as I retrieved the downed animal to minimize its suffering as did Jericho. Of course I do not condone animals suffering and I always try to make a clean kill on the first shot, but I hardly consider this torture.

tor·ture [tawr-cher]
noun, verb, -tured, -tur·ing.
–noun 1. the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty.

This is Dictionary.com's definition of torture. Now did Jericho shoot the hind end of the rabbit as punishment or revenge, or for sheer cruelty. I think not. Additionally, I did not find humor in the animals 'suffering'. In the old testament, Genesis 9:2-3, God says to Noah; "And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things." I personally take every word of the old testament to be the God given truth and first and foremost above mans law. Although I dont condone suffering of the innocent, including animals, I see nowhere in the Good Book any mention of applying additional effort to ensure the comfortable death of the prey. Im not saying go out and take any available shot on an animal or intentionally make a poor shot but accidents happen and I dont think Jericho or myself or anyone else for that matter should recieve any flak for them, especially if the situation is appropriately dealt with afterword.

[coldkill13]

I once took a shot at a 6-point buck at the very last moments of the seaon when there were several other deer in my bait pile. I had waited to get the perfect broadside shot before pulling the trigger. But just as I did a fawn a few yards closer to me than the buck lifted his head up to recieve the 12 guage slug square in the neck. There was little left of the creatures neck to be found. I was disgusted with myself, I didn't want to even look at the animal on the ground before me. I knew that things like this happen but I am a skilled marksman and I never thought it would happen to me. Eventually I began thinking about how the deer was legally and ethically killed and how my grandpa shoots these small deer on purpose as they are more tender and I got over my grief and field dressed the animal. Despite what my name may imply (and what some of you already think by now) I do have a conscious.

[coldkill13]

Here is a story of animal cruelty that I think is due to ignorance and stupidity and I think something like this would never and should never happen to a responsible outdoorsman and sportsman.

An employee of my dads who lives on a farm poaches deer in his backyard for trophy, without licences for them. Last hunting season he nicked an 8-point buck in the spine dropping the deer in his tracks although it continued to live and breath. He shot the deer from his barn with a .50 caliber muzzle loader but neglected to pack a knife or extra powder and slugs. Upon approaching the animal he immediately noticed it was still alive and proceded to drag it back the 50 somethin yards to the barn. From there he sat his 300+ pounds on the deers chest and called his son, who is at the house, on his cell phone and instructed him to bring him his 12 guage and a slug to finish the creature off. His son did so, but when he stepped off the deer it bolted away and he took the shot anyways, missing completely. Instead of going after it, he spent the next few hours going grocery shopping. When he returned he found his non-registered .22 pistol and a flashlight and went in search of the deer, as darkness was approaching. The blood trail easily allowed for him to find the dying deer, which was by now incapable of walking. He approached it and shot the deer in the head point blank and found that this had not yet killed it. He put two more shots into its skull before assuming the deer was well finished and he gutted the deer at the site. Being an inexperienced hunter, the failed to open and clean the chest cavity of the deer before dragging it to the barn and hanging it to drip. Once there, he discovered this error and opened the deers chest to find its still beating heart and breathing lungs. Removing these, the deer was finally finished.

Now, would anyone care to point out his mistakes?

[Gray Wolf]

I've posted this before, but maybe for some here it needs to be posted again:

People who eat only muscle-meats tend to get into a state of "rabbit-starvation", where they can't process the protein they eat because they don't have enough of the raw animal fats which are needed for the absorption of protein.This is apparently what happened to many American settlers who ate only the muscle-meat from lean animals such as rabbits.

[Gray Wolf]

coldkill13, I think your missing my point.
Jericho stated:

There is Cottontails everywhere around my house, and they're so used to human activity that I can walk up to a mature rabbit and pick them up.

Then he had an option, he just could have pick them up and snap their neck, with just a millisecond of pain (or worse give a BEAR G. karate chop to the neck...Joke) No reason to make them suffer by shoot them with an arrow. He could have missed a tad more and ruined the meat. It just sounded like he was seeing if his shot was going to work. That's why I brought up using a very small target to become proficient at small game. It wasn't a flame, just advice.

[Ole WV Coot]

I don't hunt anymore, don't care for it like I once did. I never killed a game animal for fun. Beo is right, a rabbits neck is easily broken and that's the way I did. I always got a clean kill by actually hunting and I don't see shooting at hundreds of yards unless you are in open territory, positive of your shot and need the meat. I bet most of my shots have been under 50yds. In the woods if you can't stalk to a positive shot with open sights you should learn. Never understood a trophy hunter and never will. My opinion killing game animals for fun is see the shrink time.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

one of my favorite hunting tools for rabbit is the throwing stick, this one is a pine burlGuests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[Gray Wolf]

one of my favorite hunting tools for rabbit is the throwing stick

That is a good if you are in a real survival situation, but like I said to someone else here, practice with a small target. Yes, you can hit the rabbit, maybe crack a rib, break a facial bone etc. and the rabbit still can get away, suffer a lot, and possibly die, and all you'll have is the knowledge that you hit it but it got away. If your not in a survival situation, you don't need to try to take the rabbit that way. I hope you understand what I'm saying, and do not take offense.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

That is a good if you are in a real survival situation, but like I said to someone else here, practice with a small target. Yes, you can hit the rabbit, maybe crack a rib, break a facial bone etc. and the rabbit still can get away, suffer a lot, and possibly die, and all you'll have is the knowledge that you hit it but it got away. If your not in a survival situation, you don't need to try to take the rabbit that way. I hope you understand what I'm saying, and do not take offense.

Not at all offended, i am a crack shot, and even i agree that "MERCYFUL" hunting practices is the way, but i do practice daily in my hunting skills. I dont own guns, THERE was an indian wise man who said, IF you do what you know and everbody expects that of you youve done right by them.

[Gray Wolf]

THERE was an indian wise man who said, IF you do what you know and everbody expects that of you youve done right by them.

But he got fired from his position as a wise man, and had to take a job working on the Mayan calendar.


P.S. You didn't get what I was saying.

i agree that "MERCYFUL" hunting practices is the way, but i do practice daily in my hunting skills. I dont own guns

Then maybe you should practice snares and traps. It's hard to believe that you have never missed with your stick, and if they got away, you don't know what kind of damage you did, and what kind of suffering you may have caused. Again, knowledge of the throwing stick is very useful in a real survival situation, but you can accomplish being a "crack shot" like a trained sniper does, WITH A SMALL non living target. JMHO

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

I would expect to under stand what ive seen and heard,I have never said anything with out purpose.I have found more than rocks,out there in the wilderness.you can say what ever you want. there realy is something that you government doesnt want you to know about.read what I said and youll know what they said. If you think that mankind is explained by clovis points thats only some of what you should have said. tell me who said: The winds between the stars lead to whirling void pockets; surrounded by seeds of thought, the basis of all creation?

[Gray Wolf]

Never mind, I'll just get a aluminum hat. Oh and the answer to your question "tell me who said: The winds between the stars lead to whirling void pockets; surrounded by seeds of thought, the basis of all creation?"

Timothy Leary....

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

I didnt mean that I hunted daily, I practice daily, Sorry but, I havent missed yet. I use other weapons. animals are fragile. it doesnt take much to break them, just read my signature,When I need, I ask, I recieve.you can only serve one master


I do not exist would disquiet you and the Gospel of the Messiah,an Angel from Heaven should announce differently than from what we have announced let him be accursed. As I have just said,now I again say it that if anyone announces you differently from what ye have recieved let him accursed. For now do I persuade men or D;or do I seek to please Men? For if i had now pleased Men I should not have been an ANT of the Messiah.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

Please Understand that I havent missed any thing hunting if it does ever happen, I agree
that I have caused suffering, I would feel bad about that. By hunting in groups that chance could possibly be reduced.