My whole take on the hunting thing

I wanted to express my feelings on hunting, but decided to do it here, outside of the forum where my friends are so that those who don't want to read my thoughts don't have to: (hopefully my jumbled thoughts make sense)

I'm anti-hunting but I also eat meat.

But let me further explain. We rarely cook and eat meat at home - most of my meat-eating takes place away from home, because being a vegetarian is inconvenient. I know, because I've been one in the past. I follow the LDS word of wisdom that dictates meat should be eaten sparingly (actually it says only in times of famine and winter, but obviously that was written in another century). I do not eat meat every day. I also eat organic and/or free-range when I can. We buy everything we can from our local dairy (that also delivers) - milk/milk products, eggs, produce, etc. I completely think that the non-organic ways of food production are inhumane for the animals and unhealthy for us humans. (but that is a discussion for another day)

The reason I am anti-hunting has nothing to do with it being inhumane to the animals. It is because I feel in today's society, there is no reason (other than for the simple sport of taking a life) that we need to collect our food that way. While I believe the animal will suffer less being shot vs. starving to death, the starving to death thing doesn't bother me so much. Its that whole survival of the fittest thing - let the animals take care of them selves like the have for 1000s of years. I have always considered myself a conservationalist, but perhaps that isn't the correct term to describe me. I actually went to college for a degree in Planning and Resource Management, and was initially attracted to the field because of the managing resources stuff (of course I work now in planning, but that also is a discussion for another day). Because of my background and current job, I understand that man is altering traditional animal habitats. Perhaps my feelings on how this is being managed is a little hypocritical. On one hand, I completely support the reintroduction of animals into their historical habitat (like the wolves into Yellowstone); however I do not support the killing of them simply to manage herds. (I know, makes no sense)

My dad and brother are hunters - especially my brother who loves both bow hunting and rifle. They are also avid fishermen. They have brought home meat and fish quite often that I always politely refuse. More often than not though, the fish does not get eaten or it becomes fertilizer for my mom's roses. That disgusts me. I feel that they fish simply for the sport of killing the fish. To me, it is violent, cruel, and unnecessary. At least the animals slaughtered for food production are typically stunned first, and then have an artery severed so death is quick. My husband's uncle is a multi-millionare and is squandering his fortune by going to places like Africa, China, and the North Pole to hunt exotic animals simply to have a trophy. He's got a gawd awful room in his house that is remnisant of a scene from that old Patrick Swaze movie Road House. It makes me sick that he's paying $100,000s simply for that. The violent aspect of hunting bothers me so much that I never could even marry a man who hunts. I do not believe in guns and I will not have them in my home.

Hmmm . . . its after 11pm, and I'm tired, which is probably evident as I'm just rambling now.