Do you feel guilty after pulling the trigger?

[huntingbaldguy]

I don't feel guilty about it, but i can tell you this year was the first year that i really wanted to be in the woods and wanted to be hunting.  I had moments rifle hunting the 2 years prior to this year, where i would be in the woods just to know i tried my best to put something in the freezer, but if i was being honest with myself i knew i didn't want to shoot something alone.  I passed on 2 legal animals and missed a 3rd that was a chip shot for me, last year.  It was a weird feeling year for me.  My hunting partner had kind of abandoned me for all of deer season and hunting alone was very tough for me to get the motivation going, especially when I'd get off work and head straight into the woods in the morning already exhausted. 

Elk season i had a psychological wall i couldn't get over.  I was miserable, even with my hunting partner.  I was exhausted and my gear was failing to keep me dry and the wind/fog/rain was destroying any motivation i had left, which all culminated in me missing a brute of a bull our last day.  We were walking to our morning spot and i kept saying to myself over and over and over, i hope we don't see anything.  When we saw that bull with his cows, i got in position to shoot and i lost all focus.  I forgot all shooting mechanics and i just screwed up everything i could have possibly screwed up, all because i was mentally and physically weak because of poor preparation.

I turned it around this past spring when my wife told me she wanted to start bow hunting.  I knew it was more work so we started working out and hiking, a lot.  Every weekend we were in the Olympics doing either a big elevation gain hike or a long day hike with the occasional overnighter.  Since i started doing the physical exercise part of it, I've realized i can't hunt if I'm not going to be in shape before the season.  Being out of shape is a mental drain as much as it's a physical drain.  Not saying this is your issue, but honestly bow hunting kind of changed my life and my attitude toward hunting.  It doesn't make me even remotely elite, but it makes me push myself to be stronger, better and sharper.  It makes it not so much about the killing, but when my wife got her doe and i got my buck this year, it was so much more fulfilling knowing that we put the time and effort into preparation this year. 

[jasnt]

I have never felt guilty.  I have grown up on a farm where many animals have been killed after raising them up. From an early age I just learned to except it. Every thing is going to die. I'd rather it went in the freezer than go to the buzzards or scavengers.  I personally don't look at death as a bad thing. Just a part of life.

[Smokepole]

I think you are getting your emotions mix up/confused.

Instead of feeling remorse, try celebrating.  God has given you the bounty of meat for your freezer.  Give thanks for it.  You have been given the opportunity to enjoy time in the great outdoors.  Give some thanks for that too.  Hunting is a pure an natural instinct.  Same with gathering or farming. 

If hunting for you has been reduced to nothing more than a slaughter, try taking up archery.  Put the fair chase back into it.

Personally, I say a prayer after I harvest an animal.  None of it goes to waste, so there is nothing to feel guilty about. 

[WAnoob]

WaNoob, this is a very interesting thread.  You would not know this, but many of those who have responded are the most responsible and respected members on this forum (not including myself in that group, of course).

Question: Is it too easy for you?

That is, if you are Alaska-raised, and have been hunting for all of your life, perhaps you are so good at it, your success rate is far above average.  What about upping the odds in favor of your prey?  Traditional archery, home-made arrows, moccasins, etc.  I wonder if you would feel the same if suddenly your odds went way down, and only connected once every several years. 

I would really like to hear your comments on that.

I have thought about this a great deal, I am still considering picking up bow hunting as I like the stalking aspect in hunting and I think the new challenge might be a great way to spark my interest again.  I think you are on point with your suggestion!

[Sitka_Blacktail]

I cannot say I feel guilty about killing an animal, but as others have said over my lifetime I have come to appreciate the beauty of these animals we pursue.  I no longer have the sense of urgency to take an animal, I find myself ok with eating my tag, and just having some quality time observing them.  I have started trying to instill this into my children, both of which have taken animals every year they have hunted.  My daughter held off several young bucks this year, and ultimately missed a good buck on our last day of the regular season.  My son had a late buck tag, and even with us observing dozens of bucks a day he chose to hold out for a mature deer.  We only ended up seeing a couple of deer that were what we were looking for, and things didn't go as we hoped so he chose to end his season with an un-notched tag as well.  I could not be more proud of either of them.

my hat is off to you and your kids my daughter has past up a few small bucks as well, its a great feeling..

I'm just the opposite. if I was to ever feel bad, it would be for taking a huge old buck that had overcome the odds and survived until I took him. It would be bittersweet.  On one hand he probably doesn't have much time left, but on the other maybe he could spread his genes one or two more seasons.  Makes me look at my own mortality.

[WAnoob]

It's nice to see a wide variety of opinions on this forum.  I may have to end up picking up a bow to put more of a challenge in my hunts from here on out, also some outstanding rain gear.  I thought I had good enough rain gear last month and I quickly found out how miserable a hunt turns when your gear isn't working like it should.  Hunting in the pouring rain makes you miss the snow!

[JJ79]

Personally, as a younger hunter (25) I get a lot of adrenaline seeing animals as well as taking a shot. Then the stress of tracking starts, so far ending with a great sensation once finding it dead. That has let me know that I did the best I could to dispatch the animal as humanely as possible. My first deer, I was so happy the whole time. My third deer it was a roller coaster of emotions. I love simply watching wildlife in nature and feeling that connection. I feel that it is not guilt or remorse, it is more along the lines as others have said, about respecting the animal and being thankful for the meat. My personal opinion is that if I don't feel comfortable shooting the animal for the meat I want to eat then I shouldn't eat meat. I don't like today's disconnection with where their food comes from, plus I feel better being able to provide for my family other than running to the supermarket. I thank my dad for teaching me what he has about hunting and life in general.  Sorry to ramble.

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[eastfork]

Not sure why one feels bad about killing......they have no feelings.....to admit that your going soft in your old age is something that I would maybe just keep to myself....I on the other hand truly enjoy killing. No greater feeling then watching the arrow strike home. Only sorrow I feel is at the end of a season when one must sprinkle a little salt on a tag to try to make it taste good......that kinda sucks. No offense to you but don't give up your man card.

[Seabass]

I never feel remorseful but always reverent. I have felt guilty about many things in my life but never from killing an animal I am going to eat. Guilt is a destructive emotion as it typically leads to paralysis.

[idaho guy]

 I also have only felt a little remorse after killing an old mature animail that I have pursued for a number of years. I guess its out of respect of being outwitted so many times and realizing the game is over. We raise beef and pigs and I also have never felt remorse for butchering them even when sometimes you get attached to their personalities. God told us to rule over the animails, be good stewards of them, but also EAT  them! My family, kids included, realize that's what there for to provide meat to our family or someone else.   Sounds like you are going to try archery and I think that is probably the solution. I have hunted my whole life and usually when I get pretty good at one way of hunting I have switched to another and it keeps the challenge alive. I am 48 and have definitely changed in my approach to hunting by any method. When I was a kid we could shoot 6 deer in eastern Montana. 1 buck and 5 does and you could shoot mule deer does which was like shooting fish in a barrel. We would go out and literally stack them up like cordwood in the back of the truck. We did eat it all but there is no way I would do that today there just would not be any enjoyment in doing that and especially processing all that meat. The advantage to living in Idaho is you can almost hunt year round and that's a disadvantage too because I think I was actually getting burnt out. I have done almost no hunting this year and have a bunch of tags in our pockets including Montana and 1 Washington tag for my boy. My plan is to take the next ten days off and hunt straight and I am really excited again for the first time in a while. I went out yesterday by myself to my old honey hole which has been discovered  unfortunately-but had a great time watched a few small bucks and remembered some of the nice ones I had gotten in the past. Only my son is old enough to hunt out of my kids but taking him out and watching him score has also reignited my passion for hunting. I think I have gone through something similar not in feeling remorse but just losing the passion for the hunt and the ultimate goal the kill. I think if you take on a new challenge-switch to a bow etc,sounds like you already took a break and take one of your kids or find a new hunter to take out you will be right back at it   

[DOUBLELUNG]

I find this to be a very interesting topic, thanks for bringing it up!
As a young hunter, my blood lust was very high, I just had to punch my tag. Now that I'm older, the punching of the tag has less importance.
When I was younger, I had something to prove to others and a family to feed. Now that I'm older I don't feel the need to prove anything to anyone, plus it's just me and the wife now, we raise beef now so the venison is not quite as important. It would have been interesting to know the age of all the folks that posted to this thread, I bet we would see as one gets older, these feelings start creeping in.
And yes I do at times feel hesitant at times, before the shot. But that feeling usually doesn't last long.....   

The gentleman I know were changing around their 50's.

Makes sense, I'm 48.
Used to be, in the advanced hunter study material. A small book, I don't remember the author or the title, but it had to do with the 5 stages of a hunter.
The author roughly said, as we age our outlook and goals of the hunt change. I found it to be one of the more interesting pieces of material, in the study packet. Maybe someone on here has more information on the book, I would not mind reading it again.

I don't know the study material, but sounds like you are describing Jim Posewitz's Beyond Fair Chase.  A great read for anyone who hunts.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

I also have only felt a little remorse after killing an old mature animail that I have pursued for a number of years. I guess its out of respect of being outwitted so many times and realizing the game is over.

Yup, we as hunters can screw up or get fooled many times and survive, but for a prey animal, all it takes is one little mistake or piece of misfortune, and they are done for. Doesn't matter how many times they avoided danger before that.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I don't feel remorse, but my drive/need to kill an animal has been reduced.  I find it much easier as I age to not take a shot that isn't perfect, and I feel remorse when I take a shot that isn't perfect - a miss to me is the same as a gut shot and lost animal.  I find I pass many more opportunities, not out of remorse, but because I'm reluctant to take any shot that isn't an absolute chip shot.  My screen name represents my highest value in hunting - two punched lungs. 

I'll weigh in on my back story as that seems to be of interest to some.  I grew up in a nonhunting family in New Hampshire, turned 18, bought a couple of guns, took hunter safety and started hunting - about 98% on my own.  Killed a couple of deer and lots of waterfowl, upland birds, and small game.  Moved to Wyoming for grad school at age 23 during a time of high game abundance, in my first 3 seasons I was a stone-broke student and pure subsistence hunter - I think I killed more than 20 deer and antelope, so I got the bloodlust/body count out of the way pretty quick.  I also fancied myself a rifleman, my first 12 deer and antelope were all 1 shot, 1 kill out to 545 yards.  I made a low gut shot on my 13th, and though I eventually caught up to that antelope buck and finished him, that was a pronounced change in my thoughts on taking shots, and put me on the path toward putting the kill ahead of the shot.  In my 30 years hunting I was fortunate to kill more than 1,000 upland game birds and waterfowl, and somewhere around 100 big game animals tagged of 8 species.  The excitement of taking the shot has evaporated, but I still get great satisfaction from a 1-shot kill - and great dissatisfaction when I don't. 

[WAnoob]

I think this post has made me sound way older than I actually am, I'm only 27 Time to look at archery or muzzle loading for a change of pace. 

I honestly think a big part of it is I haven't had the time to go on any extended "real" hunting trips in the past few years.  Usually we would go out hunting for 2 weeks at a time but due to working and school restraints I haven't been able to even go on an over night trip.  I'm quitting my job soon and going to school full time and I promised myself I would make time next fall to at least go on a high hunt in the Pasayten or go Elk hunting.  The timing works out perfect for the high hunt if I can find someone to go with 

[Idighuntin]

No.