Do you feel guilty after pulling the trigger?

[Karl Blanchard]

I think the emotions you are feeling post kill are common and simply show that you have a deep respect and appreciation for the animals you hunt.  I don't feel remorse but there is a moment of sadness in having taken a life.  My primary reason for hunting is to get meat for my family and myself.  It may sound silly to some, but I always thank the animal for giving it's life and thank God for granting me the opportunity to kill the animal.  I then get my hands dirty and move on.  I think if you do your best to make a clean kill, use the animal by removing as much meat as you can and treat the meat properly to prevent spoilage and consume it before it goes bad then there is nothing to feel remorseful for.  Arise, Kill and Eat.  Acts 11:7

well said

[pianoman9701]

I think the emotions you are feeling post kill are common and simply show that you have a deep respect and appreciation for the animals you hunt.  I don't feel remorse but there is a moment of sadness in having taken a life.  My primary reason for hunting is to get meat for my family and myself.  It may sound silly to some, but I always thank the animal for giving it's life and thank God for granting me the opportunity to kill the animal.  I then get my hands dirty and move on.  I think if you do your best to make a clean kill, use the animal by removing as much meat as you can and treat the meat properly to prevent spoilage and consume it before it goes bad then there is nothing to feel remorseful for.  Arise, Kill and Eat.  Acts 11:7

He actually is having these feeling before shooting and said he's actually hoping not to get a shot. 

[WAnoob]

I think the emotions you are feeling post kill are common and simply show that you have a deep respect and appreciation for the animals you hunt.  I don't feel remorse but there is a moment of sadness in having taken a life.  My primary reason for hunting is to get meat for my family and myself.  It may sound silly to some, but I always thank the animal for giving it's life and thank God for granting me the opportunity to kill the animal.  I then get my hands dirty and move on.  I think if you do your best to make a clean kill, use the animal by removing as much meat as you can and treat the meat properly to prevent spoilage and consume it before it goes bad then there is nothing to feel remorseful for.  Arise, Kill and Eat.  Acts 11:7

He actually is having these feeling before shooting and said he's actually hoping not to get a shot. 

Happens about half the time, maybe I'm talking myself out of taking the shot to avoid the little bit of sadness afterwards that follows.  I enjoy hunting for the aspect I know where the animal came from and I took care of of the animal, aside from processing.

[WAnoob]

I do appreciate all the opinions and comments, it is nice to know other people have similar feelings.  I've been on other forums where people have brought this up and got blasted nonstop for it.

[mfswallace]

For now the only shots I regret are the ones not taken 

[Southpole]

I do appreciate all the opinions and comments, it is nice to know other people have similar feelings.  I've been on other forums where people have brought this up and got blasted nonstop for it.

On Hunt-WA?? No way 

[HuntinCrazy]

  Very well said! we as hunters should give respect the animals by giving thanks for giving up its life, so we can enjoy the bounties of our labors.

IMO if we all didn't feel some remorse, not really guilt, we would be heartless killers.And all of us commenting about this thread shows just how much we do care about taking any life!

 

I think those feelings come with age. I've noticed a hand full of guys, I've know over the years, getting more "soft" about shooting animals. These same guys were killing machines back in the day and would have never thought twice about shooting animals. Like I said, I think some of it has some to do with age and maturity.

[WAnoob]

I do appreciate all the opinions and comments, it is nice to know other people have similar feelings.  I've been on other forums where people have brought this up and got blasted nonstop for it.

On Hunt-WA?? No way 

On my old Alaska forum haha

[7mmfan]

I feel for every animal I kill. Personally, I think that if you feel no remorse when you take an animals life, you shouldn't be hunting.

Last years buck was the first deer that I haven't made a perfect shot on and I felt terrible. Ask the guy who came upon me in the woods with my buck a few minutes after I put him down. He couldn't figure out why I wasn't ecstatic over killing such a great buck. That one took me a while to get over.

My buck this year, dropped in his tracks, game over instantly. When I got to him, I said a quick prayer, and a thank you, and got to work. I still felt remorse for the life taken, but far less because of how it was taken.

Despite all of that, and the surge of feelings I get when I put my hands on the animal, I have never once questioned taking a shot at an animal from that standpoint. I'm a hunter, I know why I hunt, and I have no regrets about killing any animal I have killed to feed my family. This will be the 5th year in a row that I have not bought meat other than chicken. We have eaten deer/elk/bear exclusively now and I couldn't be happier about that.

[Kittman]

Hopefully one day soon you will be able to work those feelings out with yourself.  I the past sometimes I have encountered reluctance to squeeze off the shot but not due to sadness, but due to hunting by myself and to overcome the physical challenges that would have been required to retrieve the animal myself.  Much sadness for my lower back certainly.

[BABackcountryBwhntr]

No no and no.. I don't feel remorse for the delicious meat on my table and beautiful mounts in my house.  As previously said, even a marginal shot is a better end then what nature has planned.

[Bob33]

Profound respect, and responsibility.

[bobcat]

I only feel really bad if the animal is still alive when I walk up to it. But otherwise, I don't think about it too much, just get busy doing what I need to do to turn it into tasty meat in my freezer.

[buglebuster]

I've never felt remorse or bad about killing an animal, just pure excitement and happiness that I filled a tag, whether it be a cow, or a 6x6 bull. The past few years I have changed a bit after the kill. I still feel the same after the shot, but when I get to the animal I always run my hand down its side and thank it for giving its life to feed me and my family.

[2MANY]

The last 15 years I have been very selective as I do not want to be judged by the animals.