Free: Contests & Raffles.
I saw the other thread. (now)Not sure this is really a debate but yes, I do treat them a little differently. I'll shoot at a running coyote and risk a poor hit where I wouldn't take that shot on a deer or elk. I've lost deer before and it sucks real bad. Fact is, speaking for myself, I don't have those same feelings for coyotes, pigeons, starlings, mice etc.
I'm curious as to why some look at wounding a coyote and it getting away differently than wounding something like a deer?
I've noticed for years with many folks there seems to be a direct correlation between the size of an animal and the perceived value of their life and suffering. I think that's interesting, and I'm not sure I completely understand it.
One of my best friends is a cattleman, he has thousands of head of cattle in several states. He has seen coyotes eating half born calves while the cow is of course freaking out. He has lost animals to cougar. He tries to eradicate all of the predators he can because it's also his livelihood that is affected. He know that predators do what they do to survive. Cattle graze, predators hunt. He still believes, strongly, that the predators he kills deserve to die quickly. He won't pass up an opportunity to kill one, but I know for a fact that when he wounds one he dispatches it quickly if he can, or tries to locate it. Honestly, if he felt any other way we obviously wouldn't be friends. I'm still really surprised at the attitudes of so many folks. Just because an animal doing what they do naturally effects you doesn't mean it's okay if they suffer. Not in my mind anyway. I know nobody is advocating torturing animals like coyotes, but some of the attitudes about it being okay if they're caused do suffer is a bit shocking.
Quote from: drysideshooter on October 27, 2017, 01:18:13 PMOne of my best friends is a cattleman, he has thousands of head of cattle in several states. He has seen coyotes eating half born calves while the cow is of course freaking out. He has lost animals to cougar. He tries to eradicate all of the predators he can because it's also his livelihood that is affected. He know that predators do what they do to survive. Cattle graze, predators hunt. He still believes, strongly, that the predators he kills deserve to die quickly. He won't pass up an opportunity to kill one, but I know for a fact that when he wounds one he dispatches it quickly if he can, or tries to locate it. Honestly, if he felt any other way we obviously wouldn't be friends. I'm still really surprised at the attitudes of so many folks. Just because an animal doing what they do naturally effects you doesn't mean it's okay if they suffer. Not in my mind anyway. I know nobody is advocating torturing animals like coyotes, but some of the attitudes about it being okay if they're caused do suffer is a bit shocking.We're not saying anything different from your cattleman friend. I'm not going to stand there and watch as they flop around and no one else is saying that either. None of us have said they'd like to see or would allow them to suffer. Not sure where you think you're going with this.