From: achenbac@epcot.spdc.ti.com (Jeff Achenbach)
Subject: Re: why is hunting ethical? [was Re: Colorado Hunters under attack]
Organization: TI Semiconductor Process and Design Center
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 16:05:01 GMT

In article <1993Jan5.233302.6434@beaver.cs.washington.edu> nick@skate.cs.washington.edu (Nicholas Kushmerick) writes:
>In article <1993Jan5.031347.22120@spdc.ti.com>, achenbac@epcot.spdc.ti.com (Jeff
>Achenbach) writes:
>|>    Although I call [hunting] recreation (fresh air, exercise, and not absolutely 
>|> necessary to my survival) I don't feel the term does justice to the range
>|> of emotions experienced. Going into the wild, discovering and deciphering
>|> the ways of the target species, and (hopefully) putting food on my family's
>|> table gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride that I don't get by 
>|> going to work in a research lab and bringing home a paycheck with which to
>|> buy food raised and killed by someone else. Sad to say I lack the skills to
>|> adequately explain this.
>
>That you enjoy your hobby does not make it ethical.  Suppose I told you that my
>hobby was throwing bricks into storefront windows.  You'd tell me to stop.  And
>no amount of "But it's fun" or "Well lots of people do it" or "But I get lots of
>enjoyment from make a successful getaway" on my part would make you wrong to try
>to stop me.
>
>So you should stop trying to convince me that hunting is fun.  I believe you when
>you tell me you enjoy hunting.  Instead, you should try to convince me that it is
>ethical.
>
>Let's consider another abuse of animals, cock fights.  Do you think this it is
>ethical for people to stage cock fights?  Suppose someone said "But I LOVE cock
>fights.  I can't really explain it.  It's just fun.  Part of my heritage.  And
>besides, there only chickens."   How would you respond?
>
>-- Nick
>
>(PS: yes, I am comparing hunting to cock fights: animal suffering for primarily
>recreational purposes.)

I don't consider it a valid comparison. The hunter tries to achieve a quick 
clean kill. A merciful death, if you'll forgive the contradiction. A cockfight
has as it's purpose, the prolonged suffering of the combatants. I'm not saying
some games animals do not suffer a prolonged death, but that is certainly not
the intent. I am adamantly opposed to cockfights, dogfights, and many other
things I consider to be animal abuse. I do not consider game animals to be 
equivalent to domesticated animals, for whom we assume total responsibility.
When I go into the woods to attempt to kill an animal for dinner, I freely
accept the responsibility for killing, or in the case of dangerous game (which
I don't really get the opportunity to hunt, except for hogs) being injured or
killed. That is the reason people hunt dangerous game. It is, to a degree,
a reliving of our primitive past. I am not ashamed or apologizing for that.
If I worried about every possible harm I did to every creature on earth, I 
could never again walk in a meadow for fear of trampling innocent insects.
I couldnt eat grain harvested by machine because it harms ground nesting birds
and small mammals. I couldn't type this message because the electricity running
my computer was generated by fossil fuels doing harm to wildlife habitat. 
Same for hydroelectric power.
   I am concerned with the health of animal populations. As individuals, I
try to make their death quick and merciful. I am grateful for the nourishment
obtained through their death. I do not consider myself above nature or separate
from it. I am a part of it, and I am a predator. 

Jeff Achenbach