Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Hunting/Trapping 2014-2015

I've thought about this thread a lot today, and I'm curious as to how hunting compares to fishing? Like Dave says, hunting is expensive. RAH has implied the same thing. And when I look over all of my fishing gear, there's a considerable sum there. But is it necessary?

I think it may go back to where I stood earlier today. Am I fishing for sport, or food? If it's sport, then it equates to recreation..which to me at least, hints at a certain measure of disposable income. After all, I could catch fish with a cane pole, if food was the objective. I wouldn't be quite as particular as to size, or species if I were hungry, and spending money I didn't have on nice gear would not be a priority when suppertime rolled around.

I know some families around here that look at hunting the same way. Money is tight, and food is expensive. Instead of multiple firearms, it makes a lot more sense financially for them to get a shotgun with an extra slug barrel. Now it's a multi-purpose gun, used for all sorts of game. Just like that cane pole. That's hunting/fishing for meat, in my eyes. It ain't perfect or ideal, but it provides the most bang for my buck.

Hunting for sport on the other hand, may indicate an entirely different set of circumstances. At least in my opinion. Sport fishing is often catch and release, maybe not all of the fish, but usually a fair amount. The thrill of holding that fish, or bringing it alongside the boat, is the goal. Sure, you COULD eat it, but it's not necessary, as long as the fish is uninjured you can simply release it for another day. Deer hunting for sport on the other hand, means the animal is down and not getting back up. Now, someone HAS to eat it...might as well tell myself that was the goal all along.

Let's travel a few years into the future. Sport hunters now carry electronic rifles that stun the deer instantly. No tracking or chasing, it drops right where it stands, provided my shot placement was accurate. Now I can hold it, touch it, get my photo taken with it...and then watch it recover, get up and walk away. I've still needed to do everything I always did before with a ballistic firearm, the only difference is after the shot I won't have antlers on the wall, or blood on my clothes. Perhaps my smart phone will even be capable of scanning the animal in 3D, to have a reproduction made by a capable taxi.

Would the appeal of sport hunting still be there?

I think the most likely response by some would be the need to harvest deer for management purposes. And I would agree. But that response neatly sidesteps the question at hand.