Lots of mixed emotions Tony and I've dealt with them before.
Let me start by saying that if I ever walk up to a deer that I have killed and don't have a small, momentary, twinge of regret, I'll quit. Nuff said on that.
Yes, to me, hunting and killing go together. Denying that would be disingenuous. I can say that because of the overwhelming disappointment when I have missed a shot. That means that I worked hard, did everything right up to the conclusion, and failed. It's something like setting the hook and having the line break in the knot.
Ya know whats worse? Not recovering a wounded animal. In over 50 years of hunting, I've lost 3 and I remember each of them. That is going to happen if you hunt long enough. Some animals are so tenacious of life that they can seemingly go for miles with no blood pumping.
On the other hand, I have seen something much worse. In the early 1960's, I went camping at Possum Kingdom State Park. It's about 50 or so miles West of Fort Worth. No hunting was allowed. I saw big herds of starving, emaciated, deer. They had totally over grazed the range. When walking around we found a lot of dead ones. Local residents were trying to feed them but it was too little, too late. I can equate that to an over stocked pond with the resulting DO crash. In both cases, nature provides the equilibrium. But, that's not why I hunt.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
