Hunting????

[BaptistGirl101]

My boyfriend Mike just got a 12 gage pump shotgun for Christmas and he wants to start hunting but I am a big animals rights activists I have never hurt an animal in my life and I don't even use make-up that is tested on animals. Well he asked for my opinion on him hunting and I told him that even though I don't like it at all he can do it because it is his decision not mine well he refuses to hunt and even though the truth is I didn't want him to hunt he won't now and I feel bad about it because I think I ruined the fun of his present and I don't know what to do and I even tried convinsing him that it is ok for him to hunt but he still won't what do I do??? thanx for any answers but please don't bash me with insults I don't need them right now my nerves are shot

 

[Sketcher]

Basic values collision. Not good.

I've made a descision not to date outside my value system (Christian, conservative, etc). A couple, if they are going to marry, ought to be a team when it comes to raising kids, not fighting on every last point.

 

[MN John]

If I were him, I would want you to thank me for being sensitive to your feelings, desires, and preferences. You can still let him know that you would not ever actually ask him to stop hunting, but that you appreciate him for doing it of his own free will out of respect for you.

 

[Maeyken]

I don't understand the problem... He asked what you thought about him hunting, you shared your opinion, and he chose not to. It doesn't sound to me as though you forced your opinion on him, or said you'd break up with him if he did hunt, right? So then it was his choice. Perhaps he wasn't real keen on the idea of hunting to begin with, but what else do you do with a shotgun? It sounds as though you've made it clear both what your opinions of hunting are, and what your feelings about him hunting are. So he made a decision that he probably thought would make you happy, and now you are upset. Poor guy! He probably doesn't know what to think!

 

[BaptistGirl101]

The problem is that I feel like I ruined his present

 

[Mr.Cheese]

Hunters make up the largest and most active body of nature conservation.

I don't believe in poaching or trophy hunting.
If you kill it you better eat it.

We killed off the natural predators years ago so now we have to assume that responsibility in order to avoid overpopulation.

So hunting is not just a hobby or tradition. It's a necessity we brought upon ourselves.

 

[keyz]

The problem is that I feel like I ruined his present

Perhaps you did. But you do not completely know that so don't beat yourself up for something you don't even know. He did ask your opinion on it and you gave it. You did nothing wrong. You are not a bad person for sharing your opinion. ESPECIALLY, since he asked you for your opinion.

If you did so happen to ruin his present, he'll get over it. He asked your opinion and you gave it (honesty is a very good thing). You don't need to feel bad about that!

 

[Sketcher]

Hunters make up the largest and most active body of nature conservation.

I don't believe in poaching or trophy hunting.
If you kill it you better eat it.

We killed off the natural predators years ago so now we have to assume that responsibility in order to avoid overpopulation.

So hunting is not just a hobby or tradition. It's a necessity we brought upon ourselves.

Yep. Where I live, the deer population is badly in need of hunting. Better a well-aimed bullet or arrow that will do the job in a fraction of a second than starvation or a car that will drag it out.

 

[BaptistGirl101]

Yep. Where I live, the deer population is badly in need of hunting. Better a well-aimed bullet or arrow that will do the job in a fraction of a second than starvation or a car that will drag it out.

I hate to sound mean but if hunters would quit killing off the natural predators then hunters wouldn't need to go and thin the herds out now would they?

 

[Sketcher]

I hate to sound mean but if hunters would quit killing off the natural predators then hunters wouldn't need to go and thin the herds out now would they?

Too late for that. Wolves are all but extinct in my region, save for a small reserve. What we need to concentrate on is what can we do now to thin the herds.

 

[BaptistGirl101]

you can reintroduce animals like wolves but hunters dont want people to do that because thn they can't hunt

 

[AceHero]

[wearing leather jacket] "I. Eat. Meat."

 

[Iceman_Aragorn]

lol @ acehero.

To answer the OP's question, If you are afraid he made the choice to not hunt just for you, I'd say, first, try to see it as a noble sacrifice he made to make you happy and proud... you don't seem to feel that way about it now.

Second, I agree...perhaps he was undecided about whether or not he wanted to hunt.

Third, while I don't want to go out killing large animals for fun, there are some pretty base instincts guys have that are fulfilled by the hunt. Not that it specifically endorses hunting, but "Wild at Heart" gives insights that might help you understand that, and shed a bit more light onto why he might want to hunt, and it might help you understand and maybe even change your mind a bit on the subject.

So bascially, if you want to change your mind, you can, but don't do it just cause you think you are making the present he got useless. Guys do tend to like power and destruction, lol, but you can 'destroy' without killing. ie, shotgun + car graveyard = fun (i'm guessing).

 

[FaithfulServant]

I can tell your intentions were good. His present is just a material possession. Your relationship and feelings are more important. The only way to find out if the reason he chose not to hunt is because of respect for you or not is to ask. Have a talk with him and let him tell you what his opinion on hunting is. If he still chooses to not hunt out of respect for you, then it is a blessing that he respects your beliefs that much.

 

[Chajara]

Well, even if he doesn't hunt he can still go to the firing range, right? Besides, deer ARE overpopulated and even with natural predators they still stick to a cycle of overpopulation and then starvation, then they start to populate again. Just the way nature works.

In all honesty, I'd try not to worry about it so long as he is respectful of animals. If I had to kill something for food, I would do it quickly and painlessly and make sure I thanked both God for providing and the animal itself for giving up its life. Maybe you two can compromise, he gets to take one or two deer, and then he cooks you dinner with the delicious venison (and oh, how delicious venison is)

 

[Tuffguy]

See,, this is why i don't ask for other peoples opinions!