I like to kill. That’s not something most people will admit to. But I’m a hunter and that’s what hunters do. We hunt and kill animals. It’s that simple. I love the sound of a bullet hitting meat. I love the warm, sticky feeling of fresh blood on my hands. I like cutting meat and turning it into food.

In the core of my being, nothing (except maybe sex) feels more natural. Instinctually I know it’s one of the things that I’m meant to do. It feels far more natural to hunt (and kill) than it does to sit in endless meetings or spend hours in front of a computer. Trying to explain that to someone who’s never hunted is difficult.

In our increasingly urban society, with school shootings and gang violence a part of the everyday news, hunters feel the need to play down the essential violence of our sport. “I just like getting outdoors” or “I really do it to hang out with my buddies” are explanations I’ve heard many hunters sheepishly give non-hunters when questioned about our sport. Worse yet is “It’s just an excuse to get out and drink beer with the guys.” We use terms like “harvest” and “take” instead of kill to describe what we do. We play down the essential act, the essential consummation, of our sport.

I realize that everyone hunts for a different reason. Maybe for some it really is just an excuse to get out of the house or spend some time with friends. Honestly, I don’t really care what a person’s reasons are for going afield, but by definition hunting involves killing. If killing something isn’t a possibility when you go out, then you’re not hunting. You’re hiking or wildlife viewing, both of which are noble endeavors in and of themselves, but they’re not hunting.

I have a great respect for the animals I hunt. I do everything in my power to ensure that my kills are as quick and painless as possible. Unfortunately, sometimes they’re not. In nature (and I’m a part of nature) death is not always painless or quick. When I make a kill, I sometimes feel a sense of sadness at turning a beautiful animal into meat. But in the end, that’s the way every living thing ends up. Whether it’s by my bullet or arrow, or disease, starvation, injury or old age, everything eventually dies. It’s the cycle of life and our species has been a part of it for at least the past 30,000 years. I can’t comprehend how people can say that humans hunting and killing is unnatural. It’s unnatural for us not to do so. We’re just another of many predators that inhabit this planet.

Our sport continues to come under increasing pressure from many well meaning, but uniformed people. When questioned by these people, if we act embarrassed by our actions we’re sending the wrong message. Hunting is our birthright and we shouldn’t be embarrassed by enjoying it. Personally, I’m proud to admit that I like to kill.

Tags: ethics, hunting, killing