MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
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- South Bend, Indiana (near)
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<font color="blue"> Now here is my question: Is it more humane to shoot a deer with an arrow and have it die (typically in fairly short time) from blood loss... ] , or is it more humane to have them starve to death over a couple months, suffering the whole time? </font>
Bob,
I agree that it is better to thin the herd than let them starve. It has been proven time and time again by scientists and biologists in our Indiana state parks that this needs to be done not only for the good of the herd, but for the good of the entire ecosystem. Overpopulation of any one species is a problem and we all know how in areas with an overpopulation of deer, all life species suffer from lack of food and habitat. That is why they brought in the controlled hunts to some of the state parks. Before the hunts, the forest floor was bare from the dirt to as high as the deer could reach. About 6 –7 feet. All plant life in that range was gone with the exception of large trees. There were thousands of deer and little else. And the deer that were there were pathetic, skinny animals. Since the hunts, the parks have rebounded magnificently. The plants and other animals have returned, the deer are healthier and you can’t see through the forest for miles, like you could before. The controlled hunts worked very well.
As for my personal feelings about bow hunting…
Harvesting an animal for consumption or population control is fine with me. I enjoy the taste of venison and allow hunting on our property to a select few. However, I frown on bow hunting, while I accept firearm hunting. Here’s why… the hunters that I have talked to tell me firearms kill the deer faster, more efficiently and therefore more humanely. These hunters tell me a well-placed shot with a firearm usually drops the deer in its tracks or within a very short distance. They also tell me that with a well-placed shot with an arrow, the deer usually does not drop in its tracks. It runs off and takes longer to die. Either way, the deer dies. How it dies, the time it takes to die, and the pain it feels while it dies is important to me.
Do I want a ban on bow hunting? No. Do I let people bow hunt on my property? No. It’s a personal decision for each hunter or landowner.
And remember, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is not the same organization as your local Humane Society. They need your support and donations.
Bob,
I agree that it is better to thin the herd than let them starve. It has been proven time and time again by scientists and biologists in our Indiana state parks that this needs to be done not only for the good of the herd, but for the good of the entire ecosystem. Overpopulation of any one species is a problem and we all know how in areas with an overpopulation of deer, all life species suffer from lack of food and habitat. That is why they brought in the controlled hunts to some of the state parks. Before the hunts, the forest floor was bare from the dirt to as high as the deer could reach. About 6 –7 feet. All plant life in that range was gone with the exception of large trees. There were thousands of deer and little else. And the deer that were there were pathetic, skinny animals. Since the hunts, the parks have rebounded magnificently. The plants and other animals have returned, the deer are healthier and you can’t see through the forest for miles, like you could before. The controlled hunts worked very well.
As for my personal feelings about bow hunting…
Harvesting an animal for consumption or population control is fine with me. I enjoy the taste of venison and allow hunting on our property to a select few. However, I frown on bow hunting, while I accept firearm hunting. Here’s why… the hunters that I have talked to tell me firearms kill the deer faster, more efficiently and therefore more humanely. These hunters tell me a well-placed shot with a firearm usually drops the deer in its tracks or within a very short distance. They also tell me that with a well-placed shot with an arrow, the deer usually does not drop in its tracks. It runs off and takes longer to die. Either way, the deer dies. How it dies, the time it takes to die, and the pain it feels while it dies is important to me.
Do I want a ban on bow hunting? No. Do I let people bow hunt on my property? No. It’s a personal decision for each hunter or landowner.
And remember, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is not the same organization as your local Humane Society. They need your support and donations.
