Text and Wildlife Photography ©Jim Robertson
In response to a favorable comment to a post about a goose hunter who shot his 45 year old son in a hunting accident, one Facebook reader replied:
“I find it disheartening that so many anti-hunters take such psychotic joy in the death of human beings…I find this sort of cheerleading just as bad as the hunters that flaunt their kills. Show some compassion for a change.”
To which I responded, “It’s not that anti-hunters don’t have any compassion; just that their limited supply of it is focused on the original victims (in this case the geese). As police reported about the incident, ‘The two had Canadian Geese decoys spread out in front of their blind…’ Yes, this was a tragedy for the hunters…but they were out there to cause pain, suffering and death for an untold number of geese—a gentle species who care for one another and mate for life. Yesterday afternoon, after the constant blasting of shotguns earlier that day, we saw and heard a lone goose calling mournfully for its lost mate. It is not a game or a sport for the geese—is nothing short of heartbreak.
Hunting accidents are a good way to remind the public about the lethal violence inherent in the “sport” of hunting. To reach the average viewer, the media has to frame everything in the context of how it affects a person. Most people are anthropocentric and have little or no compassion for non-humans. If a human doesn’t get maimed or killed once in a while, people continue to believe the misguided notion that hunting is just a friendly, social hour for traditional family-values proponents; “ethical” conservationists (claiming to be doing the animals a favor by killing them); or worse yet, those fashionable so-called locavore foodies who think of wildlife only as a source of flesh to stuff in their trendy, goateed, hipster gob.
What real harm is there in cheering on the underdog (or deer or
goose or wolf) with remarks like, “What a shame,” “One less hunter out there,” “Another Darwin award,” or “Now he knows what the animals went through.” A mite insensitive, perhaps, but people’s attitudes during wartime can turn rather ugly. And make no mistake; hunting is like war to the animals and those who advocate for them. No doubt the otherwise compassionate Allies cheered as their enemies were eliminated. After all, how much compassion did Hitler and his ilk deserve anyway?
Still, in one way, devoted anti-hunters can be compared to fanatical wolf hunters who won’t be satisfied until they attain their ultimate goal: the total annihilation of their quarry. Yet anti-hunters and other compassionate misanthropists aren’t really planning to march out there and off all hunters. They know that the end of hunting won’t come about merely through hunting accidents or people violently targeting them. There’s too much pro-hunting propaganda out there and too many hunters breeding mini-Me’s as ready-made hunting partners to one day take over the tradition.
Never mind that folks can get together in the out-of-doors to take a hike, watch birds or photograph wildlife—without taking any lives.
No, hunting isn’t going to end because of a high hunter body count. Not unless those who survive are willing to learn from others’ mistakes and lay down their weapons once and for all.
Now that’s a vision of the future to be thankful for.
Exposing the Big Game 
Why don’t humans who feel sorry for animal killers, find it in their hearts to have at least the same compassion for the unarmed, innocent animal victims, whose lives are snuffed out by psychopaths who have to kill in order to get a thrill?
Yep, that’s the question!
Thanks again for another courageous and spot-on post. Sympathizing with the recreational shooters in this case makes about as much sense as feeling sorry for the hardships experienced by the mobile Einsatzgruppen in eastern Europe during World War II as they went about exterminating unarmed Jews. Or maybe we should feel pity for the NKVD executioners who often developed carpal-tunnel syndrome from having to shoot so many class enemies in the back of the head with their handguns. And what about poor OJ and that painful hand laceration he incurred while stabbing his wife and her boyfriend to death. For gosh sakes, what kind of hopeless ass is unable to distinguish between “victim” and “victimizer” and wastes sympathy on the perpetrator while the countless victims go unmourned, even unacknowledged?
Excellent point and examples. The blood from OJ’s wound matched some of the DNA found at the scene, yet his clever (shrewd) lawyers made him out as the real victim. Forget about his wife, whose head he nearly hacked off in the process of getting his hand cut.
Of course we have compassion – but also, I think of these poor animals who, in an instant, have their lives changed and hell rained down upon them, and when it’s over – nothing is the same. What do they make of our self-entitled bullying? How do they understand it? Hunting is a dangerous activity for all involved.
“What do they make of our self-entitled bullying? How do they understand it?”
Great comment and question! Wild animals have such a low view of humans that they run, swim or fly for their lives whenever strange people come into their territory (unless their in a park or protected area).
I have wondered about this too. There is more to the destructive act of hunting than the actual act of killing itself. Animal families are literally torn apart during “hunting season,” babies & yearlings are made orphans, or they often witness their family member crawling away, wounded, leaving a trail of blood, never to be seen again. What horrendous terror is inflicted upon them–just for human wants–I cannot imagine.
In my opinion the main difference is: even the most “violent” post doesn’t kill anybody. Hunters kill. We don’t go around shooting, we just vent our rage and sadness. Those who disagree with us should ignore us, and think of the victims.
If we could just get them to think of the animal victims…
Well said and an important point so often over looked or acknowledged. All life is equal and Sentient.
Thanks Cindi.
… Late on commenting, but I’m just now reading this. … Very well written and clearly stated.
Reblogged this on Exposing the Big Game.
I am thankful that there are other people out there like Jim who think like I do.
People like to use the term “wish them dead”. They think we are wishing the hunters all dead.
No. That’s not it at all. We wish they would stop the senseless killing of innocent animals.
We wish for Karma. We wish they could see how beautiful a live animal is to watch and enjoy.
We don’t wish the hunters (killers) dead. We just want the killing to end. We hope that hunting accidents will teach a lesson….but unfortunately, they don’t.
Thanks for this post.
Thanks for the comments.