This pitiful excuse for a human being

blinko, loud chuckle!!

Thank goodness for that...

Just noticed there's no icon for a little dick...

I think it's all about machismo - or as I call it, little dick syndrome! Yuk!

Ah yes, and as said, a lot of hypocrisy re wanting cheap meat and not asking about husbandry, welfare, transport and slaughter- and yet going on about shooting rabbits- good life in the wild and an immediate death.

For me, the thrill was in the finding wild animals to stalk- that is to watch, from a distance- without interefering. I used to do a lot of badger watching in the wild, and the thrill when the animals come out, adn then the cubs- was amazing. For OH it is the thrill of stalking an animal so he can photograph it- again from a distance and without interference. I could never ever stalk a deer, admire it, and then shoot it between the eyes- to be eaten or not. But at least it does make more sense, I agree.

Much less meat these days for us, a special treat- and locall sourced from good farmers, excellent husbandry, short transport and respectful and as humane as poss slaughter. DD1 does the same from lcoal butcher in Surrey- but it is expensive! Again, less, but better quality, husbandry, feeds and slaughter.

I was talking more generally than about Cecil the lion. Like most people I don't think it was necessary to kill that lion, I don't think his being cut up for meat would have made any difference to the reactions the shooting provoked, and I don't understand what thrill the man who did it gets out of killing large animals.

I can, however, imagine the thrill of being a proper hunter hunting for food for oneself and one's family or tribe and I don't think that is wrong. I know someone who shoots rabbits that his mother then cooks for the family. It used to be much more common. And I can imagine that it is very satisfying to be a good enough shot to do that because I shoot arrows at targets and it is satisfying to hit the gold. The satisfaction is with the skill one has developed, not with killing.

But it makes no sense nowadays when referring to human beings. Good husbandry, local and fast and as humane and poss slaughter - and I'd agree there is a lot of hypocrisy re meat.

I truly do not understand the thrill of the stalker over his prey, in a modern context - be it for eating or for 'sport' - would it really have made any difference to the world's reaction had Cecil been cut up for the pot. Not to me, it wouldn't. I totally get the need to cull some animals in some situations- and as said, think the Geneva idea of trained marksmen, also trained in ecology, animal welfare and farming, etc. true professionals, doing the job knowing the whole picture and local ecology, doing the job truly professionally and all properly recorded and accounted for.

The healthy part is a reference to the fact that prey animals do less well without predators and predators do less well without prey. It's a natural biological relationship between types of species, each dependent on the other for optimum survival.

What is healthy about a relationship ! Between the stalker and the stalked thatbags? Have you enjoyed being stalked ?

I'd rather be shot than starve to death.

And a very high excess of deer ends up with some of them starving because there isn't enough browsing material for them all. Deer populations kept in check by wolves or lynx or humans (by any animal that eats them) don't have that problem

We are all predators, even vegetarians and vegans, because farming – digging soil, changing ecosystems – causes the deaths of lots of creatures, swarms of small creatures in fact. Predation is not intrinsically wrong. Prey animals need predators as much as the predators need prey. It's all about life balance.

Excessive and damaging deer populations, for instance, are only possible because their predators, including we humans, have been removed or otherwise prevented from preying upon them.

What is the motivation for stupid little men like this dentist (and plenty of others, women too) to want to murder animals of any kind for pleasure? The shameful, despicable Mr. Palmer obviously isn't starving, doesn't need to hunt for meat to feed a family or make clothing or shoes from the skin. He must have serious inadequacies in his view of himself so feels the need to boost his machismo in this display of ultimate domination. My friend is more pointed in her view of this - thinks he must have a small "manhood"! I think we all know what she means. I am aware that there is a large and lucrative business in Africa dealing with the hunting of animals on safari trips etc legally and illegally. It's a pity that Cecil had to die to highlight this industry and the plight of these animals, whether endangered or not. Predatory humans are some of the worst creatures on earth.

In north America I understand that hunting, e.g. of moose or deer, is allowed. If people eat what they kill (as lions do) I have no problem with hunting. I can understand the thrill of stalking and bringing down one's prey when it is for food but, like others on here, I don't like it when it is for trophies. Trophy hunting loses the meaning of the healthy and natural relationship between predators and prey.

He won't be extradited or punished, but his business will suffer, so he will be punished for a while.

Agree with Nelliemosers post.

Nelliemoser, agreed- but then if animals need to be controlled for good reasons, do it properly, quickly and as humanely as possible. I really like the way things are done in Geneva area. A group of trained animal rangers, who know the lie of the land perfectly, all the herds and most of the animals- and will keep an eye on the whole area- and take out (kill) any animal that is sick or suffering, or causing real problems- having worked with farmers , etc, first, to see if protection measures can be taken.
No hunting allowed- and it is done properly quickly and safely, by excellent shots who never miss, if and only if, and all properly recorded, with the safety of the population in mind.

If only these 'sportsmen' had to go on a lion hunt the same way as young Masai did in order to qualify as warriors. They had to go into the bush alone, no body armour, carrying only a spear. Only when they had killed a lion, could they claim to be men. I'm glad the tradition has died out. Lions are now endangered and there is no reason at all to hunt them down for 'sport'.

I think anyone who kills an animal for fun/sport is a "pathetic excuse of a human being" . I simply cannot understand how anyone could get enjoyment from hunting and killing an innocent animal. Pure evil.

NFK has made a good point. Over large populations of a particular species can seriously damage the environment. Deer and Goats are particular "offenders" and if populations are unchecked they can do serious ecological damage.

I have no objection to culling animals in areas where their numbers are so big they are damaging the enviroment or the species.
What I find distateful is making a "sport" out of a necessary process.

In certain areas of Britain grey squirrels are killed to protect the native populations of our Red squirrels.

Good one Anya!

I used to think that fox hunting was necessary as probably the best way to control foxes. They're nearly all fluffy fur so getting a clean kill was nigh on impossible. But I met a gamekeeper who manages land abutting Thetford forest (very high deer and fox population - too high - trees eaten away to six foot up and so no cover for ground nesting birds, easy prey for fox - stone curlews as well as partridge). He maintains fox are a necessary part of the food chain. He hunts fox at night using heat sensitive guns and night sights. He says he never misses and chooses which animal needs to be culled. This way he maintains a stable population of healthy animals. He also has licensed deer managment to keep the deer population at a reasonable level.

There's no need now for fox hunting.

.

Ooops, Ana, coping with cataracs is proving difficult at times, thank you, yes I meant to type orgasm

Did you mean 'orgasm', Anniebach? I can only assume that those young women were seeking thrills of the most base kind - it's not something that anyone with a smidgeon of respect for life of any kind can understand.

granjura, a power thing? or fulfilling a need to take a life ? Leading up to the fox hunting debate there was a programme on BBC 2 where hunters were interviewed, there was the usual - we are carrying out vermin control, but two young women were at least honest , one said to the other - it's beats an organism doesn't it ?, the other girl said - definitely. . I have watched many kills , filmed them too, the faces of the hunters are quite frightening to see