There are as many ways to justify either side of the hunting debate as there are people. In the end, the decision to hunt or support hunting, or not, is a very personal one.

Let's face it. With few exceptions, we do not need to kill animals to live anymore. Our society has become sophisticated enough to provide ourselves various kinds of meat through a very controlled process of growing and killing stock, putting it into packages, buying it at a store and putting it into our freezers.

The decision and justification to support hunting comes down to how you are influenced in one or more areas such as, religion, upbringing, politics, personal experience. Those of us who hunt can bear witness to the fact that Christians are taught that man was given dominion over the animals and the birds, and we interpret that to mean that we are given the right to raise, manage, and kill animals to meet our needs.

Often, we hunt because we were raised in an environment where hunting was supported and encouraged. We were rewarded with our family's approval when we were successful in our hunt. We continue to hunt because it is part of our fabric.

Hunting has lately become a political football. Depending on the area you live in, you will either find hard-nosed support for hunting, vast ambivalence, or downright disdain. For example, in Maine and other areas of the country rich in hunting tradition, hunting has come under fire from anti-hunting groups. Hunters can never again rest easy with their tradition. Well-heeled opposition will always be nipping at our feet.

Finally, for many hunters hunting is an extremely personal experience. The actual kill is an integral part of the whole picture, but it is far from being the whole picture. Many hunters today look forward to simply being outdoors, perhaps with a member of the next generation. We are thrilled by the preparation and anticipation. Whether we step off our back porch and into the woods and fields, or we pile our gear into the truck and head off into the wilds, we can barely contain ourselves waiting for the time to get up, get dressed, and go. Sometimes we relish hunting alone for the solitude, the chance to accomplish something on our own, or get away from the pressures and stresses of everyday living. Sometimes we look forward to the comraderie of hunting with others. Either way, there is no comparison to the feeling of stalking game, having the opportunity to see game, make decisions about whether to harvest a particular speciman, and making a clean kill.

I know of few hunters who don't feel a little remorse or sadness immediately after a kill. However, from my experience, that feeling comes from the respect I have for the animal, and is as much a part of the hunt as any other. Many hunters have a little ritual they perform to show their respect for the harvested animal.

To find the morality in hunting, one need only look as far as oneself, and one's own belief system in order for it to be the right thing to do. To make hunting possible for the next generations, we must find others with like beliefs, group together-overlooking our minor differences- and actively support our beliefs in a well-orchestrated and on-going plan. After all, this is exactly what the anti-hunting community is doing.

Learn more about this author, Shannon Leary.
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