# Remorse After The Kill



## john decker (Jan 21, 2010)

agree with all the posts above.not sure I feel remorse because it usually takes a bunch of effort to set up /make the kill.i do feel a great respect for the animal be it buck or doe and thank the lord for the chance that was presented.


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## Berserker (Aug 10, 2014)

I am usually glad I don't have to sit out in the cold anymore.


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## sparky18181 (Apr 17, 2012)

i dont know if I have remorse but I do have a greater appreciation for the moment after the kill. I thank GOD for letting me hunt and for giving me this animal to enjoy with my family. I used to just shoot the first buck I saw and now I am more selective and sometimes being selective leaves me without a deer but that's ok too. Those thoughts of killing a deer aren't that important anymore. All life is precious and you re right, the older you get the more meaning it has


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## shoelessjoe (Dec 13, 2012)

Yes, I have felt remorse after every deer I have harvested, from the first 8"Spike to the 4.5 year old Doe I harvested this morning. It will never change for me. There was a time that I was going to quit hunting. So, I have basically quit hunting with a firearm it bothers me.


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## Sasquatch Lives (May 23, 2011)

I have always felt sadness after taking a deer. Several years ago I decided to only take mature bucks from then on. Nothing wrong with taking small bucks (and man I have shot my share) but it feels good to let a few young ones walk too.

Matter of fact, yesterday my 11 yr. old daughter bowhunted with me and I am pretty sure the two bucks we saw were two that I had passed on last year. If I had shot them last year we wouldn't have had the chance to enjoy watching them together.


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## Lumberman (Sep 27, 2010)

Like mentioned above a little remorse means you have a healthy sense of empathy. 

No remorse means you're a sociopath. 

Too much remorse means you're out of touch with reality. 

So congrats you're a typical, healthy, and grounded human.


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## 2508speed (Jan 6, 2011)

shoelessjoe said:


> Yes, I have felt remorse after every deer I have harvested, from the first 8"Spike to the 4.5 year old Doe I harvested this morning. It will never change for me. There was a time that I was going to quit hunting. So, I have basically quit hunting with a firearm it bothers me.


Congrats on the deer. Just wondering how firearm deer hunting bothers you more than archery? I have friends that are not fond of archery because they think it's a painful death. But yet they are firearm hunters because it kills em faster. Myself, I do both and can't say I feel anymore remorse than throwing a fish in the cooler. But I'm a meat hunter.


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## 2508speed (Jan 6, 2011)

When I watch them tossing salmon in that Seattle fish market, I find that disrespectful to the species.


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

Just threw a blackened whitefish in the hot cast iron pan a few minutes ago. No remorse. Pure Joy!! SSSSZZZZZZLE...


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## shoelessjoe (Dec 13, 2012)

2508speed said:


> Congrats on the deer. Just wondering how firearm deer hunting bothers you more than archery? I have friends that are not fond of archery because they think it's a painful death. But yet they are firearm hunters because it kills em faster. Myself, I do both and can't say I feel anymore remorse than throwing a fish in the cooler. But I'm a meat hunter.


PTSD is hard to understand. And even harder to relate, but I admit it and deal with it, best step.


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## 2508speed (Jan 6, 2011)

shoelessjoe said:


> PTSD is hard to understand. And even harder to relate, but I admit it and deal with it, best step.


I had no idea. Just was talkin' deer huntin'.


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Going into immediate shock is what protects wildlife from suffering if not a lethal shot they may suffer for some time choose your shots carefully we are all guilty of bad hits .


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## Berserker (Aug 10, 2014)

I was reading bird hunting book from 70s. He said old timers were good shots cause they slaughtered everything and had lots of practice.

Our culture has changed, probably for the better.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

Anybody that says they don't feel bad about taking an animal's life is either warped or are just lying. I feel bad about any animal I kill, from an 800lb elk down to a tiny little grouse or squirrel, and even fish. This is part of being a hunter--it is a burden we must carry if we choose to take lives and eat meat. It is what separates us from the men who choose to buy meat at the store yet maintain the mentality that they could never eat something they themselves killed (we all know at least a handful of these "men," really just women in a man's body). That is a sick, deranged and detached mentality to have, if you really think about it--being willing to pay somebody for your meat and flesh, yet being unwilling to take the life yourself. It is cowardly. You, however, are not a coward--you are facing the reality of what it's like to take a life for food. If you cannot handle the kill, which some cannot, then you can choose to not eat meat--there is no shame in that, and then hunting has allowed you to learn more about yourself, which is a beautiful thing. There is only shame in eating meat yet being unable to kill. What you are going through is simply the early phases of being an evolved hunter, which is also what I like to call being a REAL human.

As a hunter (especially a bow hunter), you should also remain mentally prepared to deal with wounding an animal and never recovering it, and taking a shot on an animal and watching it suffer for some time right in front of you. Animals often die slow deaths in the wild from tooth and fang, famine and starvation--deaths that are much more painful and gruesome than the methods we hunters use. This is all part of nature, and all part of the reality of the world we live in. Folks that try to argue humans should not participate in this process are simply detached products of an overly industrialized society--they are essentially prisoners.

Hunting is just as much of an emotional challenge as it is mental and physical. Honor the death of each life you take by putting it to good use, and thank that animal, and thank God.

You may find some comfort and meaning if you read the works of authors such as Jose Ortega y Gasset (Meditations on Hunting).

"One does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted...If one were to present the sportsman with the death of the animal as a gift he would refuse it. What he is after is having to win it, to conquer the surly brute through his own effort and skill with all the extras that this carries with it: the immersion in the countryside, the healthfulness of the exercise, the distraction from his job." ~ Jose Ortega y Gasset.


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## Bu11sEye (Sep 25, 2014)

I have always felt remorse. More-so this last year when I failed to recover my deer for the first time (hit him high). These great animals just try to survive from one day to the next. My acceptance comes with the philosophy that hunting is needed in order to control the populations. These days I always take two weapons with me to the stand: 1) Bear Compound Bow; 2) Canon Rebel Digital Camera. Which one I reach for depends on my mood... 

"You have to really, really want to kill that animal cleanly." - Ted Nugent


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## MIhunt (Dec 18, 2011)

All the previous posts have been well said. Death is never a pretty thing and very rarely is it quick and easy. Most "natural" deaths to wild animals are way worse than a well placed arrow or bullet. After a clean shot I like to think I've done the animal a favor in that I gave it a quick death. It also helps to think that its death is not a waste and it will be put to a good use.


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## yooperkenny (Jul 13, 2004)

Great responses - interesting how the OP's thoughts ultimately lead us to consider why we hunt after all....

For anyone wishing to delve further into that topic, I recommend you check out James Swan's "In Defense of Hunting". Also a thought provoking gift for the anti-hunter on your Christmas list!

http://www.amazon.com/In-Defense-Hunting-Yesterday-Today/dp/0062512374


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## MIhunt (Dec 18, 2011)

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2011/03/fs-classic-why-i-hunt?src=SOC&dom=fb

"I hunt because it reminds me that in nature there is a food chain where everything eats and is, in its turn, eaten, where birth, survival, and reproduction give full meaning to life, where death is ever present, and where the only uncertainty is the time and manner of that death. Hunting reminds me that I am integrated into that cycle, not separate from or above it." 

Not only is this a great article but the quoted paragraph from it fits very well with the topic in this thread. It's a nice read if you've got a few minutes


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## Spartan88 (Nov 14, 2008)

Anti hunters will never understand the respect we have for the game we hunt.


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## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

My kids have expressed most of what's been said here. I think both of them have asked if I ever felt bad. I tell them yes, many times. It shows you have respect for the animal, then I remind them of the natural order of things.


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## TVCJohn (Nov 30, 2005)

Alot of diverse perspectives posted....that's a good thing.

IMO....there's remorse and there is respect. I'm not sure if it was remorse or awe when I sat in my garage by myself and stared at the first deer I ever shot with a bow. Maybe it was a moment of grand reflection of what transpired to get to that point. Like many others I have made bad shots on deer over the years. There are a couple of times I had true remorse for putting the deer in the situation where I had to walk up to it and shoot it again because I failed to make a kill shot the first time. I can't think of anytime I did not have respect for what just transpired when killing something. After I kill something I'm ok with a handshake and a simple congrats. I'm not into outlandish high-fives, giddiness and bro hugs. That's probably because 98% of the time I hunt by myself and it's just me and the animal. I figure that's ok as it is a special time to give pause, thanks, reflect and then move on.


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## Buckbaker (Aug 3, 2015)

Gunru7575 said:


> Yesterday morning I shot my first buck ever with my bow and couldn't help but feel a weird sense of remorse after the shot. The shot was slightly forward and caught the shoulder blade, but also hit the heart and dropped the deer right where he was standing. He flailed around on the ground for a Minute or so , but because of the immense amount of blood I could see I knew that the initial shot was a definite kill shot and wouldn't require another arrow. Though I was excited to kill my first buck I couldn't help but feel incredible remorse for the deer and almost felt guilty and found it very tough to watch as the deer died twenty yards away from me. At one point it swung it's head back and looked right at me and that's when I turned around and stopped watching and waited until he died moments later. I've shot many deer, but everyone has run and died out of sight, so this was my first experience with this. Essentially I'm curious if this is a normal reaction with hunters after a kill or if anyone has or still does feel remorse after a kill?


Many years ago my wife drew an elk tag. After shooting her bull, she admitted to me that she had sat and talked to it as I was going to get the Jeep. I asked if she made her peace with him then informed her that I make my peace with every animal I kill. I'll worry when I stop doing that.


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

Does, "Crap I got to gut this and drag it out", count as remorse?


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## deerehunter (Sep 26, 2011)

I think when the time comes that you don't feel anything or any type of remorse after the fact...............that's when you have something to worry about


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

yooperkenny said:


> Great responses - interesting how the OP's thoughts ultimately lead us to consider why we hunt after all....
> 
> For anyone wishing to delve further into that topic, I recommend you check out *James Swan's "In Defense of Hunting". * Also a thought provoking gift for the anti-hunter on your Christmas list!
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/In-Defense-Hunting-Yesterday-Today/dp/0062512374[/QUOTE]Yes, an excellant book to read for anyone, hunters, anti-hunters, csrnivores & vegans alike. A must read for anyone.


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## TiffanyHunts (Nov 2, 2015)

Gunru7575 said:


> Yesterday morning I shot my first buck ever with my bow and couldn't help but feel a weird sense of remorse after the shot. The shot was slightly forward and caught the shoulder blade, but also hit the heart and dropped the deer right where he was standing. He flailed around on the ground for a Minute or so , but because of the immense amount of blood I could see I knew that the initial shot was a definite kill shot and wouldn't require another arrow. Though I was excited to kill my first buck I couldn't help but feel incredible remorse for the deer and almost felt guilty and found it very tough to watch as the deer died twenty yards away from me. At one point it swung it's head back and looked right at me and that's when I turned around and stopped watching and waited until he died moments later. I've shot many deer, but everyone has run and died out of sight, so this was my first experience with this. Essentially I'm curious if this is a normal reaction with hunters after a kill or if anyone has or still does feel remorse after a kill?



Let me tell you something it is not weird to feel remorse you are taking the life of a living creature... you have to understand there are hunters out there in the world or you're the other kind of people who don't believe in hunting...
I'm assuming if you were out there in the woods to begin with you are the hunting type of person. My first deer I shot it was a young button buck that was the size of my dog that I took when I was 7 with my dad. It was the youth hunt and the only reason why I shot it is because it was my first year and I had dibs and basically anything...now being grown and more educated on quality deer management we have a rule on our hunting land that nobody takes anything under six points. in following that rule makes me feel alot better I've turned down hundreds of deer but by the look of the trail cameras quality deer management really pays off. I always say a prayer and thank God for giving me the opportunity to take the life of amazing beautiful creature. Just appreciate and respect your kill. Don't ever take God's gifts for granted.


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## JoeSig (Nov 23, 2013)

FREEPOP said:


> I've experienced it quite a bit in 40+ years of hunting, slaughtering animals and the last few years trapping.
> I don't take it lightly but understand it is in the natural order of the world.
> 
> Although I'm not overly religious, this helps me make sense of it:
> ...


FREEPOP - My sentiments exactly - very often my response to those that are anti hunting

I often ask them if they hate the hunting of animals then they cannot possibly support abortion right? That shuts them up real quick


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## BYUUctDE (Nov 11, 2015)

There is a sadness that you've taken a life, and only a harmless animal's at that.


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## BYUUctDE (Nov 11, 2015)

BYUUctDE said:


> There is a sadness that you've taken a life, and only a harmless animal's at that.


only a harmless animal's at casesam that


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## 357Maximum (Nov 1, 2015)

We are doing what God/Mother Nature/The Great Spirit/Sun God whatever you choose to call it's bidding. We were purpose build and designed to fill this role. Remorse is not the word I would use to describe the feeling I get each and every time I have that "moment" of respectful reflection of what I have just done to another creature. For me it's more like one animal thanking another animal for it's flesh and blood sacrifice I guess.

I must say that it took me 10-12 years of out and out thoughtless "killing" to get to that point. In the 20 odd years since I got to that point I have yet to not take that "moment" of silence and gratitude however. Empathy and thankful respect yes,....... remorse/regret...no. I even feel that respect/empathy along with a little sadness thrown in for the animals I see bloated and laying along the highway. Animals that I had zero fault in them being there. Somehow they too have served a purpose even if I do not understand that purpose I suppose. 

The day I feel true regret or remorse and would undo what I have just done, I will likely be done doing it altogether. I hit a little girls kitten a few years back with the truck. That is the only time I have taken a life that truly bothered me and shook my core with what I would call regret. I am not an outwardly religious person, but I know there is something else in control. I am of the opinion that the American Indians view of the world was probably pretty close to the way I see it too.


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## jailbait (Jan 22, 2015)

I feel remorse when i injure a deer, and dont recover it. When I do finally get one floppin' I celebrate, I feel 1% bad for the deer and 99% happy for me. We have become disconnected from the food we eat. Im not into free handouts, so I hunt to try and improve my situation. Protect me and Serve me, but please dont feed me.


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## jasburrito (Sep 18, 2007)

I feel the same way. I love animals. I put um in my cross hairs. Then give them like 5 seconds to run. If they stay there I shoot.


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## 6Speed (Mar 8, 2013)

jasburrito said:


> I feel the same way. I love animals. I put um in my cross hairs. Then give them like 5 seconds to run. If they stay there I shoot.


5 seconds is way too long!


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