Maybe you are reading too much into that expression. I can comfortably say I ‘enjoy’ prairie dog hunting. They are varmints that destroy grazing land and their tunnels make it hazardous for grazing cattle and horses. I also enjoy hunting big game. One clears a nuisance, the other puts meat in the freezer. Both require mastering a skill set with an appropriate firearm.
So part of the enjoyment is getting a clean kill, not maiming the animal.
Part of the enjoyment is knowing that what you are doing is wildlife ‘management’, not killing for the sake of killing. In many cases, uncontrolled herd growth will lead to starvation due to insufficient food sources.
Part of the enjoyment is the gratification of mastering a survival skill.
And part of the enjoyment is just getting into the outdoors.
“Maybe you are reading too much into that expression. I can comfortably say I ‘enjoy’ prairie dog hunting. They are varmints that destroy grazing land and their tunnels make it hazardous for grazing cattle and horses. I also enjoy hunting big game. One clears a nuisance, the other puts meat in the freezer. Both require mastering a skill set with an appropriate firearm. So part of the enjoyment is getting a clean kill, not maiming the animal. Part of the enjoyment is knowing that what you are doing is wildlife ‘management’, not killing for the sake of killing. In many cases, uncontrolled herd growth will lead to starvation due to insufficient food sources. Part of the enjoyment is the gratification of mastering a survival skill. And part of the enjoyment is just getting into the outdoors.”
I have been through a couple of hunter safety programs, and both of them taught the wildlife management information. I have been hunting with family and friends at times, but other than for wildlife management or food, I do not see the point of it. And yes, predators do invade areas where they are unwanted at times and must be removed in some way. I was not referring to any of that. My reference was to the idea that there are people who actually “enjoy” killing animals, and I find that disgusting.