Why would I do that ?

[David64]

Like I've said before, I live out in the country and have frequent "visitors". 

Skunks, possums, racoons, foxes, coyotes, deer......and I've had folks ask me "Why don't you shoot them ?" and my answer is "Why would I ?"

But, but they're skunks !! { or whatever }

So ?

Did you know that skunks control moles ? Ever had half your yard filled with big piles of dirt and soft spots where the tunnels are ?
I don't have to worry about it because I Don't Shoot The Skunks. The racoons will get rid of fish scraps after I've gone fishing and cleaned them. All of them will. except the deer of course. I have an orchard and they eat whatever falls on the ground.

We have 14 outside cats { strays just show up here } and the skunks, racoons and possums will eat right beside them. Everybody gets along.

I can put cat food out around dusk and watch a whole world of wildlife come to eat.  The skunks and racoons are particularly fearless. I can sit the pan of food a few feet away from me and they'll walk right up and eat. I even hand fed a racoon half a hardboiled egg one night. He took it right out of my hand and just sat there and ate it. Pretty cool.

Why would I shoot them ?

[Unknownparadox]

Glad to hear that. Everything is trying to do the same thing we are, trying to survive. While some things do stuff we dislike, that doesn't mean we aren't doing things they dislike.

Can't we all just get along 

[Moon68]

They are all fine until they become a nuisance. Then they have to get the long sleep. Except coyotes, shoot on sight for those SOBs.

[Quantum12]

@David64 

That is amazing. I love this. My friend in high school had a pet skunk. It was the sweetest pet. The skunk was always getting into trouble. 

It had its smell glands removed.

[RandomLurker]

They are all fine until they become a nuisance.

Or you see them in daylight, esp. the raccoon and skunks (i.e. have rabies).  Then there's no choice.

[BeyondKnowledge]

Or you see them in daylight, esp. the raccoon and skunks (i.e. have rabies).  Then there's no choice.

Not necessarily. Those city racoons do come out in daylight. 

A few years ago. I came home to a large raccoon running off then stopping to watch. I went to the porch. Three small ones were at my cat's bowl. They ran at me to get away because that was the only way out. One ran between my legs. 

City racoons gather food in the day because that is when people put it out for cats.

[argentus]

I grew up in Northern Idaho in the boonies, and we lived much like this.   We had a six-foot fence all around the house, but still had elk and moose and bears occasionally inside the fenceline.  

Why would you shoot them?  

I was brought up to kill only that which we were going to eat, rodents and two-legged rats excluded.     Although, I do remember going into the hay barn one winter and seeing a rattlesnake curled up and rattling.   I ran like hell for the house and my Dad walked down there wearing only shoes and pants and carrying his .44.   Not the best weapon for snake, but he threw open the door and shot and the snake flipped over and over.   I went to look at it and he held me back and said, "wait for the mate."  Sure enough, another rattler crawled out and was also dispatched.   I was trained to skirt around snakes when I was riding or hiking, but rattlers in the hay barn were not tolerated.   He cut off the heads and I buried them.   He cut off the rattles and I have them and others still.   I learned how to tan reptile skins. 

Coyotes and fox would come in from time to time and take a chicken or two.   We built a Fortress of Chickenhood to replace the weak chicken coop, and that ended that, although we'd let them range around the yard during the day.   

Our dogs once treed a Black Bear in our Walnut tree.   The dogs had gone wild and it was difficult to force them inside on the porch.   They wanted a piece of that bear.   It took several hours for the bear to come down and climb back over the fence.   

We had porcupine and skunks and our biggest fear was that the dogs would get into them.   Sometimes they did.   When we perceived them, we would fire shots to scare them off.   

You only kill that which you're prepared to eat.   That's the rule I still follow.

[ReturnofBroccoli]

I grew up in Northern Idaho in the boonies, and we lived much like this.   We had a six-foot fence all around the house, but still had elk and moose and bears occasionally inside the fenceline.  

Why would you shoot them?  

I was brought up to kill only that which we were going to eat, rodents and two-legged rats excluded.     Although, I do remember going into the hay barn one winter and seeing a rattlesnake curled up and rattling.   I ran like hell for the house and my Dad walked down there wearing only shoes and pants and carrying his .44.   Not the best weapon for snake, but he threw open the door and shot and the snake flipped over and over.   I went to look at it and he held me back and said, "wait for the mate."  Sure enough, another rattler crawled out and was also dispatched.   I was trained to skirt around snakes when I was riding or hiking, but rattlers in the hay barn were not tolerated.   He cut off the heads and I buried them.   He cut off the rattles and I have them and others still.   I learned how to tan reptile skins. 

Coyotes and fox would come in from time to time and take a chicken or two.   We built a Fortress of Chickenhood to replace the weak chicken coop, and that ended that, although we'd let them range around the yard during the day.   

Our dogs once treed a Black Bear in our Walnut tree.   The dogs had gone wild and it was difficult to force them inside on the porch.   They wanted a piece of that bear.   It took several hours for the bear to come down and climb back over the fence.   

We had porcupine and skunks and our biggest fear was that the dogs would get into them.   Sometimes they did.   When we perceived them, we would fire shots to scare them off.   

You only kill that which you're prepared to eat.   That's the rule I still follow.

You know, that got me thinking. I dont know a single person who kills things just for sport. Im wondering, is it a stereotype? Or is it real? If it is real, is it common, or is it rare?

[argentus]

You know, that got me thinking. I dont know a single person who kills things just for sport. Im wondering, is it a stereotype? Or is it real? If it is real, is it common, or is it rare?

I think it was more common in my generation.   There were 'big game' hunters.   Many of them had a smattering of heart and made certain the meat didn't get wasted, but their goal was the trophy.   I knew a couple men that did so in the  60s.   I hope that one of the modern societal evolutions is that such activities are growing much less common.   I have enjoyed hunting birds, mammals, fish, even reptiles.   The joy was the hunt, not the kill.   My Dad brought me up to never take more than our due.   Never waste anything and always honor and thank the creature.   That probably sounds fairly cheesy to some.   It's still a reality for me;  it is being part of the ecology.

[ReturnofBroccoli]

It doesnt sound cheesy at all it sounds exactly how my stepfather taught us. My Nephew does the same when he hunts with him. I enjoy fishing more than hunting though I guess it is hunting in its own way but you know what I mean. That and, idk if its just me, but eating fish and other sea creatures feels cleaner for me. Like its suppose to be my diet. Lighter on my tummy too ^.^ red meat makes me feel bloated