Thread: Taking the Hunt out of Hunting.

I kind off agree. Though I mostly enjoy the vids produced by guys like Tasman who really show much more of the small detail of the adventure of it all.

Philosophical time- Maybe we can call it harvesting- the metaphor has been around for along time- Otherwise what is " The Grim Reaper'?

Originally Posted by whanahuia

I kind off agree. Though I mostly enjoy the vids produced by guys like Tasman who really show much more of the small detail of the adventure of it all.

Philosophical time- Maybe we can call it harvesting- the metaphor has been around for along time- Otherwise what is " The Grim Reaper'?

I object to it personally because its an attempt to take the killing out of hunting, which means its no longer hunting. I think using the word "harvest" both makes hunting itself sound banal, and it also demeans the death of the animal. It's also an Americanism, and I am wary of adopting American cultural tics.

(The Grim Reaper is a quite different metaphor, also associated with harvests - death in great swathes. (swathes - sythe) And implies regular seasonal carrying off of the population - like a harvest. From memory mostly associated with the plague. But nothing to do with hunting at all.)

Here is an article about it from Outdoor Life: (It puts both sides of the debate over substituting harvest for either kill or hunting, just for further reading. But it does illustrate how purely American it is.)
https://www.outdoorlife.com/opinion/...-kill-hunting/

Originally Posted by John Duxbury

I object to it personally because its an attempt to take the killing out of hunting, which means its no longer hunting. I think using the word "harvest" both makes hunting itself sound banal, and it also demeans the death of the animal. It's also an Americanism, and I am wary of adopting American cultural tics.

(The Grim Reaper is a quite different metaphor, also associated with harvests - death in great swathes. (swathes - sythe) And implies regular seasonal carrying off of the population - like a harvest. From memory mostly associated with the plague. But nothing to do with hunting at all.)

Here is an article about it from Outdoor Life: (It puts both sides of the debate over substituting harvest for either kill or hunting, just for further reading. But it does illustrate how purely American it is.)
https://www.outdoorlife.com/opinion/...-kill-hunting/

You mean to say you've never schlocked a few animals in your time? I can just see you fist pumping and going Booya after a mean harvest!

I think in all seriousness, we all use a euphemism or two in our hunt descriptions. Lets face it, Killing something is and should be hard and harsh and unnerving in a positive manor.

I myself will unconsciously avoid the word kill. It dropped on the spot, collapsed dead, slumped, tumbled etc. Though Ill happily kill possums.

Like you I used to have concerns about the word harvest. Ive grown used too it so that it no longer concerns me as much.

I dont get into any of the arguments about ethics - I am absolutely a meat hunter - I pay for gas ( biggest expense ) and my mate and I go out to get meat early morning -evening - spotlight thermal what ever - we go out to get animals and meat - I wont change - yes we enjoy our hunting - much of it careful stalking -stuff the semantics around what deer etc the only criteria I apply is if I see a big bugger in velvet on the property's I hunt yes he is safe but the rest dead on the side by side heading for the freezer

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

I dont get into any of the arguments about ethics - I am absolutely a meat hunter - I pay for gas ( biggest expense ) and my mate and I go out to get meat early morning -evening - spotlight thermal what ever - we go out to get animals and meat - I wont change - yes we enjoy our hunting - much of it careful stalking -stuff the semantics around what deer etc the only criteria I apply is if I see a big bugger in velvet on the property's I hunt yes he is safe but the rest dead on the side by side heading for the freezer

Exactly. Context is everything. Do whatever.
What I am and need to be now is not necessarily what I was and would love to be able to do again. But I cant.
So long as I can draw breath I will keep adapting and adopting to do what I love.
Some people really do need to get over their judgements. It's not about putting the hunt back into hunting for me, it's about keeping the hunting in the hunter.

And sorry chaps, I dont harvest. I kill stuff.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Exactly. Context is everything. Do whatever.
What I am and need to be now is not necessarily what I was and would love to be able to do again. But I cant.
So long as I can draw breath I will keep adapting and adopting to do what I love.
Some people really do need to get over their judgements. It's not about putting the hunt back into hunting for me, it's about keeping the hunting in the hunter.

And sorry chaps, I dont harvest. I kill stuff.

exactly Thar one is a long time dead - forget the bullshit and get out there I wish over summer I could do more but work tractor driving - winter is hard hunting but just to get out there - thats everything on the hill with the 308

Exactly. Context is everything. Do whatever.
What I am and need to be now is not necessarily what I was and would love to be able to do again. But I cant.
So long as I can draw breath I will keep adapting and adopting to do what I love.
Some people really do need to get over their judgements. It's not about putting the hunt back into hunting for me, it's about keeping the hunting in the hunter.

And sorry chaps, I dont harvest. I kill stuff.
exactly Thar one is a long time dead - forget the bullshit and get out there I wish over summer I could do more but work tractor driving - winter is hard hunting but just to get out there - thats everything on the hill with the 308

Winter is a great time to be out on the hill. Bush hunting is some of the best if you can dress for and handle the cold.
Yes work can get in the way of ones recreational activities unfortunately. Missed many a trip back in my younger days because of it.

Kill, gather, harvest, accumulate, hunt, shoot are all just words that shouldn't really matter or upset others, but to some they obviously do and that's fine.
We all beat to the sound of our own drum and that's whats makes these forums entertaining, as we get lots of opinions and perspectives that are different than our own.

As I mentioned above, there's no right or wrong way, just different.
Some people may think differently or otherwise and that's also fine.

I like hunting, some like killing, some like to meat gather efficiently as possible, some like to shoot, some do a bit of all.
Those who have taken the hunt out of hunting, they are probably happy with how they roll and have obviously moved with the times and technology as it has become available.
For them they might not care about the hunt but getting meat on the ground as efficiently as possible with whatever equipment is available at their disposal to do so is what spins their wheels.
For me less is more. Maybe for them more is more.

Perhaps Tahr has a valid point. Who cares about the 'hunt in hunting" but keeping the "hunting in the hunter" has more relevance and maybe that's a key takaway for everyone who reads and follows this forum.
As a golfer who's channel I subscribe to likes to say "Doesn't matter"