Thread: Explaining Hunting to Vegetarians and Animal People

I'm 28 and just got into hunting over the last year or so.

I'm on Facebook and when I go hunting (or do anything out of the ordinary) I like to share photos on it to show family and friends what I'm up to. However, I have a few friends who are vegetarian and quite against hurting animals, etc.

I'm pretty good friends with them and would like to continue to be.

However, I'd also like to put up the pics to share with family and friends of pig and deer hunting that I've done as I like sharing the stories and I feel hunting is going to become something I do more often.

On one hand, I've always lived that if people can't accept who I am (i.e. enjoy hunting and fishing) then I couldn't care less if we remain friends or not. However, since I've only recently got into hunting and these two people in particular have been friends for almost a decade, I'm undecided what approach to take.

Sure others have gone through something similar? Thoughts?

You are going to have to agree to disagree with them. Put up pictures you are happy with, try not to have gory pics, lots of blood, tongue hanging out etc.
At the end of the day if you have only taking up hunting recently, you are not quite the same person they were friends with 10 years ago. This could cost you their friendship.

If they don't want to be friends with you because you partake in a hobby they've no interest in then perhaps they're not worth keeping as friends? Can't please everyone, look after No. 1.

so I stopped in at the oamaru doc hut with a couple of hunting mates a few years ago , one of those odd occasions where there was only one other person there besides us. chatting for a while and he told us how he had turned up there with hind quarters once and the only people there were trampers.... he proceeded to put a hind quarter on a makeshift spit outside and offered to share..... "no thanks we are vegetarians"........... anyways he reckoned it must have tempting for them he said a couple of them were drooling once the aroma started wafting around......
this probably doesn't help you .............

F*** em I say.

I have a similar scenario. Although none of them actively comment when I post a photo, they do however always post up anti hunting photos etc.

Strangely we are still 'friends' on Facebook.

Give them an ultimatum next time it happens. If they don't like it there is an unfriend button. No one's forcing them to be friends with you.

Or share this quote with them

Never apologise for being a hunter
"There is no greater honesty in life than hunting. We make our peace in the wilderness of this world. We understand balance and survival, and most importantly the sacrifice of life. True hunters are the greatest conservationists of all. I fear for the day the last hunters walk this earth, as the final guardians of our world will be gone" - Byron Pace

Personally I love all animals, Some are delicious and others make good pets. Some can do both

^ One more post to 3k @mikee

Don't worry about it man. They obviously know you eat meat, explain why you like to harvest your own vs. buying from a supermarket. Explain that more often than not the odds are in the animals favour. And explain you respect animals and make sure your kills are clean and instant.
Offer to take them on an adventure, that's what I do. There's a shit load more to hunting that shooting an animal, and 99% of anti hunters don't realise that. It might not change their mind, but it will help them understand why you want to do it. If they still refuse to understand, tell them to choke on a cabbage.

In my experience it's a waste of effort. The same people dont like to share there muesli with mice and will reach for the kill trap as fast as you. Some how thats different.

vegetarians are the worst, especially the animal and tree huggers. vegeterians don't realise they are depriving all their beloved animals of food

I think , you can separate your two friends into a different group , and so when posting pics of dead stuff , you can only post to your good ol meat eating friends , and when you post pics of fluffy stuff , click on the group that has the two veggies in as well ..... a little bit better than saying "eff them if they don't like it " , at the very least it would show you respect their thoughts (even if you really don't )

I like Stumpys approach. Just because you choose to hunt, doesn't mean you need to rub it in with your mates if you know they are anti.
Presumably they do already know about your hunting ,to one degree or another, and it sounds like they are still friends. I guess that means they don't hold it against you

As Stumpy says, it's easy to customise who gets to see your FB posts/shares. You can exclude certain individuals from seeing any given post, or add people to custom categories (school mates, work mates, vegetarians). All of that simply dodges the issue though. It's best just to agree to disagree.

You think you know someone, the you find out they vote for Party X, or believe in one (or many) more god(s) than you, or do/don't vaccinate their kids, or are vegetarians. Decide if the issue is a deal-breaker for your friendship. Even better, ask THEM if your hunting is a deal-breaker, since you're OK with their vegetarianism.

Fuck facebook.

Originally Posted by Gibo

Fuck facebook.

there is this as well tho.... always an option