Hunting animals is it a sin

[raffisx]

Greeting fellow friends

I'm a keen hunter and i hunt feral animals ; i was wondering if this is a sin and , i always try to asks G_D's forgiveness, after the hunt ? but not sure what the scriptures say about this ?

The animals usually pass very fast , or are put out of their pain humanely .

thank you

R

[Michał Kalina]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

[PeterTheAleut]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

What about wolf hunting? I'm not aware of that many people who eat wolf, for you might as well eat a dog.

Hunting is also used as a tool toward wise stewardship of our ecosystem, a method of maintaining ecological balance by keeping one species of animal from becoming too numerous.

[PeterTheAleut]

Greeting fellow friends

I'm a keen hunter and i hunt feral animals ; i was wondering if this is a sin and , i always try to asks G_D's forgiveness, after the hunt ? but not sure what the scriptures say about this ?

Don't the Scriptures permit the killing of animals and the eating of meat? What about Genesis 9:3, which shows God telling Noah that every moving thing that lives shall be food for him? What about St. John and his witness to the fact that Jesus ate a fish? Somebody had to kill that fish for Him to eat it, since the prohibition against eating blood precluded the eating of live flesh.

[Michał Kalina]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

What about wolf hunting? I'm not aware of that many people who eat wolf, for you might as well eat a dog.

Hunting is also used as a tool toward wise stewardship of our ecosystem, a method of maintaining ecological balance by keeping one species of animal from becoming too numerous.

OK, not only food but fur etc. also. But no hunting as a sport.

[Punch]

I agree with those that hunt for food and pest control.  I have also killed animals to "put them out of their misery".  Believe me, I wish this could be done with people, too, since I hate to see any living creature suffer.  However, one should have questions if they kill for sport or pleasure.  I no longer hunt because the stores are full of animals that are already dead, so I don't need to kill more of them.  However, there was a time in my life where I could afford a bullet but not a few pounds of meat or fish.  Then I hunted and fished with no spot on my conscience.

[CRCulver]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

Historically Orthodox peoples have engaged in sports involving the death of animals. Animals don't have souls.

[Tzimis]

What a perfect time for this question. I was actually just out hunting ducks this very mourning. My opinion is that our government regulates the hunting season pretty well. In there eye's it's legal and also good for the environment to have a healthy caring capacity. It also helps with the possibility of disease from being passed down as well and allows for a health herd. There has and always will be an acceptable and humane way of taking game animals.  Usually it's controlled and outlined by environmental agency's within your state. I would say that hunting is an acceptable practice for layman and like anything else requires discernment. I usually eat everything I kill or I give it away to someone that will.  In my state there is even a program where you can even donate the meat and feed the under privileged . If I were to feel any guilt it would be because of any waste. like in killing for pure sport alone.  Other than that. Unless you are a ascetic I would feel confident that it's OK.

[adina201]

It is a sin to hunt the animal either for food or for pleasure because in this whole world there are so many things are available to eat so why are we hunt animals for them?? They also feel pain like us.

[Quinault]

It is a sin to take pleasure in the death of another being. I don't mean that it is a sin to enjoy hunting. I mean it is a sin to rejoice in the suffering of anyone; be they human or animal. Hunting has been a part of the cultural heritage of humans for untold generations. We should not hunt more then we can eat, and we should not waste the meat/animal. The animal that we hunt is to be killed with respect. A clean kill, not a long drawn out kill. This is the reason why the Jewish culture had (and still has) what is called a Kashrut.

In an ideal world it is always best to do without meat. But for many people and cultures this is not possible. Cultures in the Tundra must rely on more than 50% meat for survival. They are not in sin because they feed themselves in the only way possible are they?

I think you need to look at this issue farther back. It is just as much a sin to pick more fruit or vegetables then you intend to eat, thereby keeping that food from other humans or animals. There are sinful vegans that make, buy and eat more then they need. The most important issue is stewardship. Animals are our co-creation. They may not be endowed with the nous, what makes us like God, buy they were created by God. If we do not treat our co-creation with dignity, value and respect we are in sin. If you are a vegan but kick your dog, then you are no better then those meat eaters that you claim are murderers.

[raffisx]

thnaks Quinault

That is a well written answer . I just came back from a hunt where the goat population has exploded and it is causing damage to the ecology .

I don't know if this is just a reason for me to hunt , i don't take enjoyment in the kill i actually fill in another place when i pull back my arrow , but i do ask for forgiveness once i have killed the animal . I think the most sinful part of my hunt is actually taking a photo with the dead animal , and i will stop this practice next time i hunt .. do you agree with this ? or should i go one step further ?

is their a pray to ask for forgiveness after a hunt ? was one used in christian history after a hunt ? if so can someone point it out i would like to recite it next time i go out .

Thanks

[stanley123]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

Historically Orthodox peoples have engaged in sports involving the death of animals. Animals don't have souls.

Is this a universal belief in the Orthodox Church? Because I think that an Orthodox priest said that there were going to be animals in heaven.
If someone is opposed to hunting for food, then he should take a look at the horrors of animal slaughterhouses and become a strict vegetarian.
But I think it is a sin to kill an animal just for fun. Yes, that would be very wrong and perverted also.

[ma2000]

You've seen a green leaf in a tree and you tore it without being necessary. Even if it is not a sin, I still feel pity for the leaf; a heart who learned to love feels mercy for every creature.

Saint Silouan (my translation from "Intre iadul deznadejdii si iadul smereniei")

I personally don't understand why would find anyone killing animals enjoyable.

[Quinault]

thnaks Quinault

That is a well written answer . I just came back from a hunt where the goat population has exploded and it is causing damage to the ecology .

I don't know if this is just a reason for me to hunt , i don't take enjoyment in the kill i actually fill in another place when i pull back my arrow , but i do ask for forgiveness once i have killed the animal . I think the most sinful part of my hunt is actually taking a photo with the dead animal , and i will stop this practice next time i hunt .. do you agree with this ? or should i go one step further ?

is their a pray to ask for forgiveness after a hunt ? was one used in christian history after a hunt ? if so can someone point it out i would like to recite it next time i go out .

Thanks

I am American Indian, so my family has traditions in this area that are not "Orthodox" in official nature.

I don't think taking a photo is respectful, so I personally wouldn't condone it. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is a sin. But I don't see how it is respectful, so I personally would advise against it. This is a personal conviction for me, so don't take it as a statement of universal truth to live by.  It seems to me like triumphing over your kill, and that is not treating an animal with dignity, value and respect in my opinion. I also think that making trophies from animal parts is just sick, but that is a separate issue. Using bones, antlers, sinew and hide to make other things is OK, actually I highly recommend it! Brains are particularly good for tanning a hide! The more we use of an animal, the better. But I don't like to see mounted heads and taxidermy.

Our family tries to remember with every meal that includes meat that an animal, another living creature had to die for us to be able to have that food. I also push hard on the issue of taking only what you need, not just what you want.

I could go further into our family practices, but it would seem like thread hijacking to me. I would speak with a spiritual father about prayers to say after a hunt. Any prayers I give you would need to be run by your spiritual counselor anyway.

[vamrat]

I will echo most people here saying that hunting for a purpose is ok, but hunting for the pleasure of killing is wrong (and possibly a sign of underlying sociopathic/psychopathic tendencies).

I would add that I find bow hunting to be distasteful, if not sinful, when a less cruel alternative is available.  It is a rather slow, painful death and if you live in a place where it is legal to get a hold of a rifle then this is definitely the better option.  I would also add that trapping is a rather sadistic way of doing it, though in a survival situation it is generally preferred because it requires less energy expenditures to get the job done, but when your life is on the line the rules change a bit.

[Quinault]

 ^A good bow hunter can kill very quickly and efficiently. Guns haven't been around forever A good bowhunter goes for the kill shot, they don't riddle the body with arrows. Only rich stupid people use multiple arrows to take down an animal. All the bow hunters I know use a knife and the bow. In fact it is more likely for a person with a gun to shoot straight thru and just maim an animal. (You can do the same with a crossbow too, which I don't even consider real bowhunting)

[vamrat]

^A good bow hunter can kill very quickly and efficiently. Guns haven't been around forever A good bowhunter goes for the kill shot, they don't riddle the body with arrows. Only rich stupid people use multiple arrows to take down an animal. All the bow hunters I know use a knife and the bow. In fact it is more likely for a person with a gun to shoot straight thru and just maim an animal. (You can do the same with a crossbow too, which I don't even consider real bowhunting)

Guns have not been around forever, but I still think they are still a better option if a quicker death is preferred.  A bow does nto have the stopping power of a proper rifle.  I do note the classic saying that the 30-30 has killed more (and wounded more) deer than any other cartridge, but a 30-06, 45-70, .270 or others are capable of causing a quick, if not instantaneous death.  My friend went hunting last year and hit the deer with a 7.5mm Swiss Schmidt-Rubin and the deer immediately dropped.  The bullet going straight through and not dumping any energy can be a problem, but if we're not talking about some el cheapo shooting with FMJ, a proper ballistic tip or other expanding cartridge should solve this issue.

[Shanghaiski]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

Historically Orthodox peoples have engaged in sports involving the death of animals. Animals don't have souls.

Is this a universal belief in the Orthodox Church? Because I think that an Orthodox priest said that there were going to be animals in heaven.

The souls of animals are not eternal like the souls of humans. They are also not subject to sin. They also do not have free will. One goes beyond oneself if one says that there will be animals "in heaven." After all, "heaven" is a different space than earth. Animals, unlike men, do not have the spiritual dimension to enter heaven. Likewise, one goes beyond oneself to say that the animals we now know or knew will be met with again. There is no evidence at all for animalian resurrection. But that there would/could be animals in the new earth, I would say that is more than a possibility, but I do not have references to what the earth will be like after Christ returns and how human beings will interact with it. Mysteries ought to be respected as such, and speculation should be avoided.

[Quinault]

vamrat; obviously you have never bowhunted I wouldn't use a gun unless it had a silencer. I would rather hunt with a tomahawk than a gun.

[Punch]

vamrat; obviously you have never bowhunted I wouldn't use a gun unless it had a silencer. I would rather hunt with a tomahawk than a gun.

A product of your culture.  I prefer the rifle to the bow because I prefer to kill by hydrostatic shock than by allowing the animal to bleed to death.  Then again, I am a very good shot and usually place the bullet where I want it to go.  There are a lot of passionate arguments both ways.  IN GENERAL, bow hunting requires a greater skill at HUNTING, and those that possess this skill have probably done their homework learning to shoot the bow and to choose the proper arrows with well sharpened tips.  On the other hand, I have read that close to 50% of deer shot with a bow are not recovered.  This does not mean that an expert hunter fails to recover half of what is shot.  Some recover 100% of what they shoot.  It is my experience that being a bow hunter means that one also has to be a good tracker, and many hunters (of all kinds) are not.

Gun hunting usually invites any idiot that can keep from shooting himself out into the field (and that is not always a sure bet, either), many of whom cannot shoot accurately.  I used to work at deer hunter sight in events, and I swear that I would like to have shot a good number of the people coming in to sight in their rifles for daring to endanger humanity with their total lack of skill and complete stupidity around firearms.  The good news is that most were so inept that they probably would seriously injure themselves if they tried to string a bow, much less use it.  I hate to generalize about the stopping power of guns since there are so many variables.  Rounds like the .30-06, 7mm Magnum, 8mm Magnum, .45-70 and the like have a good chance of stopping the dear right where they are at with a good hit.  However, I have seen the .243 (where it is even legal), the .270, the 7mm Mauser and the like require the deer to be tracked after it was shot, indicating to me that the animal did not die any more humanely than if shot by a bow.  The problem with a bow and lighter firearm calibers is that shot placement must be exact for a humane kill.  The more powerful rounds have varying degrees of slop allowed (still, not that much).

So, if my choice is comparing an expert shot with a bow to an expert shot with a rifle, I will take the rifle (a product of my culture).  On the other hand, if I have to choose a clean shot through the vitals with a bow and a hit in the hind quarters with a .30-06, I side with the bow.  There is also a lot of gray area in between.

[vamrat]

vamrat; obviously you have never bowhunted I wouldn't use a gun unless it had a silencer. I would rather hunt with a tomahawk than a gun.

To be quite honest, I've gone hunting twice when I was really young and I've never shot anything other than paper targets and some milk jugs.  I have shot bows and have a crossbow laying around somewhere (bought it because it was cheap and looked cool).  I am a bit too big of a wimp in the upper body strength department to be really good with them.  As for the tomahawk over gun is this a cultural preference or do you not like firearms?  I have fired guns with and without adequate hearing protections and you get used to the noise.  Except .45 ACP sans ear plugs.  I will never get used to that, it just plain hurts!

[Quinault]

I absolutely hate loud noises.

[theistgal]

If I were an animal I'd rather be shot down in the wild after an exhiliarating lifetime of freedom, than slaughtered after a painful existence in a "factory farm".

[stanley123]

If I were an animal I'd rather be shot down in the wild after an exhiliarating lifetime of freedom, than slaughtered after a painful existence in a "factory farm".

Do you think it is wrong to slaughter an animal after an existence in a factory farm?
Some people do and that is why some of them become vegetarians.
Most of the meat that is sold in the United States is from animals who were bred on a factory farm. Have you ever eaten a certain brand of fried chicken? Is it a sin to do so if they have only known cages in a factory farm environment?
Will nonCatholic Christians go to hell (or for R. Catholics purgatory or hell) for standing by, doing nothing,  and cooperating by indifference in the cruel and barbaric torture of innocent animals at these factory farms and slaughterhouses?   

[Asteriktos]

Will nonCatholic Christians go to hell (or for R. Catholics purgatory or hell) for standing by, doing nothing,  and cooperating by indifference in the cruel and barbaric torture of innocent animals at these factory farms and slaughterhouses?  

Will nonCatholic Christians go to hell (or for R. Catholics purgatory or hell) for standing by, doing nothing,  and cooperating by indifference in the cruel and barbaric torture of innocent humans at these slave farms and homes?  

[Punch]

I absolutely hate loud noises.

I can understand that!  Wearing hearing protection while hunting really dampens one's ability to be in tune with the surroundings.  Not wearing hearing protection when hunting will do the same thing after a few years.  I understand your preference for the bow.

[theistgal]

stanley - I tried being a vegan for a while but couldn't sustain it long-term.*  I'm opposed to factory farms, so I do what I can to get my dairy products and meat from humane sources.  There are small farms out there which do not use the "factory farm" methods, and you can find them with a little effort.

FWIW the big slaughterhouses are pretty awful for the human beings who work there, as well as the critters - so even if you don't think animals have souls & so their treatment doesn't matter, you can still show concern for the HUMAN   souls (and bodies) exploited in that system.
 
(As for whether anyone is going to Hell over this - you're asking the wrong Person! )

(*I like that the Orthodox have so many fasting seasons during the year - you can "go vegan" on a temporary basis!)

[Iconodule]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

Historically Orthodox peoples have engaged in sports involving the death of animals. Animals don't have souls.

Actually, they do, just not immortal ones.

And saying "Orthodox peoples do x" is not in itself indicative of whether x is moral or not.

[Punch]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

Historically Orthodox peoples have engaged in sports involving the death of animals. Animals don't have souls.

Actually, they do, just not immortal ones.

And saying "Orthodox peoples do x" is not in itself indicative of whether x is moral or not.

Good point.

[Tzimis]

God gave us canine teeth for a reason.  If you feel we were created wrongly I would take it up with him directly. Seriously folks, when we eat chicken or any other store bought animals we are indirectly killing as well. If a mafia boss tells his thugs to take care of business he is also guilty of the same crime.

[Heorhij]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

Historically Orthodox peoples have engaged in sports involving the death of animals. Animals don't have souls.

Is this a universal belief in the Orthodox Church? Because I think that an Orthodox priest said that there were going to be animals in heaven.

The souls of animals are not eternal like the souls of humans. They are also not subject to sin. They also do not have free will. One goes beyond oneself if one says that there will be animals "in heaven." After all, "heaven" is a different space than earth. Animals, unlike men, do not have the spiritual dimension to enter heaven. Likewise, one goes beyond oneself to say that the animals we now know or knew will be met with again. There is no evidence at all for animalian resurrection. But that there would/could be animals in the new earth, I would say that is more than a possibility, but I do not have references to what the earth will be like after Christ returns and how human beings will interact with it. Mysteries ought to be respected as such, and speculation should be avoided.

I don't know anything about spiritual dimension in animals. How can one know about it? We cannot communicate with them... Who knows what they would tell me if I understood their language (and I am sure that at least higher vertebrates have a certain language)? My two cats show such a complex behavior; they can be kind or selfish, generous or petulant, they clearly show jealousy, competition - and, on the other hand, devotion and care. I know that old biologists used to explain all that by "instincts," but we really do not know much about animal behavior. In the eyes of my cats, I can see so many different feelings, expressions, perhaps thoughts...

One of my favorite European chansonniers, a Belgian called Jacques Brel (very popular in the 1960-s and 1970-s), had a song about a bull who sleeps on the night before bullfight and dreams about all toreros burning in the flames of hell. Maybe it's not just a metaphore.

[Punch]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

Historically Orthodox peoples have engaged in sports involving the death of animals. Animals don't have souls.

Is this a universal belief in the Orthodox Church? Because I think that an Orthodox priest said that there were going to be animals in heaven.

The souls of animals are not eternal like the souls of humans. They are also not subject to sin. They also do not have free will. One goes beyond oneself if one says that there will be animals "in heaven." After all, "heaven" is a different space than earth. Animals, unlike men, do not have the spiritual dimension to enter heaven. Likewise, one goes beyond oneself to say that the animals we now know or knew will be met with again. There is no evidence at all for animalian resurrection. But that there would/could be animals in the new earth, I would say that is more than a possibility, but I do not have references to what the earth will be like after Christ returns and how human beings will interact with it. Mysteries ought to be respected as such, and speculation should be avoided.

I don't know anything about spiritual dimension in animals. How can one know about it? We cannot communicate with them... Who knows what they would tell me if I understood their language (and I am sure that at least higher vertebrates have a certain language)? My two cats show such a complex behavior; they can be kind or selfish, generous or petulant, they clearly show jealousy, competition - and, on the other hand, devotion and care. I know that old biologists used to explain all that by "instincts," but we really do not know much about animal behavior. In the eyes of my cats, I can see so many different feelings, expressions, perhaps thoughts...

One of my favorite European chansonniers, a Belgian called Jacques Brel (very popular in the 1960-s and 1970-s), had a song about a bull who sleeps on the night before bullfight and dreams about all toreros burning in the flames of hell. Maybe it's not just a metaphore.

Plus there is the point that animals are innocent.  Man is the only creature with a capacity for evil, and the ability to reject his creator.  My Priest and I had a discussion about this when I had to confess to him that I felt more sympathy for the death of an animal (and more aversion to takings one's life) than I feel at the death of many people.  I realized this dark side in me during a discussion of survival.  When asked if I was in such a situation and I had the choice of hunting for my food, or taking it from a person up the street who had a month's supply, I answered that I would conserve my ammunition.  I would probably only need one shot for the latter.  Killing becomes a moral slippery slope when you have to do it.  How much more so when you do it for fun.  The more I study and worship the "Giver of Life", the less comfortable I feel about being an agent of death, either directly or indirectly.

[yeshuaisiam]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

Historically Orthodox peoples have engaged in sports involving the death of animals. Animals don't have souls.

All Jews who read the Torah Hebrew Read "soul" when he created every living creature.
Jews believe animals have souls, this is why Kosher law forbids killing cruelly, as the terrible death is transferred into the meat.

So hunting, is fine, just make it swift.

[PeterTheAleut]

The tangent that started with dattaswami's apparently Hindu reply has been moved to Religious Topics.

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=30815.0

[sprtslvr1973]

I have been hunting once (doves) and enjoyed it considerably. Look forward to becoming somewhat involved. To me responsible game hunting is oceans apart from poaching and cruelty to animals. Shooting a deer at close range, and then eating it is very different from people who tortured animals for fun (as in bear baiting). One puts emphasis on food, and as someone has already mentioned, maintaining an ecology. It may be said that game hunters are now cleaning up the mess people made. If we hadn't driven Mountain Lion and other predators to Endangered Species status and beyond, we wouldn't have to worry about excess Deer or Rabbit.
Cruelty to Animals, on the other hand, emphasizes enjoying the slow agony of a defenseless animal. Two entirely different mindsets.

[LizaSymonenko]

Just curious.... how much actual meat do you get from a dove?

[Marc1152]

I agree with those that hunt for food and pest control.  I have also killed animals to "put them out of their misery".  Believe me, I wish this could be done with people, too, since I hate to see any living creature suffer.  However, one should have questions if they kill for sport or pleasure.  I no longer hunt because the stores are full of animals that are already dead, so I don't need to kill more of them.  However, there was a time in my life where I could afford a bullet but not a few pounds of meat or fish.  Then I hunted and fished with no spot on my conscience.

Maybe not. The stores of filled with factory raised meat that are fed very unnatural diets, are pumped full of hormones and anti-biotics and never see a blade of grass in their life.

Wild meat is far better nutritionally for people to eat.  A deer or elk could fill your freezer for the winter and keep you and your family healthier.

[Red A.]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

I keep seeing statements like this. It makes me wonder what thoughts go into it. Is there the perception out there that there is a large number of hunters out there just shooting animals and leaving them to rot and not eating them.

[sprtslvr1973]

Just curious.... how much actual meat do you get from a dove?

Per bird, only a little. Small bird. Chose dove hunting as it seemed to be the least complicated and least expensive (no dog, guide required)

[ipm]

I don't think it’s a sin, but I heard that Orthodox clergy are not allowed to hunt but they can fish. Also, I read somewhere that the Serbian Patriarch Pavle, was a monk and was basically a vegetarian. He apparently taught that leather should not be used to bind bibles since they are doors to a spiritual life (i.e. to union with the Holy Spirit), and leather is a symbol of death.

[Andrew21091]

I'm all for people who hunt and actually eat the meat of the animal they kill. I don't have any respect for those who hunt for the sport of it. Forgive me if I offended anyone by saying that remark but I am entirely against those who hunt for sport/pleasure. God allowed us to eat the animals meat. He did not say, "go forth and kill for the hell of it."

[IssacTheSyrian]

Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.

Proverbs 12:10

[Quinault]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

I keep seeing statements like this. It makes me wonder what thoughts go into it. Is there the perception out there that there is a large number of hunters out there just shooting animals and leaving them to rot and not eating them.

They speak of "trophy hunting." Trophy hunting is simply wrong. There are many people that trophy hunt.

http://www.monstermuleys.com/

The premise of trophy hunting is taking down the biggest, strongest animal possible. The problem with this is that it is poor environmental stewardship. We should hunt in a way that is environmentally positive. Killing the largest animal so you can mount it is just sick. When trophy hunters travel overseas or out of their homestate (such as to Alaska) they rarely use the meat properly.

[Red A.]

I would say if you hunf for food it is not a sin, but if you hunt for pleasure - it is.

I keep seeing statements like this. It makes me wonder what thoughts go into it. Is there the perception out there that there is a large number of hunters out there just shooting animals and leaving them to rot and not eating them.

They speak of "trophy hunting." Trophy hunting is simply wrong. There are many people that trophy hunt.

http://www.monstermuleys.com/

The premise of trophy hunting is taking down the biggest, strongest animal possible. The problem with this is that it is poor environmental stewardship. We should hunt in a way that is environmentally positive. Killing the largest animal so you can mount it is just sick. When trophy hunters travel overseas or out of their homestate (such as to Alaska) they rarely use the meat properly.

Hogwash. If you use the link you posted and go to the outfitters linked there you will find that all of them offer to process and ship the meat home for the hunters if they don't want to or can't do it themselves.

I tell y'all what, it is disturbing to see how many many people posted up the current "politically correct" answer for their interpretation of what is sinful in this situation. Not good at all.

[Quinault]

Most hunters don't actually have the meat shipped home because of the additional cost. It costs close to $20,000 just to hunt a bear in AK. It would cost considerably more to have the meat sent home to the lower 48 or overseas.

If you are mounting a kill, you aren't using it properly or respectfully. Would you take grandma to the taxidermist and have her mounted/stuffed? Responsible hunting is a positive thing for the environment. It helps to maintain a strong gene pool for the animal population. Trophy hunting simply kills for the sake of bragging rights. Bragging about killing is wrong, period. Come to think of it, bragging is a sin isn't it? I can't think of a more pompous way to brag about killing someone/thing than carrying around trophies. When serial killers keep trophies we recognize how sick it is. When soldiers collect fingers we recognize how twisted it is. Why is hunting an animal and keeping a trophy different?

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