Hunting, Farming Similar
Editor, Times-Union:
When you bite into a steak do you think about how that piece of meat ended up on your plate? For most people the answer would be no. Being a farmer I grew up understanding that my friend in the pen would end up on my plate. That is part of the circle of life because God put animals on this Earth for man to use however he felt necessary. Every animal serves a purpose is meat.
I have a neighbor who has started a business in raising deer. He raises his deer just like I raise my beef. I am sure he has probably even gotten attached to one or two of them. Deer meat is not like beef, not everyone acquires a taste for it. So people who enjoy venison have to hunt for it. My neighbor has made it possible to enjoy this rarity with a price, of course.
Some of the other neighbors find it wrong to keep deer in pens to hunt. They dislike it so much, they protest by putting signs up that say "ban canned hunts." What these people must not understand is how their beef ends up on their plate. Beef animals are also raised in pens, fattened up and sent to slaughter. Would that not be equally as wrong according to them? These so-called "canned hunts" are just a way to enjoy your deer meat by having the knowledge that you shot it yourself.
Since man has had guns, we have shot animals for meat. The fact that they are in a controlled environment makes no difference.
The controlled environment makes it safer. My neighbor can control which deer are ready and which still have time. He also breeds them to produce better deer just like a farmer does with his cattle.
What my neighbor is doing is not ethically wrong. He is a farmer, making profit from livestock. What is the difference between this and any other farming operation?
Stephanie Rhoades
Mastodon High School Senior
Mastodon City
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
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3 comments:
Since you are giving the deer a big disadvantage by, you know, caging them, I propose they at least attach razors to the deers' antlers and allow each hunter only a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a swiss army knife.
As one who is quite familiar with the denizens of Mastodon City, I anticipate no shortage of takers.
In addition, there should be a 24-7 webcam on the premises.
Also, why aren't they doing this for chickens? I could see Mentone becoming a real adventure-tourism hotspot with a deal like that.
Criminy, why am I wasting all my good ideas on this Web Log when I should be writing a letter to the editor???
"Criminy, why am I wasting all my good ideas on this Web Log when I should be writing a letter to the editor?"
T.S. - It may be high time for you to start directing these so called "questions" to the man who may have the answers - the man in the mirror.
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