HOLEY MOLEY!!! yuck!!!!

I suppose someone could make the argument that if you didn't kill the deer (or whatever else you are hunting) with the first shot instantaneously, then it isn't as "humane" as the stun bolt (since that is essentially instant and painless). However, I can't really see a difference otherwise. Certainly I know that hunting does a lot of good to control certain animal populations, and when done legally and during the appropriate seasons, I don't have anything against it.

Is there a difference in meat quality between hunted animals and what you can buy in the store? Is it more or less digestible or nutritious?

Now what difference does it make if I "murder" my dogs meal or some factory worker with a stun bolt does it for me?

 
IMO, the difference is that YOU will be taking responsibility for the meat that you and your dogs use, rather than leaving the dirty work to someone else...AND you'll be eating animals that led full, happy lives, rather than some poor tortured soul on a feedlot or other factory farm. So in short...the difference is that you'd be doing a GOOD thing. []
 
People are constantly appalled when they hear that I raise my own chickens. They'll gasp in horror and call me "cruel" and a "murderer," while they gorge on KFC. It honestly makes no sense to me. I raise my own meat because I LOVE animals...and I want to be responsible for as little suffering as possible. I provide them with good food, a good bit of freedom, sunshine, grass, and fresh air, companionship, and when the time comes, a very quick and clean death. Killing them is NOT easy, and it never will be...but IMO, if you're not willing to do the dirty work, you shouldn't eat meat. I feel that, as long as another living thing is giving its life so that YOU can eat, it's your responsibility to be part of the process...of raising, caring for, and killing that animal...not picking up nice sterile little squares of meat in the grocery store and pretending that the suffering and violence never happened. Alot of people will disagree with that...but we all have our opinions, and that's mine. [] 
 
So don't listen to the people who would call you cruel for hunting your own meat. Unless they're vegitarians, they have NO leg to stand on...people who are critical of those willing to hunt or raise their own food while stuffing their faces with factory farmed meat are the worst kind of hypocrites.

if you've ever seen how meat animals are raised in factory farms, you'd agree that hunting free living game is far more humane.
 
Game meat tends to be much leaner and is probably more nutritious (since they eat a wide variety of nutrient packed foods instead of processed feeds) than factory farmed meat animals.

Oh geez even being a vegetarian you don't have a leg to stand on in that regard! I'm a vegetarian and I am constantly looking for more humane ways of procuring meat for my dogs and if I knew anyone who hunted, that would definately be awesome. Right now I'm getting beef bones from a small local organic farm but if I knew anything at all about hunting with my coonhound, I'd certainly be open to doing that. The only thing that would concern me as far as smaller game goes is the nasties that can be carried by them. That's not so much a concern with deer though as far as I know. But I'm pretty sure that plenty of coonhunters end the hunt by giving their dogs the coon to eat.

I tried to give mine some raw meat and he looked at me like I was trying to kill him.  I came back and found the piece of meat on the floor and all his kibble eaten  [&:]
 
Game meat is also missing most all the chemicals and medications that are in production meat.  Plus you know exactly under what conditions it was butchered and stored.  (So any e.coli or salmonella is all your fault!)

Is there a difference in meat quality between hunted animals and what you can buy in the store? Is it more or less digestible or nutritious?

 
Meat you buy at the store is primarily grain fed. Grain fed meat is less nutritious than grass fed (pastured animals/game animals) meat. Grain fed meat is too low in Omega-3's, and too high in Omega-6's. Grass fed beef is also MUCH leaner than corn/grain fed beef, and higher in CLA- we force them to eat to obesity. Feeding cattle grain also makes their stomachs too acidic- leading to developing strains of e. coli that can survive the acidicy of their gut, and so can survive in ours and make us sick. The dangerous strains of e. coli are NOT found in grass fed cattle. Grass fed beef contains more vitamin A and E, more lutein, zeaxanthin (antoxidants) and beta carotine. That's just the tip of the ice berg. []
 
In short, grass fed animals (whether they're domestic or wild) have MUCH more nutritious meat than grain fed animals. If nothing else, you're eating a happy, healthy animal...rather than a sick miserable one that lived a short, brutal, terrible life and was fed the cheapest crap possible and forced to get too big, too fast. Factory farmed meat is cruel, and not nearly as good for you.
 

I suppose someone could make the argument that if you didn't kill the deer (or whatever else you are hunting) with the first shot instantaneously, then it isn't as "humane" as the stun bolt (since that is essentially instant and painless).

 
Bu the stun bolt is neither humane nor painless. Slaughterhouse workers get little to no training on how to properly use the stun bolt. Many animals have to be "stunned" multiple times, and I've read a few studies that show that while the stun bolt may render animals unable to move, they are often still fully conscious and aware. There have been reports of animals being almost completely "disasembled" (their word) and still screaming in pain until the very end. The fact of the matter is, in large slaughterhouses, there are simply too many animals being "processed" too fast. They don't have time to make sure they get it right and the animal doesn't suffer. It's a horrible, harsh environment for both the workers and the animals.
 
Think about it from the animal's perspective. Would you rather live a short, crappy life stuffed on a feedlot or a dark concrete cell, your body mutilated, fed a terrible, disgusting pelleted food, beaten and screamed at the few times you actually saw a human, watching your friends suffer and die, and then be killed terribly in a slaughterhouse after a stressfull, crowded ride on a stifling truck, OR
 
Live a happy life splaying in the sunshine, eating and doing what you wanted, in the woods or on a small family farm, and then die with a quick shot to the head when the time came? I for one would choose the latter.
 
Many epople in my family hunt...and I've gone on several occasions. I've never seen anyone take a shot that they didn't KNOW would be succesful. I saw my uncle misjudge and hit a deer in the leg once...he quickly shot it agian and that was it. Every other time, it has been instantaneous.   

Well I have very strong opinions on the "pro" side of hunting.  We humans, in order to live our lives in relative safety, made a huge deal of getting rid of predators such as big cats, bears, and large canids.  As such the prey species were able to develop unchecked, those animals with disease, the weak, the old, and the injured were not culled by predation but rather continued to use and share resources that the rest of the prey species would use.  They are able to spread disease to healthy members, to the young and throughout the animals they have contact with. 
 
Humans have a responsibility to control the numbers of prey species.  It may seem cruel to hunt and kill and eat prey, but it's much less cruel to do that than to let them starve or waste away from disease.
 
What I don't agree with is trophy hunting.  Predators take the weakest link, humans tend to desire to take the strongest.  That is something I do not agree with.
 
I also believe that if the entire animal is used in some fashion, then the death of that animal is justified.  If the animal is slaughtered for one portion- the hide, the liver, the horns, etc-then that death was wrongful.

ORIGINAL: RobDar

Lastly...so i mentioned to someone that while I am not a hunter...if I am going to feed the raw meals I might as well go hunting with my father in law and get some of the meals for free. ( and I wasn't completely serious)
She was totally appalled! She used terms like "murder"...and "slaughter"
I am a bit confused.

Now what difference does it make if I "murder" my dogs meal or some factory worker with a stun bolt does it for me?

 
so did this lady eat meat for herself or not?  Did she feed any animals she has a healthy raw diet or commercial feed? (both depend on meat or meat by-product) If yes to either or both of these, why are you a murderer & not her?

I hunt but completely disagree with trophy hunting.  Last season I came upon a group of 6 deer (5 bucks and a doe).  Which did I take?  I had 2 licenses (one a doe tag and the other for a buck or doe).  I shot the doe.  The doe fell where she stood and the bucks took off.  I hollered at the herd just to see if I could get one of the bucks to stop.  Two did and I took the one that offered the best shot.  I ended up with a really nice 10 point but I know there were a couple nicer bucks in the herd that I could have taken a shot at before I took my doe.  Do I regret my decision?  No way.  I'm after venison, not antlers.  I also shoot pheasants and occassionally geese or rabbits.  I eat what I shoot (with the exception of coyotes which we have problems with around our livestock).
 
Our non-game meat mainly comes from a local rancher we are friends with.  When they butcher one of their cows or steers, we either pay for half of it and get half the meat or we trade off our game meat for some of their meat.  They raise buffalo, beef cattle, and sheep so we get a wide selection from them.  I would love to feed my dog some of my game meat, but during my summers I have no access to a fridge/freezer so I buy canned game meat instead.

I thought hunters do it for the sport.  The biggest, strongest, the fastest, the more healthy, the bigger the thrill.  Where's the culling of the weak and sick?  “I am after venison, not antler”- please.  “I disagree with trophy hunting” – it#%92s the same as “responsible hunting”.

there is the thought that merely thinning the herd helps all the members (weak, sick, strong, or otherwise). why? because it is one less to drain the food supply. if the herd were a more manageable size, there would be less weak and sick animals because the food supply would be sufficient to keep them healthy.

i personally dont hunt, but i can understand the conservation aspect of it all.

not all hunters do it for sport - many do it to put food on the table (at least my cousins do, I need to go visiting) I love the taste of vension but I would never put a set of antlers in a trophy position in my house, I might let the dogs chew on them some

I think a wild deer lives a better life than a cow raised in cramped quarters. Besides... how do wild deer usually die? Either they're killed by a wild carnivore or they die slowly of disease.

ORIGINAL: DPU

I thought hunters do it for the sport.  The biggest, strongest, the fastest, the more healthy, the bigger the thrill.  Where's the culling of the weak and sick?  "I am after venison, not antler”- please.  "I disagree with trophy hunting” – it's the same as "responsible hunting”.

 
I'm sorry that's the view you have been left of hunters.  In the 10 years I have been hunting, I have only taken 3 bucks.  I usually fill my tags with 2 does as that will cut next years population by 2 rather than 1.  In reality it doesn't help a whole lot, but we have a huge overpopulation of does in our area and bonus tags are given out and the doe season extended for hunters to take additional does.  I guess I'm just an oddball.  Killing an animal is no thrill for me.  Once an animal is hit and killed, I pray for the animal and thank the Lord that he has blessed my family with meat.  I thank the animal for giving his life so I can eat.  But yeah, I must be in it for the thrill of killing the biggest animal I can.  Its also cheap meat.  I pay $40 for 2 tags.  That hardly buys much hamburger now days.
 
I realize there will always be people out there who are completely 100% against hunting.  I'm fine with that.  There will always be those who think we are in it for the wrong reasons.  Truth be told, alot of hunters are.  There are also a lot of hunters who donate meat to homeless shelters across the United States.  Hunters who want to share conservation values with their children and teach them to respect the land and the wildlife.  Those types of hunters seem to be getting rarer and rarer the more trophy hunts become popular on game farms.