# This makes feel bad



## tangolima (Mar 2, 2020)

I practice into the wilderness behind our backyard fence. I have a soup can target set at 30 yards. With 1/2" clay balls, I am lucky if I hit 2 out of 10. I'm not hungry enough to hunt, and wild lives don't give us any problems, so I always avoid hurting them.

Today I was practicing as usual. About 10 yards behind the target, there were a pair of bunny ears sticking out. It was a cotton tail rabbit. Don't know why I aimed for it, perhaps thinking there was no way I would hit it. It probably would be scared way by my missed shots.

First shot landed a foot to the left. It kicked up dust. But the rabbit didn't move. I adjusted and fired. I heard a thud and saw the rabbit ran away. It was a hit.

The joy of hitting a live target only last for a few seconds, replaced by remorse. There was no reason for me to do that. Hurting some life just to feel good is wrong. I should not have taken that shot.

It takes courage not to fire. I was weak. I pray I grow stronger after this.

-TL

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## mattwalt (Jan 5, 2017)

I remember the first kill I had. Happened to be with a slingshot.

It just happened to land within a few feet. I aimed (expecting to miss) - but it dropped instantly. Felt terrible afterwards.


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## Hoss (Jun 3, 2014)

When it comes to wild life, my motto is, if you're not going to eat it don't shoot it. 
The only exception to this for me is if it's a threat or is causing property damage.

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## mattwalt (Jan 5, 2017)

Agreed. Only even attempt a shot when you can firstly certain to have a clean humane kill shot. And secondly have a valid reason to take the shot in the first place. But then if things go bad to be able to finish what you started quickly to prevent suffering.


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## tangolima (Mar 2, 2020)

Thank you guys.

I have nothing against hunting for food or to stopping property damage. I wasn't doing anything of those, so I had no reason to aim at that rabbit. I actually missed, adjusted and fired. Deep down I was trying to hit, for no reason other than wanting to.

Perhaps I would feel not as bad if I killed the poor creature. It just ran away in pain.

Well. Lesson learned. Get over it and be better.

-TL

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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

We learn from our mistakes and move on .


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## AKA Forgotten (Jan 26, 2019)

As already said we learn and move on. Sometimes as with your encounter it was one of our basic instincts that won the day. But I agree hunt for food and not just for fun. You have now felt what it is like to take a life and the benefit you now have is that if you do ever hunt, then the shot you take will be if and only if you have confidence that it should be a kill shot.


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## Ordo (Feb 11, 2018)

Killing innocent animals brings bad karma. Hope you learned the lesson as I did when I was young.

We do not need to eat meat or to hunt. Check the vegetarian population here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism_by_country


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## cromag (Jan 17, 2021)

Not trying to be the ogre here but , death by slingshot beats the hell out of death by Nature. Respect Nature's creations but don't overlook her cruelty.


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)




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## snydes (Jan 9, 2021)

When I was a kid I had a Red Ryder BB gun & there were these noisy blue jays in the top of our locust tree ... tree had to be 70 ft high & I took a shot at one just because they were so annoying & jabbering away all the time. It was a perfectly clean kill - dropped like a rock out of the top of that tree - had to be a head shot. Never expected I'd actually hit it. I've shot alot of guns in my life & I'd have to say that was the luckiest shot I've ever made. As a 10 year old, I do remember feeling really bad about it afterwards ... felt so bad, never did tell my mom


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## Hoss (Jun 3, 2014)

Ordo said:


> Killing innocent animals brings bad karma. Hope you learned the lesson as I did when I was young.
> We do not need to eat meat or to hunt. Check the vegetarian population here:
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism_by_country


I love people like you who eat all that green stuff, that leaves more big juicy steaks for me. 

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## Alfred E.M. (Jul 5, 2014)

It takes courage not to fire. I was weak. I pray I grow stronger after this.

*You're already stronger, congrats. I had a similar experience about age 10 ... Mr. Bunny was sitting at the edge of the tree line about 60 yards downhill ... I dispatched a thoughtless marble and to my surprise, he fell over flat. I raced down and stood over him looking at me out of one eye saying - YOU PRICK! Then he jumped up and scampered off ... I was so relieved.*

*THOU SHALL NOT KILL. Does that mean just wanton killing? What about pest control, self defense, war, rabid dogs and leftists? We're hunter/gatherers for survival ... are we supposed to live on alfalfa sprouts and mineral water? (Genesis 1:29 - Fruit & green herbs shall be your meat.) (Pot?) Ordo, what are the exceptions, if any, to the 'Do no harm' meme. *


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## Hoss (Jun 3, 2014)

Alfred E.M. said:


> It takes courage not to fire. I was weak. I pray I grow stronger after this.
> 
> *You're already stronger, congrats. I had a similar experience about age 10 ... Mr. Bunny was sitting at the edge of the tree line about 60 yards downhill ... I dispatched a thoughtless marble and to my surprise, he fell over flat. I raced down and stood over him looking at me out of one eye saying - YOU PRICK! Then he jumped up and scampered off ... I was so relieved.*
> 
> *THOU SHALL NOT KILL. Does that mean just wanton killing? What about pest control, self defense, war, rabid dogs and leftists? We're hunter/gatherers for survival ... are we supposed to live on alfalfa sprouts and mineral water? (Genesis 1:29 - Fruit & green herbs shall be your meat.) (Pot?) Ordo, what are the exceptions, if any, to the 'Do no harm' meme. *


Are we supposed to live on alfalfa sprouts and mineral water? (Genesis 1:29 - Fruit & green herbs shall be your meat.) (Pot?) Ordo, what are the exceptions, if any, to the 'Do no harm' meme.

This is a big subject, alot changed after Genesis. 
Do some bible study and you'll find your answer, a good place to start is Leviticus. Remember, thangs changed after the law, which we no longer live under.

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## Alfred E.M. (Jul 5, 2014)

Hoss said:


> Alfred E.M. said:
> 
> 
> > It takes courage not to fire. I was weak. I pray I grow stronger after this.
> ...


*I've heard reference to that ... please explain briefly - what law and what changed?*


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## Ordo (Feb 11, 2018)

I am not religious nor do I attempt a vegetarian crusade here. Do what you feel is right. Everything, in the end, comes under the light (or shadow) of individual consciousness.


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## Hermit (Feb 7, 2014)

Thanks for the post - it got people to thinking...and posting.

Rich


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## Hoss (Jun 3, 2014)

Alfred E.M. said:


> Hoss said:
> 
> 
> > Alfred E.M. said:
> ...


Meat was not forbidden, Leviticus chapter 11 gives the instructions on what was acceptable and what was not acceptable to eat.

This was given under the law, were living in the day of grace not the law.

If we need to get any deeper into this it may be the best to pm me, I don't want to get into a heated debate about this. I've seen things like this get out of control in the past on other forums.

Many on here may not know it, I am a preacher of the Baptists faith, I'm more than willing to share what knowledge that has been given to me with others, so feel free to pm me anytime.

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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

Ordo said:


> Killing innocent animals brings bad karma. Hope you learned the lesson as I did when I was young.
> We do not need to eat meat or to hunt. Check the vegetarian population here:
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism_by_country


If we were not supposed to eat animals then God should have not made them out of meat. It's funny I read eating for your blood type I am a+ and I am a twig and berries hunter lol go figure

On the shooting the rabbit you should have cleaned it if you never clean a animal then after the work was done you may never release a pouch on another one but with death there's always new life more life in a dead tree than there ever was in a live tree SERE school.


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