Is there a name for people who hunt defenseless animals?

@TheRascallyOne: The grizzly doesn't get a knife.

@lastbabyboomer: no that's the problem is people believe that

@TheRascallyOne: It's actually quite unfortunately true, since we've hunted most major predators to extinction. It wouldn't be if things like wolves, coyote and bear were as widespread as they used to be, but they're not. Nature normally creates its own culls via population swings between predator and prey, but we've removed most natural predators from the equation. So now we're left with humans to do the culling.

I appreciate that. Thank you. I don't think taking the life of a deer a couple of years early who is going to die of disease or be eaten alive is immoral. Dying of disease or being eaten alive by a bear involves much more suffering. I do advocate for the ethical treatment of animals and pay more for that meat. @KaliKali:

@Brando: I think hunting is much more ethical than farming and slaughtering them for sure. I still don't think hunting is ethical though, even if it reduces suffering. I think you could easily make an a really great argument that killing a specific animal who is suffering to end that suffering is ethical though. With hunting it is a statistical thing, you aren't necessarily killing an animal who is suffering, you are killing enough healthy animals to keep the population from suffering. I just always refer back to how you would deal with it if it were people or even pets. Basically everyone agrees that euthanizing a sick animal is ethical and I think most people would even say it is kind. Euthanasia is obviously more controversial with humans, but it seems like all the objections are religious ones not ethical ones (could be totally wrong about that though). I don't think anyone would agree that killing healthy pets or humans in order to prevent future suffering is ethical though. I mean, I guess some people would, but I don't think I would take their opinion very seriously.

It's not in order to prevent suffering, but the idea that animals need to die by disease or by other animals (but not the human animal) doesn't make sense to me. We shan't convince each other, but I appreciate the civilized conversation. We agree there is too much needless suffering, to be sure.@KaliKali:

@TheRascallyOne: Eh, there's some mighty fine satisfaction to be had in hunting and 'sissy' is a pretty pitiful insult to throw at anything.

@UndeadPrivateer: you know I'm like Batman I don't believe in killing not even animals

@TheRascallyOne: Which is all well and good. The problem is that nature believes in dying, and if you don't control the populations then you'll have a food chain collapse and [i]everything[/i] dies. I don't think anyone wants a repeat of the Great Dying, one of the largest extinction events in all of Earth's history which was largely caused by a food chain collapse in the ocean triggered by a shutdown of the ocean conveyor. Rendering 96% of all ocean lifeforms extinct and 70% of all land lifeforms extinct.

But hey, you can always leave the culling to others who have the stomach for it.

Rabbits have claws and incisors, not to mention a higher auditory capability and scent perception.

@TheRascallyOne: But they taste so good.

The species itself defends itself by breeding like rabbits. Deers too. Like Deers. @TheRascallyOne: