Boy shoots albino deer, gets deaththreats

[IW17]

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

That's irrelevant. My point was that using a crossbow isn't "taking part in nature." It's just killing. I wasn't commenting on whether it was amoral or immoral.

How an animal dies is irrelevant. Predators use any means necessary. We are predators, hence the position of our eyes. We lack the teeth, claws, talons and other assets used by animals to take down prey. But what we have is higher intelligence. We construct tools to aid us in hunting. That's how we kill. Has been since the beginning. So someone sending death threats to a child for doing what our species has evolved to do is wrong. Sorry this animal was "special", but the reality is albinism is a flaw. That boy was no different than any other predator, picking off the "special" white animal that sticks out like a sore thumb.

[CosmicOwl]

Originally Posted by IW17

How an animal dies is irrelevant. Predators use any means necessary. We are predators, hence the position of our eyes. We lack the teeth, claws, talons and other assets used by animals to take down prey. But what we have is higher intelligence. We construct tools to aid us in hunting. That's how we kill. Has been since the beginning. So someone sending death threats to a child for doing what our species has evolved to do is wrong. Sorry this animal was "special", but the reality is albinism is a flaw. That boy was no different than any other predator, picking off the "special" white animal that sticks out like a sore thumb.

Not if you're trying to make the argument that the animal was killed naturally. As I pointed out earlier, the way humans naturally hunted prey was to literally run it to death. It's called persistence hunting. We don't need claws, sharp teeth or talons to take down prey because we're efficient runners and our ability to sweat means that we don't overheat as easily as other mammals.

That boy was no different than any other predator,

And by this logic, if somebody killed that boy, they would be no different than any predator either. Predators often pick off the young and/or weak. "Might makes right," is not great moral standard if you value equality and liberty.

[shaunyboy]

Originally Posted by eminart

Albinism is rare in the wild because it puts the animal at a disadvantage. There's no reason to view the animal as "special" or somehow above the food chain.

i disagree mate

the fact that the animal reached the age it did regardless of all the disadvantages it faced,along with it being a rare occurrence in the first place.....

makes said creature special and should grant it special dispensation

re hunters
i have no issues with hunting in any shape or form.....

all my life i have hunted using a variety of methods which have included,guns,ferrets,lurchers,traps,etc

when i was younger i even did a bit of poaching,when my father and grandfather taught me how to feed myself without running to a super market or shop

but as a hunter i would not take the life of something so rare...

that's just my own personal feelings on the matter

as said in my last post...

each to their own



cheers shaun

[IW17]

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

Not if you're trying to make the argument that the animal was killed naturally. As I pointed out earlier, the way humans naturally hunted prey was to literally run it to death. It's called persistence hunting. We don't need claws, sharp teeth or talons to take down prey because we're efficient runners and our ability to sweat means that we don't overheat as easily as other mammals.
And by this logic, if somebody killed that boy, they would be no different than any predator either. Predators often pick off the young and/or weak. "Might makes right," is not great moral standard if you value equality and liberty.

And as I said, how it's killed is irrelevant. Shot with an arrow, or ran to death, the results are the same. One animal dies, so another can live. Circle of life. And if he was killed, yes, that person would be no different than any other predator. But we have laws to attempt to stop such actions.

[MDT]

long time hunter...compound bow, black powder (with a scope and open sights), rifle (open sights and scope) and shotgun...i have zero issues with the method of harvesting the animal..and zero issues with harvesting it period. i would agree w shaun that the animal survived to adulthood and thereby was really lucky. personally, i prob would've passed on it as well. another hunter taking it by ethical means?...no problem.



edit...shaun...one day, i WILL come to your side of the pond, i WILL look you up dude..and you have got to take me hunting with ferrets!

[Joshchimera]

Hunting with ferrets is pretty epic! Beast master movie.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by Akuma223

Boy Who Shot Albino Deer With Crossbow Receives Death Threats, Family Says so whats everyones opinion on this? I think its preposterous that this kid is getting threatened because he shot this buck. Its just a deer like any other and people putting it on a pedestal because its "different" and "prettier" is aggravating. This creature is no better than any other deer. Funny thing is a guarantee most of these people buy their meat from a supermarket which is far far worse. So whats everyones thoughts on this?

We don't consider the animals we keep "the same" when we ask for different prices on morphs.
So yes to me this animal is different than any other deer. It's got a really cool paint job.

No, the boy should have been left alone. Death threats are a pretty horrible thing over this. Yes, fine to share an opinion, maybe write a letter or what have you but death threats? That's really low.

[toddnbecka]

Death threats are extreme and unjustifiable regardless of the color of the animal.
As for it surviving to adulthood despite being an albino, the environment it lived in is a long way from "natural" with regards to what it would be like w/out the effects of humans over the past couple hundred years.
Hunting is often necessary to control the population of animals since their natural predators like wolves or mountain lions have been taken out of the ecosystem.

[eminart]

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

First of all, hunting with a crossbow is not, "taking part in nature."

It is indeed. Humans aren't exactly equipped to kill deer with our teeth. We've always used our brains and ingenuity to come up with easier ways to kill prey. But, if you think killing a deer with a crossbow is just killing and not hunting, I invite you to try it. I don't use a crossbow, but I've been bowhunting since I was 10, and it's a lot more difficult than you might think. A lot of non-hunters get their impression of deer from those that live in parks and neighborhoods and are fed by people all the time. It's a different animal that lives out in real nature.

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

i disagree mate

the fact that the animal reached the age it did regardless of all the disadvantages it faced,along with it being a rare occurrence in the first place.....

And now it caught up to it.

The fact is, albino deer tend to be genetically inferior. You never see a truly big one, they often have poor eyesight, and they have smaller antlers. Humans have replaced the deers' natural predators in most places, so WE are the ones that weed out the weak. If we let the albinos live because we think they're somehow special, we're just allowing inferior genes an unfair advantage over more robust genes.

So, it's not only a silly human sentiment to let the white ones walk, but it's also detrimental to the herd.

[David VB]

I can understand CosmicOwl. While i'm no vegetarian at all and so i do know that animals have to be liked in order for me to have food on the table, i don't think hunting for fun should be allowed. Not on any animal, they deserve life as much as humans. But a friend of mine is a hunter too and he only shoots those animals that are too high in numbers to have a balanced nature. That is acceptable i think, but a 1' year old killing animals wit a crossbow is far from acceptable for me. But i would never send him or his family death threats of course, that's just stupid.

[David VB]

Originally Posted by eminart

It is indeed. Humans aren't exactly equipped to kill deer with our teeth. We've always used our brains and ingenuity to come up with easier ways to kill prey. But, if you think killing a deer with a crossbow is just killing and not hunting, I invite you to try it. I don't use a crossbow, but I've been bowhunting since I was 10, and it's a lot more difficult than you might think. A lot of non-hunters get their impression of deer from those that live in parks and neighborhoods and are fed by people all the time. It's a different animal that lives out in real nature.



And now it caught up to it.

The fact is, albino deer tend to be genetically inferior. You never see a truly big one, they often have poor eyesight, and they have smaller antlers. Humans have replaced the deers' natural predators in most places, so WE are the ones that weed out the weak. If we let the albinos live because we think they're somehow special, we're just allowing inferior genes an unfair advantage over more robust genes.

So, it's not only a silly human sentiment to let the white ones walk, but it's also detrimental to the herd.

Most of 'us humans' don't use it at all... Would be better to use it to save animals and help the planet getting healthy again instead of killing animals for pleasure!!!

[eminart]

Originally Posted by David VB

Most of 'us humans' don't use it at all... Would be better to use it to save animals and help the planet getting healthy again instead of killing animals for pleasure!!!

We really shouldn't get into this, but I'll just throw this out there........

Hunters have more respect for nature than non-hunters.

WHAT!? you say!

I assume you agree that in nature, animals eat other animals and it's all a big balance. I also assume that you agree that humans are omnivores, meaning that they evolved to eat at least some meat.

But, you're also going to say that it is now somehow superior to NOT eat meat, even though that is how nature is designed. So, you believe your silly human notions are superior to eons of natural design and nature. Why? Why is your sentimentality "better" than nature's design?

save animals and help the planet getting healthy again

I'd also like to add, that here in the U.S. where we have very well regulated game management, hunting DOES help the animals. If you think some animals falling to predators is bad, then you have absolutely no understanding of how nature works.

[Zoo Nanny]

People are idiots and will say anything from the shadows of social media. While I have no problem with hunting I think the father missed a chance to teach his son respect and acceptance of what others hold sacred. There were so many values that he missed in teaching his son, very sad.

[Mikoh4792]

Isn't killing deer a part of keeping this planet healthy? I thought the reason for killing deer was because their numbers are so high in a given area that they are causing problems. I always hear about how in some places you have to drive very slowly because you never know when a deer will come shooting out of the woods and crash into your car or motorbike.

[Obsidian_Dragon]

I personally wouldn't have killed the deer--but I'm probably one to pin more significance on sighting a 'white stag' tan most. My writer's soul would have been stirred.

But the boy receiving death threats is absolutely out of line. It's a deer. We've killed most of their predators, now we need to cull them ourselves. As long as they try for a clean kill and preferably eat it, whatever.