Every year these posts about hunting get very interesting as different opinions and views are shared. I respect everyone's opinion, and am well aware many opinions are from people who do not live in an area where these hunted animals are causing problems. Not everyone lives as rural as I do, and not everyone grew up around hunters and guns, or eating food that didn't come from a grocery store.
However, I am very proud of my WV heritage, and the fact my family has lived here and hunted these mountains for more than 150 years. My family has hunting stories about bears and big bucks that were killed by my great great grandfather, my great grandfather and his brothers before 1863, on land that is still owned by my family. Every male and female in my family were taught to handle, and shoot a gun at an early age; most of us have handled and shot the muzzleloader used by our great grandpa in his hunts.
Hunting is in our blood, and it's what we do. I was taken on small game hunts when I was young, but I didn't like being out in the cold weather, and being still for a long time was not something I did well. I was eager to help with the processing, and was never grossed out with that part, and it never stopped me from eating the meat. Our farm animals existed for the sole purpose of feeding us; we didn't think they were cute, we did not see them as pets, and they never had names. The deer, turkey, and bear that crossed our farm were viewed as another food source, and because of this, my family survived the leanest of times thru the Depression.
My early ancestors were farmers, as was my grandfather until the 70's. Now my family consists of successful doctors, nurses, teachers, construction supervisors, and tractor trailer drivers, who have purchased lifetime hunting licenses (@ $500 each). Not one of these people needs to prove anything to anyone. One of the teachers, and one of the tractor trailer drivers, are my beautiful daughters, who have been hunting with bow and gun, since they were 15. The deer meat eaten in this household is supplied by those 2 young women, and I have great pride in them for continuing our family's presence in these woods for 150+ years.
I don't expect everyone to agree with hunting. I do expect each of you are making your choices in life based on your lifestyle, your circumstances, what makes you happy, and what you feel you need to do, etc. Speaking for the avid hunters in my family, I assure those of you who have expressed such strong, and negative opinions of what we do, that we are doing what we feel we need to do to help maintain the balance of the beautiful environment we live in. Deer know only 2 things; eat, and breed. If you ever drive thru our beautiful state on I-77 or I-64, and have an unfortunate encounter with a deer, perhaps you will view things a bit differently.
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