Animal harvest goal

[Moon Tree]

phonejack, i will agree with you in principle. I've chosen to be on a Paleo Diet; I prefer to eat meat that I have harvested. Eighty percent of my meat intake is wild game, ten percent is organic meat and well sometimes you just have to have a pizza.

But, I have to disagree on the point that killing animals for food is the only reason to do so. One other reason is to protect/defend your property. I will shoot a coyote every chance I get and do not intend to eat them. A couple years ago, I had half my chicken flock wiped out in about 2 weeks do to predators, coyotes, fox and/or bobcats. I had planned to slaughter that many chickens and put them in the freezer. The last attack came at 3:30 PM. I had just gotten home from work, went to the bathroom and heard the chickens raising cane outside. My wife got outside before I could. I found our rooster over the hill, badly injured. We were able to nurse him back to health. Because of these attacks, we don't let our chickens roam free unless we're home to supervise them.

I don't live in the wilderness. I live on a 50 acre farm on a dead end road. I'm 15 minutes from the 7th largest city in KY and 20 minutes from the 2nd largest city in KY.

Every year my neighbors lose calves to coyote kills. I will shoot any coyote will allow me time to get a fire arm. I will shoot any fox, bobcat or feral cat (they are the number 2 killers of quail) that I see on my farm.

The second reason for shooting an animal without intent of eating is for public safety. California abolished cougar hunting some years ago. Every so often you hear of a jogger being attacked by a cougar. I feel sorry for the victim and his family. But, what do you expect? The population of cougars grows and the don't have a fear of humans, because they are not hunted by humans.

No, I am not advocating shooting every predator on sight. Most black bear and now cougar sightings in KY are animals looking for a home range where they can live and co-exist with the human population. I'm saying that a properly managed hunting seasons will keep them weary of humans.

[akuser47]

Well put moon I agree strongly.