LETTER: Hunting a cruel, harmful sport

To the editor:

In response to your article “A hunter’s heaven” (10/17/07), I was perplexed by some of the excuses for shooting innocent creatures in their natural habitats. “There are four species of mountain sheep in North America, and I have been able to collect all four. I love mountain sheep because they are some of the prettiest animals.” Well, no offense, but do you always shoot things you find to be beautiful? Certainly seems to be an odd way of showing affection. The fact of the matter is that while hunting may have been a part of human survival 100,000 years ago, in today’s society there is simply no excuse for it. The vast majority of hunters do not need to shoot animals for food, which is why this formally common bloodsport has seen a drastic downturn in recent years. Less than 5 percent of the U.S. population hunts, for reasons ranging from environmental destruction to concern for the obvious cruelty to animals (many animals suffer prolonged, painful deaths when they are injured but not killed by hunters). In the 21st century, we have evolved to the level where we can comfortably live without killing animals unnecessarily. If hunters seek to enjoy the outdoors and spend time with friends and family, I would recommend hiking, camping, or one of the other wonderful activities that do not involve causing unnecessary pain and suffering. For more information on how to make compassionate choices for animals, visit peta2.com to request free stickers and a DVD.

Ryan Huling