ANSWERS:

Matthew, age 26: There honestly is no NEED for deer hunting or any hunting whatsoever. If you look at the trends of hunters, they are most often killing male deer. I believe the reason for this is the trophy the male deer offers (it's horns). So if you think about it, hunters killing male deer does nothing to effecitvely manage the population since there are still just as many female deer to reproduce.

Cars, pollution, and destruction of natural environments already reduce populations of wild animals, thus hunting would only contribute to an already depleting population. Aside from that reason, it is important to remember that nature usually keeps itself in balance for the most part. The populations of wild animals we're fine before we started hunting them, so why is it that when we decided to hunt them, the population suddenly became a problem?

If your boyfriend truly is a compassionate person, he will make the connection that hunting is a cruel behavior that should not be continued. I remember having difficulty giving up fishing, a pastime I shared with my father and grandfather for many years. I didn't want to stop fishing because I enjoyed it, and as a result I made many excuses like "well, they plant the fish for that purpose". So, once I made the connection that I was being selfish, I stopped and I haven't done it since. My guess is, your boyfriend is the same way. He enjoys hunting and doesn't want to have to stop. Talk to him, he'll stop. Here is a link with more info, good luck!

Liz, age 22: I don't know of any sites, but what "need" do we have to go and shoot an animal when there are perfectly good, tasty alternatives at the supermarket that don't include animals dying?

Jessica, age 16: From what I know and believe, hunting is not only cruel- but unneccessary as well. Here are two major reasons why:

Hunting weakens the population of deer. Most often when hunting, the hunter will choose the strongest, largest looking catch- one that will look most "gorgeous" on his wall. By killing this strong male deer, it leaves only the weaker deers behind. When mating season arrives, the weak and ill will be mating, resulting in an overall degeneration in the health and strength of the deer.

The opposite is true when hunters say that the deers would over populate without hunting- THEY WILL. Basic study of ecology tells us that when there is an increase in population, there will be less vegetation eaten, and therefore more vegetation available for the remaining organisms. They can therefore thrive in this food-rich environment, creating a drastic increase in the population of the species. For more information you may visit: this website, by PETA with a wealth of information!

Laura, age 16: I've done some population deer studies in school. Hunting is ineffective or just temporary in most cases, has to be carried out in a specific manner and will sometimes spur the remaning deer to reproduce like crazy (that's why it hasn't worked). Hormone sterilization and other humane control methods have shown promising results. However, the info I have is based on scientists' personal observations. For all we know hunting DOES help the deer, since increasing the amount of natural predators is simply not an option. If your boyfriend's a hunter I wouldn't stress out about it ... that's just me though. Experiences differ. Having also heard that in some areas deer suffer an agonizing death by starving, there indeed COULD be a need for the hunting of certain animals, and most hunters are knowledgeable in making humane kills. Hope this helps!

Wolf, age 12: I can say that hunting to control population actually has a counterproductive effect. When a certain number of deer are killed, this creates a void that is soon filled by the remaining deer, who breed more rapidly without food competition. The end result is that you have more deer than if you'd just left them alone in the first place.

Angie, age 17: Hunting is totally unnecessary! What is the point of hunting? Animals will become extinct if we keep on killing them. And hunting/fishing is NOT a sport unless the animals have guns themselves.

Rachel, age 17: Hunters say a lot of things to justify their hobby. Most of it they try to disguise as conservation - that it is really beneficial to the species and therefore a hunter's solemn duty. Its common to hear that they keep deer population down in the place of the other predators that have disappeared because of overhunting (wolves, coyotes, etc). So in a way its a circular argument that they have to hunt because of the effects of hunting. But if they really wanted to keep the population in check they'd be killing the female deer instead of the males, only they don't because they want an impressive trophy.

Another conservation argument is that hunters thin the herd so there is less competition for food during the hard winter months. But take a look at the animals they've thinned out: they're always the strongest, healthiest looking ones - the ones most likely to survive the winter. That means the animals left are the sick, frail ones that might have died regardless of how much competition there was.

And there are other ones; some are very obvious fallacies. It doesn't appear to me that hunters are too concerned with logic. Keep that in mind if you try to point out the holes in his argument (even though you didn't specifically mention you would). He likes what he does and that's who he is. And he'll probably resent you trying to change him as much as you hate when people try to talk you out of being a vegan. It may seem obvious or cliche, but you just can't change people. Its a good piece of advice that took me a long time to learn. Back to the list of questions