analog

I wonder if there will be a backlash from PETA for this.

Every animal is on the food chain. You can't ignore bunnies and pheasants and bambi because they're cute, or because you have a misguided notion that hunting is somehow "wrong". Humans, homo sapiens, have been a part of the food chain for as long as there have been humans. We have relied on the animals we've killed for food, clothing, shelter, weaponry, and a host of other things, just as every other living creature relies on some other animal(s) for its survival. Were it not for the hunters of the past, we would not be sitting here, able to make our opinions known.

So why, in this "enlightened" age of tofu turkey and veggie burgers, do we still feel the "need" to kill animals? There are areas where the economy and food supply still rely on hunting for fur trade, for meat, and for other crafts. The deer, etc., are still taking part in the food chain to this day, as they always have, because they are still an essential component in many lives.

As for hunting for sport, as has been said, population control is a big issue. If the population isn't kept within certain bounds, bad things happen. The worst of which is when a deer is in the road and is hit by a car. The deer dies anyway, and violently, and often the accident results in a human death as well. So now instead of proper control, you still have a dead deer- but now you also potentially have a human fatality and definitely a wrecked car.

Of course, that is just a reason for hunting to attempt to calm people bothered by it. For those not bothered by it, it's simply fun. I can no more describe to you, a hunter-hater, how "fun" hunting is than a NASCAR fan can describe to me, a person who hates NASCAR, that watching it is "fun". You are not going to understand my view on hunting, and I am not going to understand NASCAR- that's just the way it is, and no amount of whining about how stupid and pointless it is on either of our sides is going to make it go away.

Re: Topic... Within arm's length, one firearm between the two of them? Good enough for me. As has been said, it's about maturity and following safety instruction. My friend in NY, back when I was 8 and he was 9, was already very proficient with weapons his body size could handle, and 100% on safety. Since then, i've been out a few times with other people and, like others noted, i've been appalled at the behavior of some "adults". Education is the key to firearms.