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Happy Hunters


surrounded high upon my hill
by happy hunters,
bound to kill
feathered or four-footed
matters not,
if it moves
it will be shot.
they don't look hungry
don't seem thin
and they know not
their sin
the rabbits run
the pheasants fly
to refuge here
they run and hide
and flee in fear
when dogs and men
are near



Sean

men they should not fear

Hi Daka,

There are various reasons for hunters to be happy. Most often, the reasons are
far less nefarious than any bloodlust, but arise from enjoyment of playing a
part in the cycle of nature, being outdoors, continuing a family tradition,
acquiring food, etc. There are slob hunters, just as there are slob consumers,
neighbors, et al. Yeah, those who will shoot anything that moves are slobs
and are likely of the bloodlust variety. But, they aren't in the majority. Sorry to
hear that the ones near you are the kind that give other hunters a bad name.

i hunt only food
fish and rabbits are very good
tasty stews with spuds

this was only a poem,
not a political statement
or a self-righteous pontification
just a view of the
appearing reality
of these creatures

I am a meat eater
I understand that
there is almost no difference
between shot rabbit
and culled cow

There are many sad things about hunters in Spain.
They tend to abandon their dogs in the countryside when the season is over (instead of paying their food for 8 months) and these dogs become savage, starved, and problematic for us. The hunters put illegal foxtraps out to cruelly kill the foxes who interfere with their harvesting of pheasants. Last week I had to spend many hours rescuing a savage, angry, abandoned hunting dog who had been caught in one of these illegal foxtraps.

There are some gentle men hunting these parts and I have had the occasion to meet and chat with them. There are also some barbarians.

I also understand that I am the "invader" here. I sought out an isolated place where there would be few people, to do solitary retreat. Of course this also describes the usual hunting areas. So I am careful with my indignance and criticism of these fellows.

.... just a gentle poem!!... that will probably never be read by a Spanish hunter

Sean

Game can't discriminate the gentle men from the barbarians, and even if they could, they should still be afraid of the gentle men with shotguns.

I apologize if I may have offended any hunting gentlemen in our hallowed forum.

Hi Daka,

I didn't take your poem as being a political statement or pontification nor was
my response intended as either. I'd be very careful with freeing up any pained
animal, because in addition to any dangers of dealing with an unknown animal,
the agony it is under makes it more likely to not understand or appreciate
a gesture of kindness. There are times that a humane dispatch is prudent.