Legal Bill

I used to hunt when I was in my teens and 20s. I don't anymore. In part, I don't feel like going through all the preperation and early hours, in part, I don't want to shoot animals. I still fish, and I love it. I fish all summer, but I don't over-catch. I try to limit myself to what we can eat that day, or the next. Still, I always feel a touch of regret when I take a fish for the life that is lost. When I was younger, I wanted to catch everything and just fill the boat up.

My step-daughters grew up eating all kinds of food and meat wasn't a problem. During their teens, they both went through a vegetarian phase. Now they eat meat again in moderation. Alison will still have trouble with any meat that is cooked rare, or food that still looks like part of the animal, like a chicken leg or wing.

Have any of you experienced a change in your attitudes towards the lesser creatures who share our planet? Did we get softer as we got older? Did we realize that life was more precious?

valentine

Growing up I could eat just about any meat and thought nothing of it, but as I've gotten older and think more about health issues, I've really changed my eating patterns. I could probably go totally vegetarian and not really miss meats much, but I do eat chicken (only the white meat) and fish (not any shellfish or bottom feeders though). I do not use any animal oils in food preparation and stick with olive, canola or nut oils. These dietary habits have caused me to have cholesterol and blood chemistries that are normally only seen in people decades younger than I, so . . . from a health standpoint it has been great for me. I'm not trying to make any "save the animals" statement in making the changes, it was based solely on preferences and health. I never was much of a red meat eater and never really cared a lot for meats -- I've always preferred veggies and nuts and some cheeses to meat.

rx35285

Somewhat like Legal Bill, I lost the thrill of the kill during my late teens. I still love to shoot, maybe because I've always been a good shot. And it doesn't bother me if others continue to hunt. Some of the more rustic methods, such as spearing deer in Alabama, do turn me off a little.

As for diet, I have cut back on red meat but I'm still a proud supporter of PETA - people eating tasty animals.

matrix

When I was a teen, I shot a nest full of pellets...went and looked inside and found a bunch of dead chicks. I felt like crap and never shot again.

I am still a meat eater though, however, I do not think I could hunt for the meat.

Grannyrod

[QUOTE]Originally posted by matrix
When I was a teen, I shot a nest full of pellets...went and looked inside and found a bunch of dead chicks.

Legal Bill

[QUOTE]Originally posted by grannyrod

Triple-H

I enjoy the relaxation of fishing, and never keep more than I can eat that day.

I love guns, all guns, rifles, shotguns, pistols, old, new, low caliber, huge caliper. I have never hunted animals, but I have made a lot of targets pretty damn scared.

As far as eating habits, mine have not changed much. I have always eaten vegetables, fruit, grains, meat, poultry and seafood, and I have no intention of stopping. I will admit though, it has been a decade or more since I have had one of my favorite meals - Calf's liver and onions. So yes, I have made some concessions as I have learned more about eating healthy.

valentine

[QUOTE]Originally posted by grannyrod

paS2K

My daughter (now 30) spent a summer during HS at the American Farm School in Thessalonika Greece. She had to learn to kill chickens herself and pluck them herself. She also came to understand that lamb is LAMB....as in baby sheep! After that summer, she became pretty much of a vegetarian....but now...like Bill's dtr....eats some meat in moderation.

Kathy and I eat meat, but in moderation....2-3 times per week. I don't miss it very much, but do enjoy a good steak or filet occasionally

mns2k

While growing up, while not on a farm, my Grandmother would buy live chickens and just pop thier necks, boil, pluck, and serve for dinner. This has always left me with the feeling that these animals are raised to be eaten. It is simply how the food chain works. It may sound a little harsh but, I do not ascribe giving anthropomorphic traits to animals.