What age is ok to kill small animals?

[Barem]

Hi all,

I have a four year old son, and his father has taken him to his families cabin for the weekend.

They’ve taken some fishing nets as it’s close to the water, which I thought would be really sweet for my son to play with.

Yesterday his father told me that they’d caught a crab and he’d let my son kill it with a hammer to use as bait. I said I wasn’t too happy with this as I want him to enjoy learning about animals but not take enjoyment in killing them (at least this young).

Today he told me they’d caught a fish and killed it for the dogs to eat.

When I asked if they could catch it (it’s in a net not on a hook) and throw it back in he accused me of trying to ruin all their fun and put a downer on their day.

My son is meant to be back this morning but now father won’t tell me when he’s bringing him back.

What is everyone’s opinion on children killing animals yet? I’m a vegetarian so aware that I might be a bit more sensitive than others. But I’d have hoped that his father would at least consider/ respect my feelings on this?

I can understand why you as a vegetarian are horrified by this and thats understandable. But your sons Dad has an opposing view.
However a Dad taking his son fishing I personally cant see the issue with it. Although hitting a crab with a hammer sounds bad - i'm not entirely sure what a more humane way of killing a crab is? The fish that they caught didn't go to waste so you could view it as the son learning a lesson on where the food on his plate comes from.

Many years ago no - my grandfather used to take me fishing. We used worms for bait - I remember getting them onto the fishing hooks and catching eels and trout. Some of my most precious memories growing up and now I absolutely love nature.

Thank you all for the quick and helpful responses!

I worried that I was overreacting, or at least that’s the message I receive from (yes my ex) his father.

I’m not against children learning where the food they eat comes from, and would much rather my son catch a fish and eat it than eating factory farmed animal produce, but I’m not ok with him hitting animals with hammers and killing them spur of the moment without any research or planned explanation.

I’m also sad and disheartened that this has happened without any consultation or agreement first.

Id be ok with this. The animals are being killed quickly and for a reason. Killing the crab with a hammer is quick and effective and using a crab for bait is normal. I’m surprised so many posters have an issue with it.

Vegetarian. But regardless I don’t think it’s ok to kill small animals the way the op has described.

If you’re hunting for food fair enough but there is no need at all to be killing animals just for the sake of killing.
You obviously think it’s ok to kill an animal with a hammer if you’re not vegan.

If your husband is any kind of a countryman or hunter he will be teaching respect for the quarry too. So it's fine.

Because you don't need bait for a net, if you're that close you scoop the fish up into the net and the fish was killed to feed the dog, that's totally different to fishing for food, the whole thing is cruel and unneccary, there's nothing to research or consult about, it was killing 2 animals for fun.

That’s horrible, at no age should someone smash a crab for entertainment.

Hunting for food and teaching a child to prepare the meat for cooking (eg gutting etc) is acceptable. Whilst explaining to them how we respect animals and only take what we are actually going to eat. Killing small animals for ‘fun’ is weird and twisted and I would be very concerned about that and would certainly not let my child be any part of it.

The crab wasn't killed for fun or for no reason, it was used for bait. There is nothing in your post to say he took pleasure in killing it.
Whilst you are a vegetarian, a lot of people do eat meat and this is part of the process and I don't see a problem with people being confronted with the realities of this.
Similarly if you keep a cat or dog, they need to eat flesh and we all (even vegetarians) benefit from pest control

It is not okay to refuse to tell you what time your son will get home as a punishment.

It's fine, the crab was for bait with the bait they caught a fish and it was a meal for the dogs.

MN needs to calm itself down with all the psychopathic killing animals for pleasure nonsense.

There was no need to use bait and dogs can be vegetarian

Are you vegetarian? Do you think abattoir workers and butchers are psychopaths?

My dog would disagree with you.

Do people realise that the bait from a shop is another living creature, maybe still alive, and that the reason it works is that the fish themselves are carnivores?

Never?

Seriously why are you even asking?

Horrible thing to get a kid to do...

Probably that in order to eat animals you have to kill them. A pretty useful message I think?

Never ok.

They are fishing?!

Where does that bait come from?!

you don’t eat fish or meat, you don’t squat flies or poison mice ? Then I can see your upset

I'd be fine with this. Doesn't sound like it was for fun but teaching your son where food comes from.
My daughter aged 3 would watch her gran skin rabbits that her cousin had shot for food. She would help pluck pheasants. She watched her dad kill chickens. She has not turned into a serial killer.

Most of these comments are so OTT and a demonstration that we are very far from our nature. However I do agree 4 is too young and those that say 8+, maybe 7 are about right.

fishing is not really murdering.
i think if he wanted to give the fish to the dog he should have killed it in private
and taking a hammer to the crab is so unnecessary.

This.
I understand the concept but the hammer was a bit brutal.