New man but he shoots as a hobby ...

[jumpinjax]

He seems lovely but he's told me from the outset that he shoots as a hobby.
I don't have any major feelings about shooting one way or another , because I know so little about it but now told me that he's going on a big game shoot in Autumn and I don't know what I feel ... except maybe pity for the animals.
Would you get rid straight away?

just over half the amount shot are NOT eaten! Also to @DrNo007

Anyone who gets pleasure out of killing cats is not right in the head. Why is the bloke who enjoys shooting a tiger any better than the yob who enjoys setting fire to a neighbourhood moggy?

Elephants? I couldn't actually go out with someone who thought this was in any way ok. Grouse even deer at push but elephants? Elephants are sentient and research is starting to prove this.

Dump him. Far too much of a risk. "I heard the toilet flush and thought there was an intruder in the house...' This isn't just a red flag situation, but a moving target.

I spent a fair time as a kid at my uncle's farm and learned to shoot. I'd much rather shoot a fox taking lambs that hunt it with dogs.

I joined the local hunt for their Boxing Day hunt and will NEVER support hunting with dogs after that awful experience. The fox was terrified and exhausted when finally caught and torn apart by the hounds.

I met my ex when he worked for my uncle. He was into target shooting and vermin destruction. He's my ex for a reason but I'm still terrified of him as he still has both a shotgun and firearm certificate, several guns and is cunning enough to keep them despite threatening anyone (including me) who crosses him.

I'm safe unless he gets diagnosed with a terminal illness as he's always said he'll take anyone who crossed him with him. He's too much of a coward to go to prison or take his own life.

Please don't tell me I should go to the police. He's a cunning bloke and it's his word against mine. They never listened when I went with a complaint of domestic abuse and as soon as he realised I'd involved them he went straight to the station and surrendered his guns (the legal ones - he has other illegal weapons but the police would never find them). He was termed a sensible and level-headed man by the police who told me they weren't following up on my complaint.

Everyone who knows him in passing says he's a lovely bloke but I know him and his shooting mates extremely well. They're not.

So, OP. Would I get involved? I'm not sure. My current partner (15 years) also has a shotgun licence but only shoots clay pigeons. He's the polar opposite of my ex.

I'd be okay with someone who shoots as a hobby providing no red flags popped up later on. At the first sign of any kind of abuse, I'd be out of there. Take it slowly and keep your independence. Always listening to friends and family if they have legitimate concerns.

Sorry, I know I’m late to the thread, but these “controlled shoots, necessary to weed out the old/frail… bla bla” are completely contrived. They are bred for the shoots. And a lot of people who don’t realise it, pay for the “cuddle an orphan” experience too.

@user9630721458 To be honest, I'd doubt that figure. Given the financial strain every industry has been under over the last few years few could afford to miss out on easy revenue.

Pheasant is a healthy premium meat always in demand by the hotel/restaurant trade. We normally have a queue for ours. It is also easy to process and freeze.

Even birds that are badly damaged by shot are cleaned and are used for dog food.

@agent765 God, how terrifying. Stay safe. I think you just highlighted the mental and behavioural problems that can arise with a love of guns and shooting.

🙌🙌🙌 this 👍🏻

Had to jump in here. It's the moors that are NOT managed for grouse shooting that catch fire. See last year, that was the moor taken back for management by the council owners. Who was it that put the fire out? Gamekeepers working day and night.

@Mintjulia. I am sure you do use all the meat. I tend to think The Ecologist is a reputable source myself, though! Lots of pheasant shoots round my way and it's never in our butchers or restaurants. As I mentioned, my neighbour was left with a pile of rotting corpses that neither she nor the shoot could dispose of. I think it's possible not everyone is as sustainable as yourself.

Definitely don't get with a countryman if you believe the strange views on this thread.

Yea, big game = safari animals.
Whether eaten or not, the type of person who derives fun out of seeing a particular animal alive one minute, and dead the next, is a person who at best has 'selective empathy'. Reason behind it doesn't matter, its personally deriving pleasure out of it that is grim.
Hypocrisy or not, most who eat meat, would not enjoy going to kill the animal before eating it.
Unless a perfect shot every time - unlikely - happy, free range safari animals, are not going to be dying as quickly or 'cleanly' as in an abattoir either. You can tell the hunters on here who churn out ' better be veggie' bollocks - wouldn't date the either.

Let nature take its course, let them die naturally not some fat rich cunt paying 25K for the experience, and then on post on Twitter posing. Sorry I sound aggressive but it’s something I’m very passionate about.

@jumpinjax a hard no from
me. Surely it’s irrelevant whether you have any knowledge of shooting. The thought of this man makes me feel sick. I would struggle to have a civil conversation with him never mind date him. Those poor beautiful animals getting shot purely for your “new man’s” ego. Worrying you have to come on a forum to ask this question.

It is both of Donald Trump's sons. They have both been photographed with their dead 'trophy' animals they enjoyed killing.

Nope. Not a chance.

I am vegetarian and a big animal lover. Killing animals for sport is obscene.

Agree ,it’s the fact he’s enjoying the kill that would bother me, getting a thrill out of hunting and killing a defenceless animal trying to live its life is very revealing and not someone I would want to be in a relationship with.

I hope so, this is awful if true.

I’ve never met anyone who eats elephants or lions. Some people around the world shoot animals and birds for food. I wouldn’t agree with shooting or hunting for sport, fun.

Anyone who shoots and fishes, just for sport, and not for food is just plain cruel, and has something seriously wrong with them.

Hunting and eating what you kill is ethical. I think it’s much more defensible than me going to the supermarket and buying my meat prepackaged and prepped so I don’t have to think about where it came from.

shooting for trophies is despicable. I would dump immediately.

"I asked because I have no idea about this type of thing.
I suppose to me, so many animals are shot for a past time and it's legal and there are clubs for this sort of thing. It's a learning experience for me"

What idea do you need? I'm so confused about what you mean because surely you know that killing elephants and big cats is always an absolute disgrace no matter what you do or don't know? You think it might be ok as there could be a "club" for it? This has absolutely nothing to do with a learning experience. He's a disgusting human being. I don't know how you could even look at him again, knowing this is what he does for fun.

I live rurally. Fishing, pheasant shooting (including rearing and beating), farming, riding, pest control, garden chickens etc. are totally normal. It wouldn’t bother me and I’d pluck, gut and cook any pheasant. I’d be 100% against African game hunting! If you shoot it you should eat it.

I definitely agree with your last point. elephants are beautiful and innocent, can't imagine how evil one has to be to shoot one in child blood. humans in the other hand, easy peasy.

also if we are taking about culling to control population, no species is suffering more from overpopulation than humans...