For the country folk & not faint of heart

[TrickyBob]

All this gun/hunting talk has made me wonder...

When I was working my last job, I was horrified to find out that people went possum kicking/clubbing. As in, they drove around at night looking for possums, when they found one, they kicked it or clubbed it to death.

People around here seem to find that normal. I had NEVER heard of it until moving here, I didn't know people did this.

What shocked me even more was the girl who went is also a hunter.

Growing up in a hunting family, everyone is taught to respect the animal. If you're going to kill it, shoot it and make sure it is dead. Don't let it suffer unless you absolutely cannot help the situation.

And since, I've seen her in a totally different light, I cannot wrap my head around someone who hunts, who should be following the rule of respecting the animal, is going around torturing an animal for fun.

Has anyone else heard of this? Am I alone in finding this terribly wrong?

I don't think it's ever okay to torture an animal, I don't care how ugly people find it, it just breaks my heart that people do it. I would murder my future child if they ever told me they did this. If you want to kill them, why not just shoot them? And that's just it, they don't because they find it fun. To me, that's psycho serial killer kind of shit.

[jane6672]

I've never heard of this.

It is horrifying.

[mkesweetie]

+o(

What the hell is wrong w/ people.

[sterl724]

Oct 7, 2012 21:30:06 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Possums are so nasty, but that is really sad. I didn't know people did that either.

My thoughts exactly.

[edithbouvierbeale]

I have never heard of this...and I live in kansas right now. how repulsive.

[SKP82]

I've never heard of this, but I would fearlessly club an intruder! Protection!!!!!!!!!!

[TrickyBob]

Oct 7, 2012 21:35:54 GMT -5 SKP82 said:

I've never heard of this, but I would fearlessly club an intruder! Protection!!!!!!!!!!

LMAO. :heart:

[HiC]

People can be so incredibly cruel. Opossums aren't vicious at all. They actually play dead when they are scared. When I had a horse, one lived in the barn. I'd feed my horse and the opossum would come out and literally sit on my feet and eat all the sweet feed that dropped to the ground.

[TrickyBob]

I've already told my Husband that I cannot be friends with people who do this. That if it ever comes up and I find out they did it, the friendship ends. And I wont let my future kids hang out with anyone who does it either.

The day I found out about it, I bugged my Husband all night about whether or not he's ever done it. Even though he told me no, I still bugged. He did say he went along once but never did the act himself but his friends did. That, it was normal to do that up here. He respects animals though and doesn't just kill them for funsies. He isn't friends with those people as an adult, thank God.

[SKP82]

I wonder if Evee has done this?

[TrickyBob]

Oct 7, 2012 21:38:03 GMT -5 HiC said:

People can be so incredibly cruel. Opossums aren't vicious at all. They actually play dead when they are scared. When I had a horse, one lived in the barn. I'd feed my horse and the opossum would come out and literally sit on my feet and eat all the sweet feed that dropped to the ground.

My parents always had possums come up on the back deck to eat the cat food. I remember one time one broke into a case of booze and drank all the alcohol, we never saw him after that. Poor little drunken guy. =(

But they never harmed the cats, ever. The cats would sit on the glider and when the possum would come by, they'd smack it on the head. The possum never turned on the cats, never touched them.

Personally, I find them cute.

[TrickyBob]

Oct 7, 2012 21:41:27 GMT -5 SKP82 said:

I wonder if Evee has done this?

It probably stole her apple fritter first.

[thatgirl2478]

I've never heard of people purposely seeking out possums to torture - but I know my brother has had to kill a few and it's not always easy . He lives within the city limits, so he can't just shoot them, so he has had to find other methods that I won't go into. He wouldn't even be worrying about it, but they have taken up residence in their garage and he's not gonna let that slide (honestly, I don't blame him).

[statlerwaldorf]

I'm from the country and I've never heard of it. I know some people set up traps or shoot animals, but never with the intention of torturing them. We have plenty of possums, but they don't really cause as many problems as the other animals.

[SKP82]

Oct 7, 2012 21:43:24 GMT -5 TrickyBob said:

Oct 7, 2012 21:41:27 GMT -5 SKP82 said:

I wonder if Evee has done this?

It probably stole her apple fritter first.

:-( Poor thing!

[rodeored]

I think opossums are disgusting little creatures and as horse owners we go out of our way to kill them because they are the primary host for a really terrible equine disease (EPM) but not ever with clubs. It is never ok to torture an animal like that.

[Deleted]

That's cruel and gross.

[TrickyBob]

Keep in mind, I'm also the one with the neighbor two doors down who asked if it was okay to shoot cats. (They are a perfect example of assholes who shouldn't own guns/don't respect animals)

For as much as I love this place, I REALLY question the younger people's choices, morals, and upbringings. Sometimes I feel like I've entered the twilight zone from hell. It really is a different world here compared to the rest of the state.

[rodeored]

Oct 7, 2012 22:03:55 GMT -5 TrickyBob said:

Keep in mind, I'm also the one with the neighbor two doors down who asked if it was okay to shoot cats. (They are a perfect example of assholes who shouldn't own guns/don't respect animals)

For as much as I love this place, I REALLY question the younger people's choices, morals, and upbringings. Sometimes I feel like I've entered the twilight zone from hell. It really is a different world here compared to the rest of the state.

So why is it ok to shoot possums and not cats if it is done in a humane manner?

[TrickyBob]

Oct 7, 2012 22:05:26 GMT -5 rodeored said:

Oct 7, 2012 22:03:55 GMT -5 TrickyBob said:

Keep in mind, I'm also the one with the neighbor two doors down who asked if it was okay to shoot cats. (They are a perfect example of assholes who shouldn't own guns/don't respect animals)

For as much as I love this place, I REALLY question the younger people's choices, morals, and upbringings. Sometimes I feel like I've entered the twilight zone from hell. It really is a different world here compared to the rest of the state.

So why is it ok to shoot possums and not cats if it is done in a humane manner?

Because a cat is a pet? I wouldn't advocate shooting someone's pet possum either. We never shot possums growing up, we don't shoot them now. I don't really like people killing them but if they're going to, you should shoot it instead of beating it to death and letting it suffer. People shouldn't be shooting cats either.

I think it's okay to shoot game animals. Possums, as far as I know, aren't a game animal. Cats and dogs aren't game animals either.

ETA: I wouldn't be okay with someone shooting cats, I woudn't be their friends either. And I would question their sanity as well.

[rodeored]

Oct 7, 2012 22:12:42 GMT -5 TrickyBob said:

Oct 7, 2012 22:05:26 GMT -5 rodeored said:

So why is it ok to shoot possums and not cats if it is done in a humane manner?

Because a cat is a pet? I wouldn't advocate shooting someone's pet possum either. We never shot possums growing up, we don't shoot them now. I don't really like people killing them but if they're going to, you should shoot it instead of beating it to death and letting it suffer. People shouldn't be shooting cats either.

I think it's okay to shoot game animals. Possums, as far as I know, aren't a game animal. Cats and dogs aren't game animals either.

ETA: I wouldn't be okay with someone shooting cats, I woudn't be their friends either. And I would question their sanity as well.

So your neighbor just wanted to shoot cats in general not ones that he owned? That is weird and not ok since cats are generally pets. I guess I don't see the problem with shooting it if it was his cat though (with of course the caveat that it was done humanly). As long as it is done correctly there is no difference between that and having a vet put an animal down (and I would argue that for some animals it might even be more humane, it can be very ugly when an animal has a bad reaction to the "pink juice").

[TrickyBob]

Oct 7, 2012 22:18:44 GMT -5 rodeored said:

Oct 7, 2012 22:12:42 GMT -5 TrickyBob said:

Because a cat is a pet? I wouldn't advocate shooting someone's pet possum either. We never shot possums growing up, we don't shoot them now. I don't really like people killing them but if they're going to, you should shoot it instead of beating it to death and letting it suffer. People shouldn't be shooting cats either.

I think it's okay to shoot game animals. Possums, as far as I know, aren't a game animal. Cats and dogs aren't game animals either.

ETA: I wouldn't be okay with someone shooting cats, I woudn't be their friends either. And I would question their sanity as well.

So your neighbor just wanted to shoot cats in general not ones that he owned? That is weird and not ok since cats are generally pets. I guess I don't see the problem with shooting it if it was his cat though (with of course the caveat that it was done humanly). As long as it is done correctly there is no difference between that and having a vet put an animal down (and I would argue that for some animals it might even be more humane, it can be very ugly when an animal has a bad reaction to the "pink juice").

No, the neighbor wants to shoot stray cats and any cats that get out of their (as in anyone's) house.

[SKP82]

Oct 7, 2012 22:18:44 GMT -5 rodeored said:

Oct 7, 2012 22:12:42 GMT -5 TrickyBob said:

Because a cat is a pet? I wouldn't advocate shooting someone's pet possum either. We never shot possums growing up, we don't shoot them now. I don't really like people killing them but if they're going to, you should shoot it instead of beating it to death and letting it suffer. People shouldn't be shooting cats either.

I think it's okay to shoot game animals. Possums, as far as I know, aren't a game animal. Cats and dogs aren't game animals either.

ETA: I wouldn't be okay with someone shooting cats, I woudn't be their friends either. And I would question their sanity as well.

So your neighbor just wanted to shoot cats in general not ones that he owned? That is weird and not ok since cats are generally pets. I guess I don't see the problem with shooting it if it was his cat though (with of course the caveat that it was done humanly). As long as it is done correctly there is no difference between that and having a vet put an animal down (and I would argue that for some animals it might even be more humane, it can be very ugly when an animal has a bad reaction to the "pink juice").

Evee? Is that you??

[mamasaurus]

This disgusts me. I would not want to live in a place where this was a common past time.

[Robot Jen]

That is disgusting. I've grown up in rural SC and have never heard of anyone doing this, thankfully.

[rodeored]

Oct 7, 2012 22:23:44 GMT -5 SKP82 said:

Oct 7, 2012 22:18:44 GMT -5 rodeored said:

So your neighbor just wanted to shoot cats in general not ones that he owned? That is weird and not ok since cats are generally pets. I guess I don't see the problem with shooting it if it was his cat though (with of course the caveat that it was done humanly). As long as it is done correctly there is no difference between that and having a vet put an animal down (and I would argue that for some animals it might even be more humane, it can be very ugly when an animal has a bad reaction to the "pink juice").

Evee? Is that you??

So because you don't agree with what I said you think I am Evee?

Seriously why is an instant death by bullet any more horrifying then death by lethal injection or suffocation?

[Deleted]

I grew up in a very rural area and I have not heard of people doing this. How terrible. Poor possums.

[mrsjuleshs]

Possums are vile creatures but to club one? No animal torture is right.

[adhdfashion]

My family hunts. I've never heard of this opossum clubbing business. That is disturbing to me.
We don't kill anything unless we plan on eating it.

[SKP82]

Oct 7, 2012 22:35:13 GMT -5 rodeored said:

Oct 7, 2012 22:23:44 GMT -5 SKP82 said:

Evee? Is that you??

So because you don't agree with what I said you think I am Evee?

Seriously why is an instant death by bullet any more horrifying then death by lethal injection or suffocation?

No. I was being silly because Evee expressed the same opinion once and was flamed to hell and back.