You don't know, dude. Simply put, my opinion, no debate necessary: Sport hunting is wrong. Subsistence hunting is fine. Just do your best to make a humane kill. It is basic math that many people hunt and fish to supplement a low income. You might have a privi-position in society, so I can understand how you might not see the other side of the coin, but it is there. I only fish and hunt for meat that I can't otherwise afford to raise myself. I don't want your industry meat. The meat industry is profit driven cruelty and product integrity is compromised by this fact, in terms of healthiness and morals. Personally, I would rather see more family permaculture farms than grocery stores. People need to get back to the land harmoniously, providing for themselves. We need to love nature by re-establishing predator populations so the wild is the wild once again. Adventure, I am but a spark in the grandness of this once wild wilderness. "Loving" nature by taking the place of the predators is fear-based weakness and is not indicative of what I call being human and is certainly not love of nature at all. It is a widely accepted fact that ecology suffers from lack of wild predation. Humans were never meant to function as nature's band-aid. You have your opinion and I have mine. I don't know where you get your facts from, other than from your circle of sport huntin' buddies, whom it seems you are convinced I should meet for the betterment of my understanding of my place in this world, but I get my facts from two bachelor's degrees, daily master's thesis research, and talking with people who know more than me. Nothing I say slips out. I speak deliberately. The occassional passionate response is a symptom of being a concerned human living on a planet that is dying by way of wealthy human hands, mostly middle and upper-class American, Canadian, and Japanese product consumers, just like yourself. Yes, its true that I care, and it's too bad others can't escape from the group-opinion that they seek out convenient to them and for their own ego-aggrandizement. I choose not to go there, because it is a trap that I don't want to fall into, despite how social it could be. There are two kinds of humans: Those who are destroying the planet, directly and indirectly, and those who's lives are negatively effected by the first group. I tend to place upper class sport hunters in the first group. If you don't understand why, go to the library and read a few books on environmental science and a few others on globalism and urbanization. Then maybe we can have an intelligent debate. I know sport hunting might be a small part of the overall problem, but if the entire problem isn't dealt with, the entire problem won't be solved. If you hunt for the meat, you are supplementing your income, otherwise you would only be there to kill someone. I have no problem with killing for meat, just be aware that there are people who actually need to supplement their income's who are getting left out because some rich guys like huntin' too. It's the truth, and if you have to tell yourself it isn't because you can't bear the burden of responsibility, then you are a typical American, which comes as no surprise to me, and which might not ultimately be your fault.
I just think that low-income hunters should be given priority on public lands. Why shouldn't they? There are only a certain number of tags given out each season. Why should the rich continue to get richer and the poor continue to get poorer? Do the basic math. I also think liscences should be discounted for low-income hunters and fishermen.
A bit off topic:
Just because people are only harming indirectly, doesn't mean they aren't harming, but it does mean that they are either unaware of what they are actually doing all if not most of the time, or they just don't care. Having an open mind enough to discover the far-reaching results of your actions is rare these days, and when it does occur, it happens because a child has become a true adult. True adults care. A bit off topic, I know, but I have found that the best conversations flow. While I am more than capable of debate, I don't debate with just anyone. Forums are more about opinions and feelings, not about debate or credible info. There are scientific journals for that. They are in the university library. Have a nice day.