usually I try to pacify the concerns of these people by mentioning that I'm a self-proclaimed pacifist. killing people is wrong in any context, anytime, anywhere. that probably begs the question: how can I think killing people is wrong and think killing animals (such as deer and rabbits) is ok? I'm glad you asked....
I don't believe animals have a soul. they aren't included in God's plan of salvation. so I am not refusing someone or something the opportunity for salvation. that is probably the biggest argument I can make for hunting (and the biggest reason I am a pacifist: in no way can I assume God's place and dictate who is worthy of salvation and who is worthy of death). placing an animal on the same level as a human is a disservice to God, given that humans are the image-bearers of God and animals are not. it'd be a slap in the face to say I created something after my own image and that image somehow informs me that an amoeba or a slug is on the same level as itself. my feelings certainly would be hurt (you're calling me an amoeba-faced slughead?!), not that God necessarily gets His feelings hurt (a topic beyond the scope of this piece).
that of course doesn't mean I can wantonly shoot and kill any animal I see or anything of the sort. it's just the foundation of my world-view; animals don't occupy the importance in creation that humans do. that being said, I hunt for several reasons. first and foremost, the family bonding between my father and relatives is beyond any other experience I've had in my life. I'm as close to my family and relatives now because of the time I've spent tromping through the woods with them (usually not finding much). hunting is also just about the only way to acquire deer meat, and I'm sure there's info somewhere on how much better deer meat is for you than any beef you could get.
the negative reasons are a little more plentiful. I don't believe hunting and killing a deer is worse than growing a cow simply to kill and butcher it. at least the deer have a fighting chance given their heightened senses and superior movement in forests (which they've proved again and again). I also don't believe killing a rabbit is worse than trapping it to die or poisoning it, for much the same reason as the deer (btw I kill rabbits as a service to farmers, who lose crops because of them [the whole humans being more important than animals thing again]). I also don't hunt and kill as a way to feel more like a man. guys who do have serious self-esteem issues and need Jesus more than they need a gun - killing an animal isn't a sign of masculinity or physical prowess, or at least it certainly shouldn't be.
if I'm going to kill an animal, I'm going to do it as a steward of creation (which God has tasked mankind to do). this is why I follow the rules: poaching is stupid, and taking care of forests and animal population is more important than filling my freezers. so I comply with state and federal regulations, and the deer have been more or less safe from my gun anyway (see above on more skillful movement through forests). hunting is how I enjoy God's creation best, how I experience the Maker and Savior of my soul through His creation of forests and animals.
I'd have to be ok with the raw act of taking an animal life if I'm ever going to be ok with the "sanitized" version presented to us at fast food joints. some vegetarians refuse meat based on the cruelty to animals argument (which I more or less reject on the basis that animals don't deserve more attention than humans do - fix the cruelty toward humans before you worry about the animals). I wouldn't argue someone to go against their conscience, whether I agree with their reasoning or not. however, many people who have a problem with hunting are not vegetarians. the only logic I see in eating beef and condemning hunting is that deer are fuzzier and cuter than cows, and now you've stepped into the realm of prejudice. thank God humans aren't given life or death based on their appearance.
I suppose I've tarried too long on the subject. it is what it is: I hunt animals with a healthy respect to God and His creation (and to the authorities placed above me), and I hate war and violence out of respect to God and His creation.
