Monte Burke on the Hunter's (and Angler's) Dilemma

December 17, 2010 By: Marshall Cutchin

Writing for Forbes magazine, Monte Burke lays out the arguments on both sides of the hunting vs. animal rights debate. It’s an excellent perspective from someone who’s not afraid to talk to “the opposition,” and it holds a mirror up to blood sports in general. Burke — like many of us — comes to the conclusion that hunting and fishing make us care more.
Among his conversations with animal rights leaders Tom Regan and Dr. Elliot Katz, Burke quotes his guide Todd Weiszbrod, who took him to his first elk, explaining how he feels about the hunt: “‘Every hunter I know feels that regret you’re feeling right now,’ he said. ‘It’s part of it. In its own way, it’s part of the respect you have for the animal. The day I don’t feel regret after a kill is the day I stop hunting.’”