I hate the word harvest.

[VixChix]

I like the word "harvest" because it implies that we use the meat. It's more than just killing an animal - we'll feed our family and friends.

Many people I've met (admittedly, mostly other women) think we just shoot animals for the "fun" of killing them. Some are very surprised that we don't leave them to rot and that we actually eat what we shoot.

On the other hand, I absolutely detest hearing hunters talk about how they "blasted" or "smoked" or "whacked" a deer. To me, it sounds juvenile and doesn't show respect for the animal.

[Boo]

Each to his own I guess ?

Call it what you want but the term " harvest " is widespread in all our Ontario hunting reg's etc.

So it is not a foreign term to myself / friends / family .

Never really gave it much thought till I saw " hate the word harvest " ...

Quoted from Ontario MNR site ..

"Submit hunting activity and hunter harvest reports ...
Hunters are excellent observers of wildlife. Hunting activity and hunter harvest reports collect the observations of hunters across the province. This pool of data helps wildlife managers to plan for the future."

For me, it's the above. It's in all of our publications.
My education is forestry and even though our culture is that of clear cuts, mass chemical spraying, poisoning of streams (Lamprey) and hunting, we spoke about taking game as harvest. I think if we want to not alienate ourselves from the non-hunting public that gives us permission to hunt their land we'll try to be as delicate as possible.

[ch312]

Why is it that some people think using a certain word is incorrect when the dictionary says that it's the proper word to use? I hate how some people make up their own definitions and think people who use the word properly are the ones who are incorrect

Fact trumps opinion...



http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/harvest

As a noun, harvest means the time of year when crops are ripe and ready to be gathered. The picked crop is also called a harvest: a bumper crop is a plentiful harvest, and a poor harvest is when things didn’t grow as well as expected. As a verb, to harvest something is to gather, trap, or cull it. You can harvest a soybean crop, you can harvest beaver pelts, or you can harvest tissues or organs for transplants.


http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harvest

Full Definition of HARVEST

1: the season for gathering in agricultural crops
2: the act or process of gathering in a crop
3a : a mature crop (as of grain or fruit) : yield
b : the quantity of a natural product gathered in a single season <deer harvest> <ice harvest>
4: an accumulated store or productive result <a harvest of revenue>

Transitive verb:

1b : to gather, catch, hunt, or kill (as salmon, oysters, or deer) for human use, sport, or population control

[wabi]

MY perspective is that if I disrupt the process that sustains the life of a plant or animal I have "killed" it. When I take further steps to process the dead plant or animal into food I have "harvested" it.

When I pick a tomato from the vine I have broken the connection to the plant that allows it to receive nutrients to live and grow, so I have "killed" it at that point. When I carry it into my food preparation space (spelled k-i-t-c-h-e-n, but if I type that word the moderators think it's a canned meat product that's also good to eat and change the word you will see in the post - they must love to eat, too! ) and slice it for the sandwich I'm having for lunch - that's the "harvest" act.

When I shoot a deer through the lungs I prevent it from processing oxygen to sustain life so when the life functions cease because of my shot, I have "killed" it. When I cut the roasts, steaks, backstraps, and mud veins (tenderloins last longer if you label them mud vein on the package ) and store them for consumption, I have "harvested" it.

Now I'm hungry. Wouldn't a BLT with fresh lettuce, tomato, and some thick cut hickory smoked bacon be good about now? Even lettuce, tomato, and some sliced fried Spam on toast would taste good. Guess I could be a moderator, too.

[R.J.]

> You can tell for most of us the season is over when we spend time debating word meanings !

I use to crack up with Saprano word meaning miscues !

Tony Soprano: [over the phone] It's a bad connection so I'm gonna talk fast! The guy you're looking for is an ex-commando! He killed sixteen Chechen rebels single-handed!

Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: Get the f outta here.

Tony Soprano: Yeah. Nice, huh? He was with the Interior Ministry. Guy's like a Russian green beret. He can not come back and tell this story. You understand?

Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: I hear you.
[hangs up]

Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: You're not gonna believe this. He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator.

Christopher Moltisanti: His house looked like s--t!

[Boo]

Now I'm hungry. Wouldn't a BLT with fresh lettuce, tomato, and some thick cut hickory smoked bacon be good about now? Even lettuce, tomato, and some sliced fried Spam on toast would taste good. Guess I could be a moderator, too.

[retrieverman]

I don't normally weigh in on such trivial topics, but I'll give my two cents worth on this one.
Harvest may be the politically correct way to describe killing something, but you won't hear it from me.

If my use of the word "kill" offends you, your use of "harvest" offends me. Now we're even.

[Fletch2]

A lot of guys and gals trophy hunters in my area use the kill word. The rest of us meat hunters use harvest

[Lake shooter]

I am the local coordinator for the Raleigh chapter of Backyard Bow Pro. We partner with landowners to help them manage the deer on their properties (farms, schools, whatever). We in turn donate a portion (or all) of the meat to local food banks. Obtaining permission to hunt in certain situations is sometimes tricky in that the people know they have a problem with the deer, but don't like idea of killing an animal. OK, that's who they are. I would be a fool to go in there talking all blood and guts just to make a point. What is more important - for me to get permission to "kill some deer for ya" or for me to get permission to "humanely manage the deer on the property". It doesn't matter, as long as I get the permission. Each deer I harvest can provide up to 200 meals (think 1/4lb burger) to hungry people. That's the important part. Hunters are generally portrayed as thugs in movies and such, although you and I know that is hardly the truth. Why play into that stereotype?

Movies, the left and the antihunting crowd don't need to lift a finger when we have the brainiacs at Mossy Oak naming a hunting show, "Game Thugs"!
That's about as lockeroom/redneck/juvenile as anyone could pull off, IMHO. With friends like that in the hunting world, who needs enemies?

[ehntr]

I am the local coordinator for the Raleigh chapter of Backyard Bow Pro. We partner with landowners to help them manage the deer on their properties (farms, schools, whatever). We in turn donate a portion (or all) of the meat to local food banks. Obtaining permission to hunt in certain situations is sometimes tricky in that the people know they have a problem with the deer, but don't like idea of killing an animal. OK, that's who they are. I would be a fool to go in there talking all blood and guts just to make a point. What is more important - for me to get permission to "kill some deer for ya" or for me to get permission to "humanely manage the deer on the property". It doesn't matter, as long as I get the permission. Each deer I harvest can provide up to 200 meals (think 1/4lb burger) to hungry people. That's the important part. Hunters are generally portrayed as thugs in movies and such, although you and I know that is hardly the truth. Why play into that stereotype?

Movies, the left and the antihunting crowd don't need to lift a finger when we have the brainiacs at Mossy Oak naming a hunting show, "Game Thugs"!
That's about as lockeroom/redneck/juvenile as anyone could pull off, IMHO. With friends like that in the hunting world, who needs enemies?

Today. I don't watch any hunting shows. Too many adds, repeat scenes, I am not entertained enough to be turned into a fan. These shows are typically a bunch of commercials strung together. The story is all about products and not the hunt.

45 Years Ago. Back when I was younger I did watch hunting and fishing shows. I am not one to overly reminise over the good-ole-days, 'cause the good-ole-days weren't always that good. But. I had some favourite shows: American Sportman and Michigan Outdoors with Fred Trost (RIP).

[Hunt it]

Safari Club International and the NRA - the two top lobbyist groups for sportsmen and women will always suggest you use the word harvest. Remember, that 80 % of the non hunting crowd is swayable either way on the issue of hunting. This group will accept legal harvesting, killing does not go over so well.

Regardless of ones redneck preferences, please remember we are under fire someplace every day for what we love to do. Let's just say Ted Nugent may be a big supporter but he is not the best Poster Child for the job. Kill time- nothing else please.

[Lake shooter]

ehntr,

You are correct about some of the shows out there. I don't mind a certain amount of advertising, that's how they pay the bills! Still, without naming any, a few of them are nothing but good ol' boy, yuk-yuk, "Great white hunter", high school BS, or "My trophy wife can hunt too" crap.

I will have to say though that to me at least, a few are well worth watching. "Midwest Whitetail" with Bill Winke is one case in point. Almost without exception, as much time as possible is spent on hunting or talking about certain aspects of hunting whitetail deer. Most often really nice old bucks!

[Doe Master]

You know the best part of this post is there has been no name calling . Just stating their feelings .
Congrats everyone .

[Normous]

I use both the Kill and Harvest words depending on whom I'm talking too, a little common sense with non hunters goes a long way.

[Patriot*]

I use both the Kill and Harvest words depending on whom I'm talking too, a little common sense with non hunters goes a long way.

The truth.