Understanding hunting

Just about every year Curt and I go back to his hometown of Albany, Mo., to visit his parents and for deer season.
I know a lot of people have issues with hunting.
And, it’s fine if you do. But if you eat meat, you should read more.
(If you don’t. Feel free to skip. I respect your choice to not eat meat if you respect mine to eat it.)
I don’t want to shoot the deer or see it dead, but I will eat it. (It’s not quite the same as getting your plastic wrapped steak or chicken legs at the grocery. But you get the basic idea.)
Before you make full judgment, let me try to make you understand hunting the way I do (as a meat eater).

• You don’t shoot anything you aren’t going to eat.
  
• If you injure an animal and don’t kill it you must track it and make sure it doesn’t unnecessarily suffer.
  
• If you are into organic eating this is as organic as you can get. Before the deer was shot it was not in a cage. It was in its natural environment eating what is natural to it. You can’t get much more organic than that.
  
• A genuine hunter is not drunk (or drinking) when hunting (like you see in the movies or on TV). This is serious. If that bullet can kill a deer it can kill a person. (Hunter orange is also a necessity.)
  
• There is a program set up in Missouri called Share the Harvest where hunters can donate venison to those who are less fortunate. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation website, in 2013, 4,487 hunters donated 227,358 pounds of venison.
  
• Venison is nutritionally filling with low fat and high protein. According to Livestrong, a 3-ounce broiled top round venison steak provides 129 calories and 1.6 grams of fat, including 0.9 grams of saturated fat, while providing 26.8 grams of protein.
  
• Deer population control is important. Again, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation, in areas where deer are not hunted, abundant deer can damage crops and ornamental plantings and increase the potential for deer-vehicle collisions.
  
  

I’m sure there are a few things I am missing in my list.
As a meat eater I enjoy a good venison burger and definitely the jerky my father-in-law makes.
If you don’t eat meat or don’t want to I am not trying to change your mind. If you want to try venison I highly encourage you to. It’s a great tasting meat. The best part is the low fat and high protein.