I might not check in here often enough, but it seems to have been a long time since a hunting thread grew as quickly as this one has.
The last one I recall was also about trophy hunting and rich people. They always seem to be about that.
As for my people, we always claimed to connect with, or at least believe in the animal's spirit that we hunted. With all animals and plants for that matter. My ancestors always tried to honor the flora and fauna, with and without the taking of the plant or killing of the animal. We named and regarded everything that grew or moved.
My ancestors, I think they were spiritually lost, uneducated hypocrites. The truth is that they trophy hunted like no hunter today ever would or could. They would kill all the bald eagles that were available, just to wear the feathers. They would kill all the coyotes possible, because they believed he was an evil scoundrel. Some of us Native Americans set out to extinguish certain species entirely, because we believed they caused the drought, or the flood, or for whatever crazy reason.
So I don't understand the emotional bleeding hearts who worship the flora and the fauna. This emotionalism falls flat in my sight when it is focused on anything less than genuine human suffering. I don't worship animals, forests, or the stars like my ancestors did so foolishly.
It was a lion. A stupid old cat. There will be another. And I won't mourn his death either.
Only the sufferings of humanity will ever weigh my heart.