Spocky you disappoint me.
I am a great animal lover and on the whole don't really like people.
Whilst I wholeheartedly wish for fox hunters, including the children on such hunts, badger baiters, hare coarsers, animal experimenters on COSMETICS only, and the vile brigade of people who shot cats and dogs for pleasure, die of a horrid face cancer, I have no problem with pheasant shooters.
I myself hunt and as i have stated before, over my life have killed hundreds, thousands if you include fish, animals over my life.
However, apart from the odd mercy killing I can categorically state that what I have killed, either myself or somebody or someones animal has eaten my fruits.
I have never shot an animal for mere pleasure, although do confess there is a sense of acheivement in catching your own dinner.
As said here, pheasants are reared for food. Are you telling me Spocky you have never eaten a battery chicken or at least a battery egg? At least the pheasants have a taste of freedom. And there is always the chance some, if not many actually fly to freedom forever.
Whilst, I value sadistic human life very low, and yes, smile when horrible things happen to horrible people, pheasant shooters are not necessarily bad people and I take no pleasure in their demise.
In fact, in my experience, the "average" pheasant shooter usually eats whole unfarmed meat and often are members of the wildlife trust etc. In essence, therefore, one could argue they are animal lovers who eat meat.
I am not a left wing vegetarian, and eat meat or fish daily. I would never see an animal suffer and just to reiterate, I eat my kill.
Also, as a lover of venison, I have given up deer stalking as my conscience after a few dirty shots couldn't handle it. I do not dislike derr stalkers however ASLONG as it is for the table!!!