skedaddle - I agree with how we used to be at peace with nature, but that was a world long ago and doesn't exist anymore sadly. I'm all for going back that way, I'd love to live off the land and all like the natives did, but I don't think the rest of the world is. Sure, conservation efforts, education, they will all help but only a little. This world is different now. Take the eastern united states where there really isn't any wild areas left except the little but of state or federally protected areas. Every other single bit of it is owned by someone. Nearly every single wild animal is on someone's property. Many of it, like farms, attract animals, which also attract their predators, etc. Too many do go out with guns a blazing but I'm sure songbird isn't one of those. Its been a hot topic on some of the backpacking forums - whether to bring a gun or not. Generally most don't and the very few that do have never used them. Most situations can be avoided or dealt with without killing the animal. I've never carried a firearm in many of my hikes. Though some of my family have had run ins with animals, everything from weasels and coyotes killing their livestock to a black bear that broke in my cousins house and killed their dog a couple years ago. I myself hunt, but not just for the fun of it like so many people now-a-days but I prefer natural food and also being self sufficient. I also only hunt whats locally in surplus like white-tailed deer. Here in Ohio the white-tail population is around 750,000 as I recall, and hunting usually takes up to 1/3 of that annually, yet the population remains fairly steady or increasing. So I do often go into the woods for what I hope is responsible food gathering, not just for fun or because I think any dangerous animal needs to be killed.