It is a fact that human beings are, by nature, predatory creatures. If we were not, we would have our eyes on the side of our head like the deer, not out on the front of our face like the tiger. The position of our eyes gives us depth perception, which helps us hunt our prey.

In addition, we have pointed teeth, which are good for ripping and tearing flesh. So, we are, by nature, hunters.

We also kill animals for reasons other than food. Rats carry disease - disease which has killed millions of people throughout history. So, when rats enter our homes, we poison them. This is self defense.

We have also been known to kill certain species for their own good. Deer have no natural predators left. If deer were not killed by humans, their population would soon exceed carrying capacity. This would cause many deer to suffer a death that is much more horrible than that caused by a gunshot wound to the heart. They would die by starvation - slowly and painfully throughout the course of the winter. Plus, when we kill deer, we eat them.

But, why do we kill the crows? It is not for game management. The few hundred that are killed by hunters each year do not put a dent in the population that exists. It is not for self defense. Crows may or may not carry disease, depending on who you believe. But, even if they do, hunters are not defending themselves by seeking out crows in their homes and killing them. And crows are certainly not being eaten.

It seems that the only reason the crow shoot is held each year is that it gives people an excuse to get drunk and fire guns the weekend after the football season ends.

Now, I'm all for people getting drunk and firing guns, don't get me wrong. It is everyone's right as an American. If you think I'm kidding, refer to our Constitution. One Amendment guarantees us guns. Another guarantees us beer. But when that drunken, rowdy behavior results in loss of life, those responsible should be held accountable. If an animal is killed for reasons other than defense, the only moral thing left to do is eat it.

It is for that reason that I stand, this day, adamantly opposed to the crow hunt. It is an event that is now held only to celebrate the false idea that humans with guns control life and death on earth. This is even more laughable considering that those who champion the event are likely also "morally" opposed to abortion - and may even believe that those killed by the tsunami or by the 911 hijackers were killed because they rejected God.

But, if Tom Lennox fries and literally eats the first bird he shoots, I will be the first one to figuratively eat crow. I will then write my next column debasing the animal rights activists as they stand in the way of our noble pursuit - of killing things and eating them.

Dan Schuster's column appears Mondays in The Citizen. He can be reached at yetti539@hotmail.com