Hunters

[Lone_Wolf]

It is lovely how much we think of human nature, isn't it? Ah well...

[Black Shuck]

It is Then again, I said in another topic that everyone in my school is cruel to everyone else Maybe it's just us and the "were" inside us acting out

[white]

I'm sure you've encountered a rant on how 'were' actually means 'man'. In this case, though, perhaps that's the correct word...

[Terastas]

It is lovely how much we think of human nature, isn't it? Ah well...

Well, this is a thread about the people that would hunt werewolves after all. We've got another thread somewhere entirely about human familiars, werewolf sympathizers and the lengths they could / would go to protecting them.

It might also be worth noting that some people are just cruel and/or paranoid by nature, but many more could just have been easily mislead. A lot of people, I'm convinced, believe what they do just because they were told that's what they were supposed to believe. And, when it comes to hatred, it's not uncommon for someone to have been disciplined to believe when they were very young in the form of physical abuse. In a family of werewolf hunters like Alteron described, people would bring up their kids to hate werewolves by force because that's how their parents taught them to.

Throw in the fact that all we really have to know about werewolves is our folklore. If someone were suddenly awakened to the existence of werewolves, they could easily be manipulated by anyone with an agenda against werewolves since they clearly know more about werewolves than the person that just discovered them does. Sure, theoretically they could just ask the werewolves themself, but who would have more reason to lie about werewolves than a werewolf?

Humans as a mob are violent and panicky, but humans as individuals are mostly just easy to scare. For a lot of people, it wouldn't be a natural hatred that drives them against werewolves, but a greater trust in members of their own kind than in that which they know nothing about.

[Black Shuck]

I'm sure you've encountered a rant on how 'were' actually means 'man'. In this case, though, perhaps that's the correct word...

I forgot all about that until now... haha the "man" inside us acting out... I just slipped into it as so many people say "were" to mean werewolf or other werecreatures, lol

[white]

It's true, though. Humans are probably the most cruel creatures on this planet. We're certainly the only species that kills for fun.

[Apokryltaros]

It's true, though. Humans are probably the most cruel creatures on this planet. We're certainly the only species that kills for fun.

Apparently, you've never seen what either of my cats do with those gophers they pull out of the ground.
"Eating them" is one thing they've never done.

[Akela]

It's true, though. Humans are probably the most cruel creatures on this planet. We're certainly the only species that kills for fun.

I agree with you abotu the first thing but, Cats big and small also kill for fun.

[Apokryltaros]

It's true, though. Humans are probably the most cruel creatures on this planet. We're certainly the only species that kills for fun.

I agree with you abotu the first thing but, Cats big and small also kill for fun.

Many times, domestic cats become what're called "subsidized predators," (dogs often become subsidized predators, too) where, despite the fact that they come home to the backyard, or kitchen, to get their breakfast, lunch, and or dinner, plus snacks, they still go out and prey on other animals.
Now, the problem is that, because these subsidized predators always have a secure food source, thanks to their human owners, they can attack and feed on their prey, even if the prey population drops to unsustainable levels. That's because, if their prey is driven into extinction, they can always come home for dinner.
Hundreds of species have been driven into, and are being driven into extinction in this manner, in fact.

[Lupin]

I reead somewhere that while cats have instincts to hunt, the "killing it and eating it" part at the end is learned. So the cat will 'play' with the animal until the animal dies, not really knowing what to do with it.

[Timber-WoIf]

Aff, when a cat or a wolf hunts, it is having fun. Lots of fun. It is the product of evolution. An animal that didn't enjoy hunting probibly wouldn't be as apt to survive as one who did. Its the same reason why sex feels good.

And about the family werewolf-hunting busiiness... unlikely. How would you expect such a family to make a living in modern society? Perhap in the days of old when families could be completly self-sufficient, but todays society is way to intergrated. You can't survive without haveing some kind of money-making job. Except perhaps in Wyoming. And West-Virginia. And various third and fouth world nations...

[Scott Gardener]

So, the human species is sharing its neurosis. We're making other species dysfunctional co-dependents. Gah!

[Black Shuck]

And about the family werewolf-hunting busiiness... unlikely. How would you expect such a family to make a living in modern society? Perhap in the days of old when families could be completly self-sufficient, but todays society is way to intergrated. You can't survive without haveing some kind of money-making job. Except perhaps in Wyoming. And West-Virginia. And various third and fouth world nations...

Maybe they have other jobs to sustain themselves with. Just not the jobs that take up all your time otherwise they wouldn't be able to hunt. They may or may not get money for bringing down a werewolf, but they would have to get money from somewhere to pay for boring things like bills and that and for less boring things like guns.

I think the father of such a family might work at a bank (I'm just coming up with jobs here) and the son might be a mechanic and the daughter that really wanted to get in on it works at the mall or something. Then, once their shifts are done or on the weekends, the hunt begins. Maybe someone tips them off to a werewolf and says they'll pay the family $5, 000 when they bring in their kill, or maybe the family just has it out for werewolves and doesn't get paid at all. Any money they may happen to make from it would be an added bonus.

[Timber-WoIf]

I guess my main concern is that modern folks won't do anything unless theres somekind of profit in it. (yes, not everyone is like htis, but the ones that aren't are too few...)

[Alteron]

Cats in the wild 'play' with their food too. Often tormenting it for quite a while before killing it. Any predator with a reasonably big brain hunts becasue they enjoy it. I can't really remember any species besides humans and felines playing with their food... unless you count injuring the prey to allow the young to kill it? Many predator species do that.

On the subject of hunter-families... Uhhh, I still think it's possible.
I mean, how do werewolves survive in this intergrated system? Most of us seem to agree that WW have to hunt, preferably in gesalt form.
And even if that's not the case, we seem to agree that living in a rural area, or NEAR a rural area is the norm... but the jobs you need to sruvive in that area are ones that take all day and are usually very exhusting... How would WWs have enough energy to run around in wolf/gesalt form?
A hunter on his own would have no one to back him up, no one to provide a cover story should he get in trouble with the law, no one to help provide a safe base camp.
Hunter groups/families would be the most likely to work in an intergrated society. The people that do well on the hunt... well... hunt;) The ones who don't are the ones who get jobs, provide cover stories, cook dinner, scan the news and the like for possible WW sightings/killings...
And in any case, SOMONE would have to be earning money... how else could they buy the killing supplies?!

-Alteron

[Terastas]

And about the family werewolf-hunting busiiness... unlikely. How would you expect such a family to make a living in modern society? Perhap in the days of old when families could be completly self-sufficient, but todays society is way to intergrated. You can't survive without haveing some kind of money-making job. Except perhaps in Wyoming. And West-Virginia. And various third and fouth world nations...

Some possibilities:

1) The family income and agenda are one and the same (before they hunt the werewolf, they convince someone to pay them to do it).

2) They make weapons for profit as well as for personal use.

3) Grampa runs the family business with the kids while Dad's making good use of the profits.

4) They are sponsored by a larger religious, political and/or economical power.

5) After they kill a werewolf, they fill up the truck with his personal belongings and pawn them in a neighboring state.

All things considered, it's not so unlikely to think that werewolf hunting could be turned into a family tradition. Look at Fred Phelps -- he's got zero income and is far from shy about what he's up to, and yet he's got grandchildren in his compound basement cult.

[Alteron]

Okay, for starters. I agree with Terastas on all points...

Secondly, maybe it's because of the work I've done at schools, and the headache or two that results... but I'm going to head off a possible argument here;)

'Random person ranting about 'why are the men hunters'
Okay, the main reason is not because 'we're all evil men'. I for one am not male;)
Second. On average, a male human fits into the nessisary mindset for hunting and fighting better then women, that's why men do better, overall, in the military. Men evolved as hunters and have the A type focus nessisary to hunt and block everything else out. Women evolved as gatherers and can't really obtain the A type focus, instead we have B type focus (multi-tasking).

Anyway... hunters would probably be male, though you might get a few females. Females would probably 'rule the toost' at home though, be the ones with paying jobs, building the weapons, raising/training the kids. They would, however, likely know how to kill a WW, as anyone who hunts a WW would be worried about said WW tracking them to their home.

[white]

Now that someone mentions it, I think the being sponsored by a larger power (be it political, corporate, religious, or other) would be the most likely.

[Akela]

Yay! Someone's finally catching on, someone's going to have to pay for that expensive equipment.

[Alteron]

Well, the problem with that is, if there's a big enough corp. to pay for hunter group(s) why haven't they got enough evidence to bring it to the publics eye? As mentioned before 'people' is a huge panicy animal and it'd be easy to get a large amount of support. Especialy if you happened to have a live WW in a cage, and you killed the rest of his pack in order to make him REALLY angry.

But there might be some of those, but probably they'd be small corp/groups. I think there'd be more freelancer/family bussiness types, to be perfectly honest.

But that's just me;)

[Black Shuck]

I'd agree to that. I believe Alteron mentioned that rural area jobs require more time and exhaustion and you can't hunt if you're exhausted. Not well anyways I'd say funding from someone/something else like religions, companies, and that sort of thing would be most likely seems how not many rural jobs appear to provide wnough support for people in the family who can work and don't. If some doesn't work so they can hunt, the others who do work have to pay and can't afford to by the hunter's stuff unless someone has a really good job or contacts in high places

[Alteron]

I guess it's just me being exhusted... but what insanly expensive equipment woudl they need? Seems to me guns and bladed weapons would be the most likely...
...
Ohhhhh, you know what would be a really effective weapon? a boar spear or the like. you could buy the shaft of the spear at any home depot or the like for a dollar or so, a wodden dowel put through a hole drilled in about two or three feet from the head of the spear... the only part that would be a bit difficult to make would be the head of the spear. And if you could get some welding lead (they sell teh wires at home depot and the like) you could just have a basic shape that you pour the melted metal into. Cheap, easy to use and effective. It keeps the WW at a certain range and the like.
Guns and bullets are not THAT expensive, and for hand guns and the like, you can buy them via cash, thus not have a record to follow, should an innocent bystander get shot by mistake. Bladed weapons or crossbows can be bought at novelty stores and there's a place in my mall (coral square mall) that sold weapons made of real steel, they just lacked an edge.
...Sadly, this oasis of loverly stuff that I spent so much cash on is no longer in business... but there are simular places!;)

Unless...
Well, actually, even with silver-being-lethal if that option was chosen, most of this would still work. Silver melts at a lower tempature then steel. If you melted silver and dipped the bladed weapons in it, that would work... and also, my uncle bought a bullet making kit that works for modern bullets. the only part that was insanly expensive was buying the metal to makethe bullets and the like.

[white]

The problem with those spears:

*shifts to gestalt, grabs tip, pushes to side, rushes in, rips out throat of hunter*

[vrikasatma]

Well, the problem with that is, if there's a big enough corp. to pay for hunter group(s) why haven't they got enough evidence to bring it to the publics eye?

To bring another wrinkle into the discussion...
If it were brought to the public eye, there's every chance that another faction would "stand up for the werewolves." It's not implausible: as much as you or I would recoil in consternation at the thought, there are people who think Hitler and Osama Bin Ladin are the finest and most admirable men who ever lived. If there are people who'd take the side of obvious villains, how much of a stretch would it take for a group of people to side with the monsters? However hideous or bloodthirsty they'd be?

As mentioned before 'people' is a huge panicy animal and it'd be easy to get a large amount of support. Especialy if you happened to have a live WW in a cage, and you killed the rest of his pack in order to make him REALLY angry.

Because proving a WW is a two-way street. You can't just cage someone and say "He's a werewolf!" The so-called "werewolf" has to shift. What's more, it'd have to be a live demonstration: if it's on television, video, by camera or other electronic media, the question of "it's special effects" would be cast.
If the person in the cage, just to spite you, doesn't shift — you got a human in a cage and there's a lot of people who'd be really heavily in your face to let him out. Even stabbing him with a silver knife isn't proof: a knife, whether it's made of silver or any other material, is gonna put a hurt on anyone if you stick it into them.

[white]

I could see things like one-way glass and provocation being used to trick a not-quite-genius werewolf into shifting. However, making werewolves public wouldn't necessarily be a good thing for anyone, and it'd be an awfully big risk for a power that's most likely trying to maintain the status quo.