Student Question
Why does Penny prefer hunting wolves to poisoning them in The Yearling?
Quick answer:
Penny prefers hunting wolves over poisoning them because he respects animals and hunts only out of necessity, not for sport. He believes in minimizing suffering and wants to ensure that only the wolves are targeted, avoiding the risk of accidentally poisoning other animals like dogs. By choosing to hunt the wolves directly, Penny ensures a more responsible and humane approach to dealing with the threat they pose.
Why does Penny Baxter prefer hunting wolves over poisoning them in The Yearling?
Penny has always shown a great respect for animals, he doesn't hunt for sport and he wouldn't see any wild thing suffer if he could avoid it. So he approaches the question of the wolves the same way, practically and without a desire to see any animals killed without reason.
Since it is just as likely that dogs or some other animal might eat the poison as the wolves, he decides it would be far better for them to actually make sure to hunt the wolves directly rather than hope they eat the poison and die.
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