killing for fun or food

A good friend of mine recently informed me that he is picking up a hunting license so that he can go sport hunting for coyotes. I know that hunting is a very popular "sport" here in America, and I am aware of the proposed "ethics" behind it, but I have to say that I was totally shocked that my good friend would be interested in killing any kind of creature for fun. I could easily argue that we don't really need to hunt anymore now that we have domesticated livestock, and that the technology and equipment available to hunters gives them an unfair advantage over simple woodland creatures. But I didn't even go there. Honestly, if someone wants to hunt for food, and they are not hunting endangered species, I won't make a peep. I might even research it myself if things continue to look so bad with the global economy. It would be a good trade to master (in addition to gardening). But I had to argue a little with my friend, as I don't really see any use in hunting coyotes.

He was quick to defend the hunt, stating that coyotes are a natural predator that require population control, and that farmers and ranchers have trouble with them every year. My response was that he wasn't a rancher or a farmer, so it wasn't really a matter of protecting his own livestock. He was only doing it for fun. He then said that it would be good practice for when he starts hunting deer and elk (which he will kill for food). However, from what I understand, different game requires different equipment, and the only way he's going to get practice hunting deer is to go out and hunt deer.

None-the-less, we went round and round in circles. He is convinced that what he is doing is ethical and good. I am not. I guess it doesn't really matter, as it is his life. My disappointment in his ethical stance on the matter is only fueled by the fact that he was a die-hard vegan only a few years ago. I guess the coming apocalypse is affecting us all in strange ways...