I shot a swallow with an air rifle as a child, and like other correspondents here it so disgusted me I've never shot anything since. It was a quite revolting experience and made me very ashamed.
    However, that experience did not fill me witrh a self-righteous desire to pass laws in favour of gassing foxes; or hunting rabbits and rats, but not foxes, with dogs. Obviously, the same experience can affect different people in different ways.