"In hunting you get to understand that it gave it’s life for you"
"The animal deserves respect and thanks for giving its life"

This sounds as if the animal CHOSE to be shot and eaten. It's a rather different understanding of 'gave' and 'given' from the meaning I am used to.
I acknowledge that I eat meat and that in order for me to do that, an animal must die first, and I would rather it had a good enough life until then. I also realise that in most cases the animal would not have had any life as it would not have been born at all without the intention that it would eventually be eaten. But I don't pretend that it died willingly. It's life was taken from it without its permission.