I completely agree with you and have struggled with this issue for a long time. I grew up hunting and fishing. Then I was opposed to hunting as I thought it was cruel. But the more I learned about industrialized food production the more I thought that hunting is the more humane way to go. I eat meat and I have to get it somehow. I know a lot of hunters and fishers and they all absolutely have conservationist tendencies and hate it whenever they make a mistake and an animal suffers. I would recommend reading Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma if you are interested in thinking more about such choices.
That looks like a very interesting book. I've seen the PBS adaptation of his previous book The Botany of Desire which was an absolutely fascinating documentary, so I'll definitely check that out. I really would like to go hunting at some point, although not ever having operated more than a BB rifle and not knowing the first thing about hunting, I'm not sure where to start. I do have respect for people who hunt for food responsibly. I sort of feel like using a gun is cheating in a way, but then again, we did evolve big brains and complex tools for a reason. I might have a fighting chance to feed myself with a gun, but if I had to rely on persistence hunting like a true prehistoric human, I would certainly starve to death, or at least be a vegetarian if I was lucky!
In a perfect world I would personally grow and kill everything I eat. Probably more growing then hunting though. Fun Fact: Michael Pollan is the brother of actress Tracy Pollan, who is married to Michael J. Fox. edit: I just downloaded that book. Thanks for the recommendation.