Trying to understand hunting better

Hi guys. I’ve been very anti-hunting for most of my life (I’m 22), however as I’m studying ecology I have a mandatory course on wildlife population control, or hunting 101 as I call it. I now understand better that it’s for conservation, invasive species control, meat and etc. but I still have a long way to go to understand hunting fully and disconnect from being anti even more.

What I can’t wrap my head around the are pictures posted of animals you’ve shot. I can understand for the most part that it’s of course to show off your work to other hunters, but to someone like me it looks cruel to “flaunt” something dead on the internet. Does it not feel horrible or weird to manipulate the animal for a pose? Is the excitement from the kill itself, or more in the territory of “look at me regulating populations!”?

I think what I’m getting at is that the excitement is off putting. I recognise that my questions come from a deep rooted place of equalising hunting to taking a life (and excluding its benefits), so sorry for that, but I want to learn where is that happiness coming from.

And also sorry if I sound judgemental, I don’t know exactly how to formulate my thoughts, I hope you understand. Not from an english speaking country either. I’d love to be educated!