I essentially do not believe in trophy kills.
To cull over populated herds or with deer and elk hunted for meat, all that and similar seems good. But to kill just to get a trophy seems unworthy of a human being and mostly an ego thing.
I am not sure where I fall as to laws about it, but if someone I knew was thinking about it I’d say to them I don’t like it and don’t respect it; I’d hope they wouldn’t do it.
As a Conservative I have to ask why are so many Conservatives just like Progressives, applauding Executive power making law/legal (regulatory) decisions all on its own, when we agree with the choice being made in the decision, and then rightly arguing such executive power is inherently wrong ONLY when we don’t like an Executive decision. Many Conservative are such hypocrites sometime when it comes to the regulatory state and Executive use and abuse of it.
If there is to be an American law regarding trophy hunting, then it out be in toto a law enacted by Congress, not set in favor or opposed to it by Executive fiat alone.
Then tell congress to get off their well padded butts and do it.
As it is this does fall under the regulatory authority that congress gave to the executive branch.
I find it amusing when the "more conservative then thou" dears crawl out and bemoan the fact that something is being undone the exact same way it was enacted.
And I find it ROFL funny when people act like trophy animals are not eaten. I would hope your hypothetical friend would laugh in your ignorant face, say he has no respect for the opinion of a fool and walk away.
“I essentially do not believe in trophy kills.”
Then you need to learn about the value of trophy hunting. Think of it this way. It is one of the best things you can do for the herd.
Imagine some total top level athlete, a mean tough one, super handsome too. Imagine him hanging out in your local town. Every woman wants to bed him down and does. He impregnates half the women in town and his seed is everywhere. Any other guy tries to hit on a woman, he is there to beat them up and drive them off.
Pretty soon all the kids in school are related...and they begin dating and breeding.
The genetics of the town begins to suffer.
Then an evil “trophy hunter” comes to town. He sees this fine top level specimen of a man and shoots him and hangs him on the wall.
He has already bred many times so that’s not an issue. But now, all the other males in town get a chance to breed and the soon, their kids aren’t all related.
It really is that way. A trophy hunter is good for us, and good for them. This is well established science and if you don’t believe me get down to Texas A&M and speak with their game management specialists.
The ranches that allow them to run the hunting have the best deer both in numbers and quality.
Don’t kid yourself.
Its all about genetics. They come down from the university with total numbers of deer that -must- be shot. They specify the shooting of spike bucks, and some that need to be left for a while.
This is a very good Texas study on the massive positive effects of trophy hunting. Take a look if you are interested.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_rp_w7000_0827.pdf