I don’t like trophy hunting. To me, it’s immoral to hunt just for the trophy and not for the food. For example, when I hear that somebody has killed the bear and took its gall bladder and nothing else, breaks my heart.
However, I do recognize the principle that hunting makes economic sense and actually helps prevent extinction of a species by creating an economic incentive to keep them around.
That I support.
There is a full frontal assault right now against all high fence hunting. It’s bullshit from anti everything tree huggers. I say let’s legalize hunting activists of all stipes
It's not for me, but as long as the meat is used if Joe Blow thinks he's a great white hunter shooting an oryx in Texas, that's his issue.
The last deer I shot was in December..a 65-75 lb. corn-fed doe about 5 years old. I enjoy the outdoors, observing animals, friends, cold clear mornings.... appreciate the feel, accuracy and heft of my rifle (in this case a 22-250. I enjoy the shot and do everything I can to insure an instant kill of the game I shoot. This last deer I dropped immediately with a neck shot but it took more time that I would have liked for her to expire (bleed out as they say —a full 10 minutes that seemed forever). This deer provided backstrap, sausage, hamburger etc. that I will use the rest of the year as a meat supplement. As a friend agreed, we hate the killing and the animal agony (when it occurs), but wonder what goes on in the feedlot and processing plants. I am guessing much worse in the scheme of things.
Couple of things.
Colorado (and probably other states) has a program which allows hunters to donate their big game to the Division of Wildlife, which gives the meat to needy people. I know one guy who does this every year, if he is successful.
Loosely related: My folks run cattle in Texas. The PETA types that want people to stop eating meat are missing one thing. Millions of animals will never be born and have a life at all if these animal right nuts are successful.
Did you know that vegetarian is an old Indian word that translates as “poor hunter”?
Cows would be an endangered species if humans did not eat beef.
Anyone doubt that?
Regretfully, I must call Bravo Sierra on the following premise taken verbatim from the article:
“They claim only 10 percent of any species can be killed annually.”
The folks down in Texas beg to differ. Seems their feral hog population needs a 60 to 70 percent annual cull just to keep the hog population from further expansion. They even legalized airborne hunts.
Google “Aporkalypse Now”. It is a ‘hawg wild’ situation in Texas.
SOUEEEEEE!