You know, early on in this kerfuffle, there was a line of reasoning from folks that I would call “regular hunters”, who like to head off in the fall, with a rifle, or bow, or a shotgun in search of some game to bring home, and a little bit of relaxation. We dress what we kill, and fill the freezer, hand carefully wrapped packages to friends and family and just generally share the bounty. The notion of wasting meat is abhorrent.
But there’s another kind of perfectly legitimate hunting, that I couldn’t even dream of affording, in which the hunter seeks the joy of the hunt, and the trophy. I don’t see why that should be controversial, but some of the first sort of hunters look down their noses at the second sort of hunter, partly at least due to the tendency to be annoyed by people who so ostentatiously display their wealth.
That said, in Africa, trophy hunting is the norm: the guides get the meat, the hunter gets the trophy and the habitat, thus made valuable by the much-hated rich guys paying thousands of dollars gets to continue.
Too bad to see one group of hunters square off against another, though. Once PETA fanatics finish off big-game trophy hunting, they’ll come for our deer rifles and bird guns. Count on it.
“Too bad to see one group of hunters square off against another, though. Once PETA fanatics finish off big-game trophy hunting, they’ll come for our deer rifles and bird guns. Count on it.”
Back when they were talking about changing our state’s laws for to dogs or baiting going after bears or cats, I didn’t agree with that method of hunting, but still voted against the new law. Just before that I met a guy training his dogs on cougars. It was interesting to talk with him about the traditions he grew up with. I’m not sure if I would go on such a hunt now - perhaps. Mute point in my state though - they passed the law.
And I’m sure the Liberals are waiting for the day when they seek a ban on using dogs for pheasant or duck hunting. And why does one need more than one person on a pheasant hunt? It seems so unfair. And you get to use a shell that hold 200 pellets!? Talk about overkill - that is like having 50 assault weapons in one little shell!
As they should.
I didn’t say that trophy hunting is not a legitimate form of hunting, it is.
I just quit big game hunting years ago when I figured out that most (most) big game animals are pretty predictable and stupid. If a hunter pays attention to the game animal he or she is going after, they will start to understand the patterns that the animals live and operate by on a daily and nightly basis. In that respect most (most) animals are just like people, they have patterns.
Once those patterns and habits are understood, it is no longer hunting, it is just being in the right place at the right time and killing.
I know a place in the Rocky Mountains where at a certain time of the morning, in a certain low pass, I can guarantee you a trophy elk before 6:45 am, and it is close to a dirt road so you don’t have to pack it out 5 miles. I would also tell you, don’t shoot the first one over the pass, wait for the 4th or 5th one.
Same thing for antelope; find the herd, then don’t try to stalk or case them down, they can smell, see, or hear you a lot further away than you can get an accurate shot.
Just pick a good high spot and lay down in the tall grass and brush. They are nosy, curious little boogers and there is a trick that is probably several thousand years old that will draw them in within 40 to 70 yards for a perfect shot.
Bear, mountain lion, elk, deer; they are all the same, know their habits and you will always come back with meat on the table.
I just hunt birds now; I find that the older and slower I get, the faster and smarter they get.