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Saturday, September 15, 2007
Doug Giles :: Townhall.com Columnist
Our Honorable Hunters and the Pain-in-the-Butt Tree Huggers
by Doug Giles
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Regnery Publishing is about to further bury the loons on the Left with its latest installment in the Politically Incorrect Guide series. Who’s in the crosshairs this time in this destined to be best-selling tome, you ask? Well, honey, it is the frothy and paranormal twinkies on the left who hate hunting and hunters and spread lies about us and the important role hunting plays within the world we live.

Author Frank Miniter, executive editor of American Hunter magazine, is the lucky duck who Regnery chose for the fun job of intellectually thrashing the lying liberals who whiz on our great sport and the vital role it plays in all of our lives.

Frank had to be chuckling with crazy glee as he banged away on his laptop, not just writing his personal opinions or wet-eyed, Disney-fueled feelings but rather the cold, hard, positive and objective empirical data about the truly excellent things that hunters bring—literally—to the table.

Here’s a tiny list, a mere smattering of blistering and irrefutable particulars you will find in the Politically Incorrect Guide to Hunting that hunters provide for animals and people, stuff like:

• Hunters donate tons of meat to food pantries, pay the fees that expand wildlife conservation programs, keep national parks preserved, and protect motorists’ lives.

• Hunters are true nature lovers and conservationists and are the first to report poachers who disregard laws that protect wildlife and natural habitats.

• Hunter-funded conservation groups are primarily responsible for bringing back American wildlife that was nearly extinct in the last century.

• Hunting is safer than soccer, football, baseball, cheerleading and ping pong.

• California game managers must wait ‘til a cougar threatens a human before they can rock its world. How sweet. Because of this brain fart, today the number of people that naughty cougars have killed has doubled from what it was before cougar hunting was banned.

• Deer kill ten times the number of people as sharks, cougars, bears and alligators combined, as well as more than commercial airline, bus and train accidents combined.

• When the greenies protected the alligators on Sanibel Island, Florida, the alligators ate the tree huggers and their dogs!

• Bear attacks are at an historic high, and you’re more likely to be attacked by a bear where hunting isn’t allowed—like in a national park.

• Bears with no fear of humans often attack after hearing gunshots—a diner bell that a deer or elk is waiting for them—and thanks to the tree huggers, hunters can’t do anything about it.

• Aviation collisions with wildlife cost $500 million annually.

• Livestock losses to predators cost $71 million annually.

• Hunting protects trees from being destroyed by scavenging deer. Those trees help protect land from erosion and house songbird populations.

• Vegetarians who don’t eat meat because they love animals are eating vegetables from farmers who kill deer, rabbits and vermin that would destroy the vegans’ lunch. Remember that, hypocrites, when you crunch your little baby carrots and worship your edamame beans.

As stated above, this is just a simple sampling of the stonking truths Frank pummels the pro-stupidity anti-hunting cabal with.

However, I don’t expect this book to convert the implacable, closed-to-reality PETA types. Nothing can. They’re gonzo. What this book will do, though, is provide the hunter and the hunter-friendly person with intellectual fodder to defend this primal and noble sport with and significant specifics of why hunting is a must for mankind.

Hunters, you will feel proud and unashamed after you plow through this preponderance of evidence which paints you in the good light you should be painted in. Every hunter should get this pro-hunting compendium, read it, and then declare its contents loud and proud.

Now, let’s see…next weekend I’ve got a wild boar hunt. Yes, it seems that Porky Pig is destroying the tomatoes you vegans love to eat on my buddy’s 7,000 acre south Florida farm. We will shoot as many as we can for you…the vegetarian.

What else? Oh yeah, in November I’m going with my daughter to my friend’s ranch in Texas, and we’ll take an assortment of native and exotic game. In January I’ll be gator hunting in the wild swamps of the everglades, and then in June it’s back to Africa to hunt the cradle’s mighty critters.

Just with these hunts alone, I will put into circulation mucho money which will go to conservation, not to mention that my friends and I will feed hundreds of needy people low fat, high protein yummy meat. What about you, tree humper? How much money will you spend for conservation, and how much food will you provide for the poor in the next few months? I guarantee whatever it is, it doesn’t come remotely close to what the true animal and nature lovers, the hunters, provide.

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About The Author
Doug Giles’ new book “If You're Going Through Hell, Keep Going!" is now available. Ann Coulter says "Doug Giles is a substantive and funny tour de force for traditional values.” Doug’s talk show and video blog can be seen and heard at www.ClashRadio.com.
 
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Liberals hate hunting?
I never would have known it from all the liberal sites I visit. Usually when I see a liberal article about hunting it's either:

1. Praise,
2. Criticism of unsafe practices,
3. Criticism of inhumane practices,
4. Taking down silly hunting-related gun control arguments (e.g. "I need a machine gun to hunt")

But my liberal soul has only respect for the responsible, rifle-touting breed of hunter (or even the BOW hunters near where my father works), and I invite more of them to come to my (northern Delaware) area. The deer are stripping the place of vegetation here.

And lean, wild venison is unbelievably tasty.

Doug I agree with you....
but you know what is headed for this thread, as do I. Good and Safe Hunting to you brother and to your daughter.

Hunters

Where my cousin lives (Northern US) there is an overpopulation of deer, and they are the cause of many accidents on the highways.

Hunters keep down the overpopulation of animals, especially deer. And hunting benefits deer health by reducing the herd and providing more food for the remaining deer.

Venison stew tastes better than beef.

I am all for...
Hunting. Hunters can be a tree hugger's best friend. Unfortunately, the granolas don't get it that hunter's prey need trees and fresh water too.

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/03/31_bensonl_noducks/
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2006/0605.larson.html

Not to mention, at least hunters families are eating meat that isn't all jacked up on hormones. And they're prey will never be locked in a coral before it is slaughtered.

I know I hear it...
from lib posters on my misspelling. Talk to the genius who designed the site.

You're right,Hank...
...This is the most technologically inept site on the internet.But Townhall's policy is quite clear: "Never explain,never apologize."

BRING BACK THE OLD TOWNHALL!

PETA
There are 2 things that should always be mentioned when talking about crazy PETA and vegetarians:
1. A true vegetarian's average life expectancy is less than meat eaters.
2. The reason that this PETA crowd are always acting crazy is that the normal human needs Vitamin B12, which only comes from animal derived protein.
B12 is essential for normal formation of blood cells, necessary for carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism. B12 maintains a HEALTHY NERVOUS SYSTEM. A deficiency of B12 causes pernicious anemia, BRAIN DAMAGE, nervousness, & neuritis.
Just think of God when he says in the Bible many times about "the land of milk and honey", which are both derived from animals. God did NOT say "the land of soybean juice and tofu"!!! God also appreciated the smell of barbecuing meat.
A Lover of Venison,
Benton Bain

The meaning of Vegetarian
Vegetarian - Indian word for bad hunter.

kahryl
on your 4 points- well said by the way- 1,Praise, I have not seen it. 2,Criticism of unsafe practices- this may be true in some cases, but by and large responsible firearms owners are incredibly safety oriented. Just ask my teens! I"m an "old guy who knows nothing"!
3, inhumane practices-A couple of years ago a boar was tearing up our corn so my boy and me went to get it, he wounded it with glee. I made him watch it die. Rest assured that this will never happen again in his lifetime, and he will instruct his children, as was I by my Daddy.
4, I thought machine guns were illegal. A pistol grip, flash hider and heat dissipator do not a machine gun make. My weapons are multi-use tools on the ranch and when I hunt I only use a 5 round clip as required by law.
Most of us try to adhere to civilized practices.






Lib killers
And tree-huggers spike trees with nails, so a person - who may think like them - may die when cutting it....
That's murder, isn't it "peace" lovers?

People without animal fat have abnormal "logic'.


"piece" lower.

jamie
Well done post. Pretty much said it all in few words.

I don't hunt anymore,
as venison makes my gout flare up, and many of my former hunting buddies don't either. Hunting used to be a passage into manhood, communing with nature and providing much needed protein in a time when life was much less affluent. Now we are complacent and apathetic while loonytunes like PETA can force their nonsensical agenda down our throats, and millions of game animals die.

In most of the areas where I used to hunt, the farmers and ranchers are begging for people to come and shoot some of the overpopulation of Bambis who damage crops and haystacks, create havoc crossing the highways and are a general nuisance. What they get instead is an increasing number of wolves, cougars and bears who SHOULD be thinning the deer herds, but have found it infinitely easier to prey on valuable livestock.

Typical stupid lib-think and the law of unintended consequences. When elected officials started kissing their butts, and ignoring common sense and proven game management practices, it's left to us, the people, to stand up for sanity.

I'm considering digging out the old deer rifle some time soon and doing my part to restore the balance of nature. Nothing in the world better than deer or antelope meat (especially jerky) and a rump roast of the elusive Wapiti (elk) is simply heaven.

Makes my mouth water just thinking about it, and it's a great opportunity to push back the liberal hoards.


I don't hunt anymore,
as venison makes my gout flare up, and many of my former hunting buddies don't either. Hunting used to be a passage into manhood, communing with nature and providing much needed protein in a time when life was much less affluent. Now we are complacent and apathetic while loonytunes like PETA can force their nonsensical agenda down our throats, and millions of game animals die.

In most of the areas where I used to hunt, the farmers and ranchers are begging for people to come and shoot some of the overpopulation of Bambis who damage crops and haystacks, create havoc crossing the highways and are a general nuisance. What they get instead is an increasing number of wolves, cougars and bears who SHOULD be thinning the deer herds, but have found it infinitely easier to prey on valuable livestock.

Typical stupid lib-think and the law of unintended consequences. When elected officials started kissing their butts, and ignoring common sense and proven game management practices, it's left to us, the people, to stand up for sanity.

I'm considering digging out the old deer rifle some time soon and doing my part to restore the balance of nature. Nothing in the world better than deer or antelope meat (especially jerky) and a rump roast of the elusive Wapiti (elk) is simply heaven.

Makes my mouth water just thinking about it, and it's a great opportunity to push back the liberal hoards.


sorry for the double post
but it's like my old double barreled 12 gauge - two is always better than one, and if one doesn't get you, the other one will

When city folks live in the country

Where I used to live, the city moved out and took over the country.
A friend's neighbor said some one had stolen her poodle. When , he asked. Last night, when I let it out to do its business.

His response: Don't you know we have coyotes around her and they love poodles.
She: Isn't that sweet?
He: no, they LOVE poodle, they are so tasty.
She:--------

I don't think they speak any more.

Good article Doug
I will pick a bone, as some have already. All anti-hunting nutcases are liberals, but not all liberals are anti-hunting nutcases. The set of all liberals contains a lot of subsets, including some Republicans. The set of all hunters includes some Democraps which we ALL know are always liberals.

But you are very right about one thing in particular, if it wasn't for hunters there wouldn't be very many of these wildlife things to protect. Teddy Roosevelt was a hunter and the original conservationist. Hunter's license fees, tax stamps, and other programs virtually started the National Park system and have resulted in the restoration of a lot of nature.

Where's the beef?
Too much generalized opinion and not enough facts.
Entertaining, like may liberal arguments, but try again.

Vic
It is easy, reading the far left posters here, to forget that many DEM voters are decent patriotic hard working pillars of the commun'tee. In Pennsylvania, the state which sells the most hunting licences, about half of them go to Dems. We even let Dems root for the Stee'wers. And then they keep Specter in office. Sigh.

Randi
This is not to support trophy hunting, but no animal is ever deliberately gut-shot to preserve the hide. A bullet hole is a hole. Some hunters avoid head shots if they want to mount the head, but they shoot for lung/heart shots. In any case, head shots are rarely deliberately taken, as the target is small and muzzle wounds mean painful inhumane deaths. Think a little Randi. If a gut shot animal dies a slow and agonizing death (true) what is this hunter who is supposedly preserving the hide going to do? Follow the trophy around for days until it finally expires? And only then take the hide? Rediculous.

roadmaster: Excellent idea!

"... digging out the old deer rifle..."

Even if the venison makes your gout flare up, there might be some families in your area who would be happy to have some venison...

You'd be keeping the herds in check, and you'd be helping some famiies who might otherwise not have enough red meat.

Just a thought. :-)



Someone better get a grip on the enviros
These people are forcing a lot of restrictions and laws on other folks that border on unconstitutional by taking over the use of private property. There is never any accountability for the things they impose upon the rest of us at great cost. If things are turning into a disaster (like the wolf introduction) they have researchers who cook the books so to speak.
Recently a researcher came out with a paper stating wolves have had little effect on the elk in Yellowsotne. First of all anyone with common sense knows it is not possible for 120-150 wolves to not impact elk in a relatively small area. that does not even consider the huge number of bears, both black and griz in there. Number two the Northern elk herd has dropped from 19,000 to 6,000 in 11 years, moose are not counted, but very scarce. The re
archer said this drop is due to hunters. Elk are not hunted in Yellowstoen, the Northern herd does migrate out and they used to give around 2800 late hunt permits in the Gardiner area, they were able to give 100 the last two years, and still they decrease.
Despite all of this DOW and the rest of the enviro groups that sue to impose wolves to stope hunting and ranching have no responsiblity nor accountability. Every day they gain more control over our lives.

Kahryl, you can say that again.
"Venison stew tastes better than beef."

I once had a Shepherds's Pie made of venison (deer meat for the uninformed) prepared by an English chef. Oh dear was it good! Better than any Beef Wellington or Stroganoff. I paid the chef a "reasonable" sum for the recipe. On the years I miss dear season, I can be found hanging around a local commercial meat locker as the hunters bring in their bags to be wrapped and frozen, begging shamelessly for some cuts of venison.

Maybe
Hunting might be neccessary. But I just plain don't understand trophy hunting. Why would would anyone want to kill something from far away with a gun. I don't think its a sport, I think trophy hunting is pathetic.

abc123cba: Trophy hunting? Good point!

But, I don't think (although I'm not sure) that most hunters are trophy hunters.



abc123cba
Even the Trophy Hunters Associations don't hunt strictly for "heads". Read a few of the articles here. It's kind of hard to "mount" quail heads.

http://www.ttha.com/index.asp

Honorable Hunters
Trophy hunting does cull out the older animals. It lets the younger animals mature. One doesn't just shoot the first animal they see. It's not as simple as some see it.

Last week in the Boulder, CO area, a couger took a mature horse, re: Michaelbane.blogspot.com

PETA
People Eating Tasty Animals

just what exactly?
Reverend Giles wrote:
[[ Hunters donate tons of meat to food pantries, pay the fees that expand wildlife conservation programs, keep national parks preserved, and protect motorists’ lives. ]]

Gee, and all along I thought it was my user fees and government funding that kept the national parks preserved. Turns out it has been hunting fees all along.

[[ California game managers must wait ‘til a cougar threatens a human before they can rock its world. How sweet. Because of this brain fart, today the number of people that naughty cougars have killed has doubled from what it was before cougar hunting was banned. ]]

Wow. Talk about junk science.

First, the "double" is a tiny, tiny number, like ten from 1991 to 2004. Many years registered no deaths at all.

http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/mtn_lion_attacks.shtml

Second, though Reverend Giles tells us the "doubling deaths" are due to the ban on "rocking the cougar's world" (whatever that is supposed to mean), the reality is that humans in the US and Canada are encroaching on wild land. The Orange County cougar death that occurred a few years ago, for example, was in a wilderness area where bicyclists would exercise.

just what exactly? 2


[[ Bear attacks are at an historic high, and you’re more likely to be attacked by a bear where hunting isn’t allowed—like in a national park. ]]

Um, what's the point here? Is this advocacy that national park visitors should be encouraged to hunt the bears there?

Maybe — just maybe — the bear attacks are so likely to occur in a national park because that's where they live. There aren't many bear attacks at, say, Disneyland or Waikiki.

Oh, and maybe part of the increase is that, again, more and more people are visiting the bear habitat, e.g., national parks.

Really, this is a hugely nonsensical rant of Reverend Giles. He completely misses the moral/ethical points about why "tree huggers" are opposed to hunting, and instead brings up a bunch of points — like where hunting fees go and how hunting has fewer deaths than soccer — that are irrelevant to those reasons.

... and ...
[[ Bear attacks are at an historic high, and you’re more likely to be attacked by a bear where hunting isn’t allowed—like in a national park. ]]

Um, what's the point here? Is this advocacy that national park visitors should be encouraged to hunt the bears there?

Maybe — just maybe — the bear attacks are so likely to occur in a national park because that's where they live. There aren't many bear attacks at, say, Disneyland or Waikiki.

Oh, and maybe part of the increase is that, again, more and more people are visiting the bear habitat, e.g., national parks.

Really, this is a hugely nonsensical rant of Reverend Giles. He completely misses the moral/ethical points about why "tree huggers" are opposed to hunting, and instead brings up a bunch of points — like where hunting fees go and how hunting has fewer deaths than soccer — that are irrelevant to those reasons.

Kahryl
You posted, ". . .silly hunting-related gun control arguments (e.g. "I need a machine gun to hunt")"


In my entire life, I've never heard that particular argument! No legitimate hunter would claim that he needs a "machine gun" [i.e., a fully automatic weapon] to hunt any type of game.

Kahryl, I think you are BS'ing here. If your argument for gun control is based on a false premise, then you have no argument at all.

Typical liberals tend to base their arguments on false premises because they feel that they can lie to justify their ideas ("the ends justify the means"). In this century, however, with the internet, libs can no longer rely on false premises to carry the day. Just ask Dan Rather.

Kahryl, keep it honest.

Trophy Hunting
I am primarily a "meat" hunter, but I do have friends who are trophy hunters. I have never been aware of any trophy hunters that deliberately shoot any animal in the gut so as to spend hours upon hours of tracking a wounded animal. (The only way a "gut" shot would preserve a hide would be to place a bullet in the belly in the exact spot your knife would make the "belly cut", providing you were using a bullet that would only expand and not eit.)Every trophy hunter I have evr known or seen on the Outdoor Channel attempts to make a well placed shot in the vitals (heart/lung area) in order to retrieve said trophy.

single shot
many of the hunters I know prefer the challenge and the elegeant simplicity of a large bore single shot firearm.

roadmaster
Regular doses of cherry juice will keep your gout in check and is good for your kidneys. You should start hunting because you do get good exercise as well.

Lolo
I had to give up hunting because the clubs and government posted all the open land in the Southeast. Will cherry juice open the land back up? LOL

hunting
I personally do not hunt anything, or fish for that matter, that I won't eat. I don't like pheasant and quail or duck for starters, so I don't hunt them. Big game trophy hunting should only be done in small doses and for population control in my opinion.

Enviro whackos that think hunters hate the environment are just propagating stereotype once again as fact to suit their purposes.

We are losing alot of our basic survival instincts of how things are made and done in this country to our detriment. How many truly know how to grow, and preserve food for themselves anymore let alone put it to it's best uses?

Vic
Nope sorry about that it won't. that problem is happening alot and in my opinion needs to be Constitutionaly challenged. As a matter of fact I think it is or is going to be. I read about it somewhere.

The fact remains
Hunters derive pleasure in killing. I have no problem with this, but let's keep it accurate.

Yes, hunters are very good caretakers of their sport. But if they *really* wanted to get back to nature, they'd strip naked and go after a deer or bear with nothing more than their teeth, nails, and wit.

I'll defend hunters' rights, because most hunters I know, while being sadistic bullies, are rather civil in the rest of their lives. And one of our strengths as a nation in wartime has been the proficiency of our BOYS as hunters.

"What else? Oh yeah, in November I’m going with my daughter to my friend’s ranch in Texas, and we’ll take an assortment of native and exotic game."

Why are you taking your daughter hunting? Hunting is man's domain and responsibility. Why not take your son hunting, or take your daughter gathering?

Yes, I've been hunting. The grocery store is a far easier and quicker source of food. And I found no pleasure in killing something for the challenge of hunting. There are far better ways to test my endurance, dexterity, reflexes, and intelligence.

Kahryl
That is another stereotypical stupid argument. You obviously know nothing about hunting. Go ahead and try and eat something that you riddled with bullets. Yuk!

jdw
Another stupid post. Excuse me mister redneck but I'll take my firearms skills and expertise up against you any day. I was born and raised hunting since my father believed being a woman was no excuse not have survival instincts. What in the heck do you think all of those pioneering women did? They outlived their husbands 3 to 1.

BTW I have been shooting competively since the age of 13, bow and arrow included.

Where in the heck is Ted Nugent when you need him?

purplestater
Your user fees do not even come close to supporting the parks. Keep dreaming. You are one that has no idea how you are taxed, how many ways you are taxed, and where exactly your tax dollars are spent and wasted.

purplestater
One other thing. Bear attacks are at an historic high due to the fact that their population is at an historic high. See NJ.

Hunting
Maria my friend said I would be infuriated by
your column. Truth be told, I don't like any of
your writings. Somehow she keeps sending them to me thinking I should know whats "out there." I am a 76 -year- old "Tree Hugger" who also believes in Right to Life. Does this sound liberal enough for you? I also commend the hunters who fill the pantries which feed the poor. But you've got to be kidding. How many hunters do this? I believe most hunters think it is fun and games to shoot defenseless animals in an uneven playing field.
As for trees, they are a wonderful source of
oxygen while they pull in harmful CO2. And please Maria - Know that I am aware of people
like this writer and I would rather never read another word from them or him.

Suzana Megles
You are perfectly entitled to your reactions and opinions about hunting and hunters. However, please do not attempt to assign motives or read the minds of hunters. I can claim that most women hate babies, get pregnant only because they are using sex to snare a male, and have babies only because they are too ignorant to know where babies come from. My opinion is not worth much simply because i am not female and have only second hand information about female motivations. You are not a hunter. 'Nuff said?

Tree Huggers

If you want to save a tree, stand guard over tree seedlings in the forest.

When the deer herds are overpopulated, there are a lot of STARVING deer; and they eat all of the tree seedlings. They move on to eating the farmers' crops, and they dine on homeowners' shrubs and plants.(My cousin had to get an electric fence to keep the deer out.)

And don't forget to take a gun with you because those wild bears (wild cats, etc.) will eat any type of meat -- even you.

Suzana Megles
Do you really think animals are defenseless?


Absolutely ignorant.

141say
Do you know what the liberal do gooders do here? they dump food on the side of the road for wildlife, mainly deer. So you know what happens?


The wildlife go for the food and become road kill, not to mention cause accidents.

Lolo2:
Re: "... dump food for wildlife..."

I've never heard of anything like that before.

And I'm glad you caught the post about the machine gun (that person has never hunted).

My Dad said that machine guns are of a larger caliber than a sporting rifle, and would not only riddle the deer, but could possibly hit some of the hunting buddies around you.


Machine Guns/Hunting
Anyone who thinks machine guns would be used for hunting is totally ignorant. Actually machine guns are fairly useless for anything unless you have one that is hard mounted or you have been trained on how to control the shots. Most people think it is like TV or movies where you can hold the trigger and hose down the target, blowing it away in a furry of shots. In almost all cases when someone holds the trigger in an episode of spray and pray they don’t hit much of anything and they empty the clip in a second or two.

The other problem with using a machine gun for hunting is that most of them are HEAVY. Most people, including your average idiot, don’t want to be hauling a 15 pound gun through the woods for hours looking for Bambi so they can rock and roll.

And one last problem with machine guns is that they are ILLEGAL and EXPENSIVE because of that. Who in the world would want to risk something that expensive in a useless episode of wanton slaughter?

141say
Yes it's a new stupid trend here in liberal land, aka belly of the beast.

Killing by most hunters..
... is not considered sport. It is all the hard work up to the point of squeezing the trigger which is sporting. Especially when trying to fill a "trophy" tag. These old whitetail bucks do not grow impressive racks by being stupid. They grow old and mature by being sly, and alert. It is sporting to pit your wits aginst a large prey animal. But regardless of the amount of work that goes into the scouting and harvesting a large game animal, the reaql work begins after the animal is down. Skinning, feild dressing, quartering and packing 100 pounds of meat, cape and antlers is HARD WORK. It also almost anti-climatic when I put a round down range heading for its intended mark. I, for one, do not "enjoy" the kiling part but realize it is just another part of living. Dieing is the end result of living and simply part of the order of things.

Lolo2
Uncle Ted is either out hunting, entertaining the troops, or promoting other peoples right to hunt, fish and trap.

cat trapper
Sure could use him today.

How much NPS budget comes from hunters?
my user fees and government funding

lolo wrote to me:
< < Your user fees do not even come close to supporting the parks. Keep dreaming. >>

I didn't say my user fees support the parks on their own. Specifically, I referred to my user fees and government funding.

Now, what I would really like to see, if you are up to the task (since I'm sure Reverend Giles isn't willing to provide any of the data needed to back up his claims here), is how much of the national park money comes from hunting fees.

< < You are one that has no idea how you are taxed, how many ways you are taxed, and where exactly your tax dollars are spent and wasted. > >

Given that you missed the second half of my statement, you really have no clue how much of an idea I have about how how we are taxed (which is often being fee'd) or where and how they are used and wasted.

But I do like your idea though: the National Park Service has been a financial albatross since Yellowstone was created in 1876. Close 'em all down! The Grand Canyon in particular is nothing but a money pit.


purplestater
It depends on the park and the state it is in.

What would you propose for the parks? Privatization? What?

Since you are purple you obviously know there is a middle ground. I don't mind my tax dollars going to the parks. I do mind govt. purposefully land grabbing in order to do an end run around the 2nd amendment. Animal rights groups are behind that as well. Seems they care more about animal rights than human rights.

However I also don't believe hunting everything to extinction either. Guess in a way we are both purple! LOL! I find it is possible to have your cake and eat it too in many circumstances.

tca
When you learn more about hunting get back to me. Dogs are also hunters btw.

tca
You are right that respectable hunters aren't the problem. Punish the non-respectable, and leave the respectable alone.

Great blog Doug
__And hopefully in another week I'll be putting some venison on my families table. If not I will have helped those tree huggers out a great deal. If I had the money, I'd pack up the trash I picked up, during my hunt, and mail it to them. When I was a kid, hunting with my father, I remember him doing the same. Picking up candybar wrappers, soda bottles, etc., and swearing about the hikers. We hunted the farm he grew up on, and it encompassed about 1000 acres. Only family hunted that land, but during summer months tourist would ask permission to hike, and camp. My grandfather would always let them, with the warning not to leave trash behind. I wonder how many of those hikers are now PETA members.

Expound Truth
Okay I had to laugh because I know exactly where you are coming from. My father was anal about it too!

Stop the Stereotyping
Nothing like lumping together groups you don't like, then shooting at straw men. Yes, there surely must be ardent "tree huggers" who are also ardent PETA members, but in general, they are separate constituencies, and people who have concerns about animal rights and/or welfare are a diverse bunch, as are environmentalists. My observation as a long-time environmentalist is that hunters are generally respected, although some differences of opinion can arise over specific policies directed at wild animal populations. And Giles is absolutely right about the important role that hunters played in conservation history.

Surely, it is to everyone's advantage when a significant portion of the population takes the time to understand wild animals and their habit, then treats those animals with the same kind of respect traditionally accorded by native Americans.

To cat trapper
Mark Twain said, "Work is what a body is obliged to do. Play is what a body is not obliged to do." I accept that on our American frontier circa 1835, or today among our rural poor, people have been obliged to hunt because the alternative is that they have no food. But surely for most Americans today, hunting is optional, even if it is (like many other sports) hard work. And I question the "need the meat" excuse when the hunter is wearing, carrying, and driving tens of thousands of dollars' worth of equipment. PS I am not a member of PETA and probably dislike PETA as much as you do. But I think most hunters are big hypocrites with all this talk about conservation---they just enjoy killing for fun.

I'm not a hunter
And at one time in my silly youth I was against hunting. I grew up in s. Mass and at that time
a deer was a rare sight, but my neighbors had Beagle packs and would run them. Then I married and moved to the northern midwest where hunting is a way of life and learned a lot. After seeing a documentary about starving deer in PA I was converted. I have deer running through my yard every night, and three years ago, a large
deer ran into my husband as he was driving home.
The animals head was imprinted on the winshield,
right door damages..all told 2400.00 in repairs.
The county I live in is notorious for car/deer
collisions and sometimes it's not the deer that loses. My son has had three car/deer collisions, thank God he hasn't been hurt..just driving to work.
Has any of the tree huggers thought of Lyme disease? My dau. has it..deer ticks! As for
trees, they are PLANTS for crying out loud, they
will grow back and they also provide livelihoods for thousands of families in the paper industry
(my husband for one) and the lumber industry.
God created us to be stewards of His earth, not
worshippers of His creation.

lilly
Another lame argument. Last time I checked my grocery store as I well as my butcher shop did not have venison or antelope.

And
a six point buck saved my eldest son when he was 16, on his first hunt. Believe it or not, I prayed he would be successful because he was in danger of going the wrong way. He needed to succeed at something, and this deer provided the turn around for him, now 24 years later, he's a Navy vet, married, father and still hunts. And
he was the only one in the hunting party who
bagged a deer, while the older, experienced hunters got nothing.

johninoregon
Well said , but you do realize these groups interact right? For instance PETA has joined the Global Warming band wagon. Did you miss the attack ad on Gore?

Bloody Animal Rights Activists.
Animal Rights Activists have caused more suffering and death than Mao, Stalin & Hitler COMBINED!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,215084,00.html

abc123cba writes:
Maybe
Hunting might be neccessary. But I just plain don't understand trophy hunting. Why would would anyone want to kill something from far away with a gun. I don't think its a sport, I think trophy hunting is pathetic


Trophy hunting is used in area management; truth is most people who hunt do it for the meat. I love deer, quail, rabbit, Pheasant, just to name a few. Now in an management area they would pass up say 3-4 y/o deer and harvest older ones 5-7 y/o who are passing any use of breeding does. Then again, some people like the BIG antlers to mount and hang on the wall! A deer is a deer is a deer, well you get my point.

ANOTHER THING
Never hunt with Uncle dick, or john kerry. With dick you could end up with shot in the arse, and john will have you fetching ducks that he never shot!!
ahahahaha

lilly
If you gotta ask you have no clue. And besides, why do I need yours or ANYONES permission to do what man has doing since adam and eve got us run out of the garden!

Hunting, trees, and oil
Reading over the threads, I've noticed some common themes. First: hunters do not derive pleasure in killing. I have never heard ANYONE squeal with glee at the taking of an animal. This especially goes for an animal shot in the gut. Unless this is a truly unskilled person (not a hunter, per se), hunters are good shots or at least know their limitations and when to "take the shot and not take the shot". Safety is another concern. A gut-shot or other similarly wounded animal must be tracked by the hunter because once you take the shot, you don't just leave an animal to suffer. Second: Tags are issued due to population predictions of the animal. This prevents overpopulation, disease, land erosion, etc. There are thousands of hunters for every one deer so they are not being hunted to extinction. Because animals are not stupid, you can go a whole season w/o seeing the hunted animal! Third: Tree-huggers spike trees with nails (cause shain saw to recoil) because a human, doing his job, cutting down a tree is less important to these ultra-fanatics. Most grassroots "tree huggers" would not support this kind of "action". They do, however, cause harm in other ways. Responsible tree farming prevents forest fires and actually AID tree growth by culling the older trees. By conflict with enviromentalists is they are block to all oil exploration, refinery manufacture, and drilling in this country. We KNOW where reserves are in this country, but we don't get them! Look at the ANWR; same old argument about the caribou that existed with the pipeline proposal. The caribou have thrived from the pipeline but, meanwhile, we are STILL dependent on foreign, unfriendly governments for our enegy needs!
And you're all right: where's Ted when you need him? Probably out hunting!

Bambi's revenge
There is a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (the human version of mad cow disease) that has been found in deer meat. Eat it at your own risk. There were a lot of reports in the news about this a year or so back.

Go to http://www.maddeer.org to read up on this.

Mary C.


The bull dozer blade
The dozer blade has done more to eliminate wildlife than hunting ever has.

The prarie chicken is no longer hunted in my state due to habitat loss. People ask "Where have the quail gone?" without pausing to look at the country side going in 5 acres home lots, the rancher's land that looks like a golf course fairway, or the huge row of trees planted during the dust bowl that have been torn out because "we like clean fence lines".

The truth about hunting...
Hunting builds character... It's that simple... If today's youth spent more time in a duck blind, on a deer stand or in a bass boat (fishing
builds character, too) We'd all be a whole lot better off...

Pleasure in Killing?
Puh-leaze!

While I cannot speak for every hunter, I can speak for myself and report my experience from hanging around a lot of hunters.

The actual point of the kill gives no "secret thrill" or other illicit pleasure at the death of the animal. Some are relatively neutral towards the death of the animal, having come to the realization that an animal must die in order for them to eat. (This is true *even for those who only eat non-cultivated, hand-gathered food.*) Others take pleasure in the culmination of the hunt. Then there are some, like myself, who find the actual kill to be a bit spiritual, as we reflect upon the death of the animal that provides food for ourselves and our family.

Non-cultivated, hand-gathered food still requires the death of one or more animals to provide the fertilizer for the food to grow. Man is a predator, pure and simple. If you examine our physical layout, our teeth, our eyes, etc. you will see an omnivorous predator. To deny the predatory side of Man is to deny God and Nature. Morally, we have just as much right to engage in our nature as does the panther, the bear or the wolf.

I hunt. I mostly do so because I find venison to be unbelievably delicious, as does my family. I also hunt because I believe that, if I am to eat meat, I should be willing to kill it myself, rather than hiring paid assassins to do so for me. Hunting is also an activity that I enjoy. Whatever time I'm out in the woods hunting is time well spent, even if I never shoot a single deer. That said, however, if a nice buck or healthy doe happens to present me with a good shot, I'll take it.

To Doug Giles
loons on the Left
**
the frothy and paranormal twinkies
**
wet-eyed, Disney-fueled feelings
**
hypocrites
**
pro-stupidity
**
They’re gonzo.
**

I believe I read once that you are a minister of
a church. That church must have extremely low
standards.

P.S. I am not anti-hunting. I am anti-jerks.
You fit the description.

a little late here, I know
but a coupla things:

All of you here debunking the "hunting with machine guns" myth are correct, but I think what you are missing is that the media, most politicians, and all anti-gun and anti-hunting types have no idea what they themselves mean by "machine gun." They don't understand it to be a heavy, tripod-mounted, crew-served, often larger than rifle caliber military weapon that is illegal to own without an expensive and difficult-to-obtain special license. They think a semi-automatic rifle with such heinous accessories as handguards, "flash suppressors" and bayonet lugs are machine guns.

Lily: You know nothing about conservation or the mind or motivations of the hunter. You're like someone who knows nothing about music and has never heard jazz, knowingly pontificating that Cotrane was a talentless hack who was in it for the money.

viruddh: Funny, you do, too.

JohnK3
You summed up my views perfectly, thanks. Unfortnuately, it's a moot point for me, as I got completely skunked last weekend. Never even saw a deer. I'm sure that makes Lily happy, but I'm going to have to go back out. Wish me luck.

Yeah Lilly!
it's Adam and Eve's fault. Or is it Adam and Steve? After all, it's those dang gays who are ruining everything!
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