Category: Hunting

The US v. Stevens case, which challenged a federal law that had the potential to make hunting videos illegal, was heard by the Court yesterday. SCOTUSBlog is offering some analysis, and says the law is in trouble.

80% of Americans approve of the practice. That’s not great news for Wayne Pacelle, but we know from the gun fight, that a lot of Americans support the Second Amendment, but when you start arguing specifics, you lose support. But we’ve done very well with broad arguments, and hunters can too. The danger I see is that hunters have not yet accepted the “no one gets thrown off the lifeboat” philosophy that most in the shooting community have come to understand. Look at the large numbers of people in rural counties with strong hunting traditions that voted for a ban on dove hunting in Michigan?

… who’s behind this, despite what they say.

SayUncle keeps the right wing propaganda machine going by suggesting that he’s going to eat the doves he so wantonly slaughtered.  Wayne Pacelle will tell you that’s a lie, and that no one eats dove.  Plus, it’s the bird of peace.  Why would you want to kill the poor little bird of peace?  Murderer!  It’s because of SayUncle there is crime and war.

UPDATE: More hunter death cult propaganda about dove hunting.

SayUncle notices that hunting is spendy.  I do not come from a hunting family, and have never possessed a hunting license.  Countertop has a standing offer on the table to take me out sometime, but I have to get all the proper licenses.   For me, because I am not old enough to be exempt from the hunters education requirement, it’s more difficult to get a hunting license than it was for me to get a license to carry a pistol.

Hunters education is a 10 hour course, broken up in three days.  After that, I have to pay a fair amount if I want to hunt out of state, a lesser amount, but still more than an LTC, to hunt instate.   A license to carry is one trip to the Sheriff’s office, an application, and a few weeks time to do the background check.  Now my club runs the hunters ed classes, but I have to find time, and despite what my prolific blogging might indicate, my free time is not all that remarkably abundant.

So I have yet to take Countertop up on his offer.  Hopefully one day I’ll find time.  Hunters have to change this system if they want their sport to survive.  License fees probably are a necessary evil, since they pay for the various state game commissions to manage the wildlife and hunting lands along the North American Model.  Hunters have been reluctant to allow wildlife conservation to be funded out of state treasuries, for fears state legislatures would use political considerations instead of science to manage wildlife populations and hunting.  This is as legitimate concern.  What hunters ought to push for is apprentice hunting programs, that let people like me go out into the field without taking hunters education, provided I am with an experienced hunter.  Think of it as a learners permit for hunting.  After some apprentice seasons, I could be eligible for a standard hunting license, and head afield on my own.  Virginia has already done this.  Other states need to follow suit.  I also think for those who possess apprentice licenses for a season, and who demonstrate they’ve taken animals, they ought to be exempt entirely from the hunters education requirement.

As long as hunters ed is the only pass to being eligible to hunt, hunting is doomed.

A lot of game animals are kosher if they are killed the right way, but that usually that involves a bit of ritual, and rules.  That’s why I’m surprised there’s enough hunters in Israel to get upset over changes in hunting regulations.

The US Sportsmen’s Alliance has quite welcomely helped raise the alarm on the HSUS astroturfing operation I uncovered when they commented on my blog last week.

If you think shooters won’t end up in their sights next, you have another thing coming.  This is not a new issue.  Take this study from 1975 that echos the same debates we’re still having today.  What research I’ve done on this topic, which is admittedly not very thorough, there’s some cause for concern about the issue.   For me as long as wildlife populations remain stable, I don’t see too much of a problem, but you don’t want to be stuck in the public debate of arguing that some wildlife losses are accptable.

The real problem is, there’s no good subistitute for lead shot, or lead bullets.  There are, of course, non-toxic alternatives, but they are inferior to lead in other properties, and will result in more wounded birds.  They are also very expensive.  There’s also the issue for lead bullets of laws against ammunition that’s “armor piercing” interfering with being able to make a quality alternative to lead ammunition.

JD in the comments points out that HSUS are also astroturfing in the comment section of the Bismark Tribune.  Now, I should say that I don’t have hard IP evidence, but the name is the same, and the comment is the same.  If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck …

The Humane Society of the United States, not to be confused with your local animal shelter, is apparently not above astroturfing.  In my previous thread on the ban on preserve hunting they are pushing in North Dakota, I got engaged in a conversation with a person claiming to be a hunter in the comments, until I noticed his what his IP address resolved to on ARIN.   Be careful out there folks.  These people are slick.  The person you’re speaking with claiming to be a hunter may very well be an animal rights activist trying to divide the community.