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Art Eatman · June 12, 1999, 07:10 PM

As one who has hunted for well over 50 years, let me say that nobody in this thread has said anything notably disagreeable to me. I see a lot of honesty.

Miss .357, nobody who is quiet during hunting is "in the way". Nobody who is interested in learning to carry their share of the load around hunt camp is in the way.

For what it's worth, no game species in the U.S. is in a population decline. The only huntable animal in trouble is the Bighorn Sheep, due to habitat loss from overgrazing in their winter range and changes in land use.

In Texas, the eradication of the screw-worm fly led to a population explosion of white-tailed deer. In central Texas, from around Austin to Mason, Brady and Llano, deer have become so runty from over-crowding that IMNSH opinion there ought to be an open season on does for two or three years. Maybe even a bounty.

I hunt in part because that's the only way I'm going to be able to eat quail, dove, deer and javelina. They taste good. And I'm a natural-food freak.

On Jeff Cooper's recommendation, I bought "Meditations on Hunting" by (here I go again--forgot the name. The nice thing about Alzheimer's is that you meet so many new people.) a Spanish philosopher. A quote: "One does not hunt in order to kill. One kills in order to have hunted."

At any rate, sitting around a camp fire during hunting season gives me a sense of continuity with my hunter/gatherer forbears. I have the pride and sense of accomplishment from providing my own food, from the stalk through the shot; the field-dressing through the butchering; and then the cooking. I have not had to hire somebody else to do the dirty work for me.

"Trophy hunting"? Well, if you have to hire a guide to lead you to a staked-out pet, to Hell with you. (I could hire an outfitter to horseback me into the back-country. After we get there, he can stay in camp and cook.) If you hunt some 10,000 acres and compare the bucks; and then go back and find the largest, good on yer, myte! After all, a really worthwhile buck only makes maybe one mistake a season. If your first sighting was his only mistake, you have your work cut out for you. Always remember, Bambi practices being a deer 365 days a year. You do that maybe 5 or 10 days a year...

My preference is walking-hunting. I know quite well that some country cannot be hunted that way--so I don't go there, I don't sit in a stand. My shots are off-hand, and usually at a running deer. If I'm really good, the ball opens at 15 to 30 yards...I'm not always really good, but I've eaten a bunch of deer.
It's still a sort of challenge-compensation for using a rifle instead of a bow or spear, maybe...

Obviously, from the various postings, it is not a clearcut good/bad issue. There are as many opinions as there are posters, but at least here the arguments make sense.

Best regards, Art
And never forget that for many states, the only cash-money spent on wildlife enhancement and protection efforts comes from hunters and from shooters/outdoorsmen. Hunting licenses and the taxes on firearms and fishing tackle. Even if you don't hunt, buy a hunting license.

June 12, 1999, 07:10 PM	#37
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	As one who has hunted for well over 50 years, let me say that nobody in this thread has said anything notably disagreeable to me. I see a lot of honesty. Miss .357, nobody who is quiet during hunting is "in the way". Nobody who is interested in learning to carry their share of the load around hunt camp is in the way. For what it's worth, no game species in the U.S. is in a population decline. The only huntable animal in trouble is the Bighorn Sheep, due to habitat loss from overgrazing in their winter range and changes in land use. In Texas, the eradication of the screw-worm fly led to a population explosion of white-tailed deer. In central Texas, from around Austin to Mason, Brady and Llano, deer have become so runty from over-crowding that IMNSH opinion there ought to be an open season on does for two or three years. Maybe even a bounty. I hunt in part because that's the only way I'm going to be able to eat quail, dove, deer and javelina. They taste good. And I'm a natural-food freak. On Jeff Cooper's recommendation, I bought "Meditations on Hunting" by (here I go again--forgot the name. The nice thing about Alzheimer's is that you meet so many new people.) a Spanish philosopher. A quote: "One does not hunt in order to kill. One kills in order to have hunted." At any rate, sitting around a camp fire during hunting season gives me a sense of continuity with my hunter/gatherer forbears. I have the pride and sense of accomplishment from providing my own food, from the stalk through the shot; the field-dressing through the butchering; and then the cooking. I have not had to hire somebody else to do the dirty work for me. "Trophy hunting"? Well, if you have to hire a guide to lead you to a staked-out pet, to Hell with you. (I could hire an outfitter to horseback me into the back-country. After we get there, he can stay in camp and cook.) If you hunt some 10,000 acres and compare the bucks; and then go back and find the largest, good on yer, myte! After all, a really worthwhile buck only makes maybe one mistake a season. If your first sighting was his only mistake, you have your work cut out for you. Always remember, Bambi practices being a deer 365 days a year. You do that maybe 5 or 10 days a year... My preference is walking-hunting. I know quite well that some country cannot be hunted that way--so I don't go there, I don't sit in a stand. My shots are off-hand, and usually at a running deer. If I'm really good, the ball opens at 15 to 30 yards...I'm not always really good, but I've eaten a bunch of deer. It's still a sort of challenge-compensation for using a rifle instead of a bow or spear, maybe... Obviously, from the various postings, it is not a clearcut good/bad issue. There are as many opinions as there are posters, but at least here the arguments make sense. Best regards, Art And never forget that for many states, the only cash-money spent on wildlife enhancement and protection efforts comes from hunters and from shooters/outdoorsmen. Hunting licenses and the taxes on firearms and fishing tackle. Even if you don't hunt, buy a hunting license.