WHOOSH!!
Um, you might want to take off your too tight hunting cap–you used the word “lesion” when you meant the word “lesson”.
I have no doubt that you were at least exposed to (potential) lesions out in the brush as a wee lad.
Why drag Davy Crockett into it? I dislike and disapprove of hunting for sport–and I hope like hell that this girl and her Dad butcher that bear and freeze/share the meat. I understand the need for population control re deer and other large mammals.
But why is it related so gleefully? Hell, these folks could have father/daughter related with a walk in the woods or a camera shoot. But no, these stories seem to need the “ooh, we killed xyz today”–as if going out and killing something is this noble thing. It bothers me (and that’s my problem).
You don’t. But I don’t see why those so inclined can’t celebrate it as something that was awfully neat. 8 years old, girl, 2 shots hitting the chest of bear @ fifty yards is a pretty darn good accomplishment to brag about.
Not everyone is a bunnyhugger. Killing animals by using a degree of skill is often fun. Heck, even an anti-hunter gets some measure of elation from killing a lowly house fly that’s been buzzing about defying their fly swatter. Or maybe y’all weep uncontollably?
I don’t see anything wrong with criticizing the father for his choice to take his daughter bear hunting. I don’t see anything wrong with voicing one’s opinion about hunting, for or against. I do see something wrong with verbally attacking a young girl who did something perfectly legal and pretty darn impressive for her age.
But really I think the hunters should just grow a thicker skin and get used to the anti-hunting rhetoric. It’s not like hunting is going to be outlawed, so why not just let it go. Get over it and keep hunting, and contribute to whatever hunter’s association has the lobbying power if you really feel that threatened.
Good on the little girl for doing so well on her license exam.
Good on the little girl for bagging the bear. It’s not as easy as it sounds.
Good on the State of Maryland for opening a limited Bear Season before they became a nuisance. If the season is successful, they shouldn’t have to repeat it next year.
Bad on the little girl’s father for pulling her out of school for a recreational activity that could have waited for the weekend.
I don’t hunt, but if I had to get up at the crack of dawn so I can go freeze my ass off in a bush that’s apparently serving as a convention hall for every mosquito on the Eastern seaboard, someone’s going to get shot.
I remember when a lot of things that are reprehensible were things that were admired. One would hope that you have something a bit better than the “ah, the good old days” routine.
No offense intended, but it’s obvious you don’t know much about hunting. She shot the bear on openning day. You always go out and hunt on openning day. If you could just wait for the weekend, it would be just like any other sport. That isn’t the case.
Anyway, there might not have been a weekend to hunt!
If you wait for the weekend, the season would probably have been over. The previous year the hunt only lasted a single day. There was no reason to not expect this year to be similar.
Don’t forget, this girl was lucky to be selected for such a limited hunt. I can hardly think of a better reason to be pulled out of school.
Oh, and this made me want to have kids, just so I can go hunting with them someday…
Good for her. Her parents sound like they’re doing a wonderful job with raising her.
Well, I have to say that I’m no hunter…the few times I’ve been dragged out to go hunting with mi 'mano’s I took a paint ball gun (YOU try shooting a deer in the ass with a paint ball gun sometime and see how much skill it takes ).
That said, I have nothing at all against a father and daughter that go out hunting in a perfectly legal way. To me its silly and a bit cruel to attack a little girl (or even a big strong hunter) because you personally don’t agree with them on their activity…when said activity is perfectly legal. My advice to the other non-hunter types who are squimish about shooting bambi or smoky da bear is…suck it up and keep your opinions to yourself. If you REALLY don’t like it then agitate for legislation to change the laws and make it illegal. But don’t attack folks who are doing something within their rights just 'cause you don’t like it. Not unless you are ok with some other asshole attacking you vocally and publically for doing something YOU like.
Christ almighty. I am not a bunnyhugger–who would want to hug such vermin?
Killing animals is fun to you. OK.
Such black and white thinking. Tell me, have you ever looked at that buck before you shoot it? Do you ever marvel at the beauty of him and the wonder at his life–and feel lucky as hell that you get to observe him in his natural state and feel a part of his world? Do you ever see the terror in the eyes of an animal wounded by a trap or gun? (I would hope that you would do the humand thing and shoot the animal to relieve its suffering).
Or do you just aim and shoot the hell outta him, 'cause the beer’s getting warm back at camp?
Yep-deliberately offensive. I see no reason to approve of hunting(except where there is overpopulation) and I don’t understand the need of hunters to patronize or marginalize those who don’t hunt.
I hope like hell that that bear meat does not go to waste. I hope that all those ducks shot out of the sky, all those deer–I hope they are used for food and not just trophies on a wall.
Please don’t pretend that there aren’t a whole lot of drunken, stupid hunters out there every “season”. They give hunters a bad name and a bad rep.
I am not an advocate of hunting, but I do support responsible safe hunters–like this girl and her parents. Would I rather the bear wasn’t dead? Probably. But if the meat is gonig to be used and the hunters acted responsibly and safely, that’s good enough for me.
I don’t get a measure of elation or a sense of sadness in killing the common housefly–I get a dead fly. My emotions are not tied to the destruction of wildlife.
It does indeed sound like her parents are raising a gun savvy and respectful girl there. Kudos to them–now, let’s work on all the other morons out there with guns and the lust to go out and kill 'em summthin; 'cause it makes them feel good–real manly.
My parents used to pull us out of school several times a year to go skiing. My siblings and I always came in at the top of our classes. I think some people are seriously overestimating the value of a day spent in junior high. There are plenty of kids who can take a day off without the slightest bit of worry.
**Debaser ** - You’re right. I don’t hunt. I was a terrible shot in Scouts and never pursued it. And since I’m slack and didn’t read the OP’s cite, I had no idea the statewide limit was so low. The father’s decision makes more sense now.
Of course, I still don’t approve of pulling the child out of school for a non-emergency or illness, but I’m an old fart like that.
Let me take this opportunity to plug an organization that I support both financially and with deer meat: Hunters for the Hungry. This group will dress and butcher game and donate the meat to foodbanks and other organizations that feed the needy. If you’re a Virginia hunter wondering what to do with all that meat, this is a great option.
I’m sure bear hunting in Maryland is safer than bear hunting in Alaska. But have any hunters been mauled by bears they failed to bring down? Any bears get the drop on the hunter when he was looking the wrong way? I don’t think I’d take my kid out hunting bears. He’d be little more than a snack if the bear got the upper hand.
Well, presumably dad was right there with a back up rifle in case it got dangerous. And, if things went totally, astronomically wrong, he could always run slower than his daughter.
).