Don't really know why this disappeared. I actually found it slightly amusing. Perhaps N.A. is passe. Though we Creeks prefer Indigenous Pre-Columbian Early Mississippian Mound Builders, or IPCEMMB's
The hunting connection is dubious. I would remind that hunting was foisted upon us. We were perfectly happy and made a pretty good living leading the De Luna, De Leon, Navarez and DeSoto expeditions around in endless circles searching for 'gold' and 'the fountain of youth'. Moreover, "Cow Keeper" the Donald Trunp of the 18th century had already discovered the endless possibilities of real estate development in Micanopey and Central Florida. Hunting was purely recreational.
However, hunting became necessary after the Indian Removal Policy. Having found ourselves deposited on a giant red dirt clod called Oklahoma, unable to extract suffieient gold from the monarchs of Europe for never-ending tourism adventures, and occasional mercenary services to purchase proper food hunting was thrust upon us. Recall we were considered one of the "civilized tripes".
Necessity, being the mother of invention dictated the harvesting of wildlife for survival. A practice engaged by our cousins to the north and west for generations, I do see the confusion.
Gunner
IPCEMMB
Gunner, you made excellent points, in your usual witty manner. You use English better than many here who have Euro ancestry. Others in this topic can't even spell, "feral" correctly.
But Europeans also have grand hunting traditions. Indeed, the classic study of why men hunt was written by a Spaniard. Early European settlers here hunted on the frontier as a way of life, and many did as the nation moved west. I think it was largely waves of later immigrants who had not been able to hunt in Europe, where it had been limited for hundreds of years to the upper classes, who began decrying hunting or ignoring it. These people largely settled in and contributed to the urban blight of our growing cities and as land has gone, so often has hunting opportunity.
Then, Disney, Animal Planet and other animal rights propaganda has caused many younger Americans to disrespect hunting, as have slob hunters who shoot road signs and in general act like trash. Anti-hunting propaganda is sneaked into even "normal" TV dramas, like, "Criminal Minds."
If you see a character in a crime show who has hunting trophies on his wall or who likes guns, nine times out of ten, you know right then who the criminal will be. I think that schools also demonize guns, let alone hunting. Most teachers and their union are liberals. There are other factors here that affect that demographic, but which I can't discuss on this board.
I am (seemingly endlessly) writing a detective novel that will hopefully present a hunter or three in a better light. I hope that a publisher will accept that. A well known author told me that any injury to animals in a book can result in scads of angry letters from PETA members and similar people.
The enemy (and I think we all know who they are) seeks to demonize hunting, partly as a way to eliminate it, thus eliminate the "need" to own guns. After all, these people tell us that the Second Amendment is to allow people to hunt ducks...
I think that limited access to suitable lands has caused many to quit hunting, and you really can't lug home an elk or big feral pig if you live in an apartment. Many do.
But it is true that this is largely a handgun forum, and most still don't hunt primarily with pistols.
Still, I do like to see animals harvested ethically by members and learn how they were taken. I also look at the dead snake pics without revulsion. I never killed even snakes routinely, but do see the need in many cases, and would surely shoot a snake or anything else that proved a threat.
One bright spot, although probably aired for other reasons, was that a show on Maine game wardens mentioned that it is illegal to kill and abandon the carcass of a game animal, in that case, a black bear. And they showed a whole family of successful hunters taking home venison. Most were actually women, inc. some cute young ones. I guess that's progress, if in an isolated instance.
