From: swood@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Scott Wood - EVENSONG)
Subject: Re: Don't tell the anti-hunters
Organization: Oakland University, Rochester MI.
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 16:05:31 GMT

me@halfab.ka.sub.org  (Udo_Meyer) writes:

`In article <viking.717355193@vincent2.iastate.edu> viking@iastate.edu (Dan  
`Sorenson) writes:
`> me@halfab.ka.sub.org  (Udo_Meyer) writes:
`> Animals can defend themselves.

`At once, if they are attacked.
`But, asthonished I've seen a TV report about tourists observing
`grizzly bears fishing salmon only some inches apart.

BS!  Get on the old telephone and call Alaska - NOW.  Talk to a game warden
and ask him for information about tourism and seeing grizzlies.  Ask him
for recommendations for being involved in such activity.  Chances are
he is going to tell you your out of your tree for even thinking of it
in the first place.  Second, he is probably going to recommend against it,
as familiarity with humans softens the bears timidity in regards to humans
and thus makes them more dangerous to unwary tourists.
Lastly, if you are still stubborn enough to want to go, he will recommend
that you purchase a 12 guage flare pistol and some form of chemical
defense mechanism just in case you get a close encounter.

`Then you can hear that all this stories about bad wolfs, sharks etc.
`aren't true (except for Hollywood).

What hollywood movies have made big bad wolf movies in the past three
decades?  I am too used to seeing them animated, talking and helping out
little rabbits and squirrels and such....

`My opinion is, real hunters are only those who need it for survival.

We all need to survive.  To take away the right to choose which way we
do that is a crime against nature in my opinion.  I prefer to eat meat.
I prefer to eat wild meat over store bought meat.  I prefer to harvest
my own food whenever possible.  Far to many horror stories have I seen
about PCB's in meat or pesticides on crops not to mention psycho tampering
after the stuff hits the processing plants.  Not that I am fearing such,
but why take my chances when I don't have to.

`In case of self-defence you are allowed to kill the aggressor.

I agree there...

`The thing I can't understand is the so called sports hunting, just for fun.
`I think, it makes man a beast.

I would agree too.  If you don't have some kind of need - don't agree with
killing.  But I don't think that need should be dependant on the over-all
societal need for survival.

`> Given the recent strife there, I
`> could ask why the government doesn't give arms to the new immigrants
`> who are under attack.  It's the same principle, only animals are born
`> with their weapons.

`Not all animals are born with weapons. And many of them used as
`game animal (is my dictionary correct???) only can run or fly away
`(rabbits, deers, ducks ...).

My father told me a story once of when he was a boy.  He tried to pick
up a ground squirrel and got the "sewing machine" treatment.  Before he
could even put the thing back down, he was bitten five times by a set of
1/4" teeth.

I would suggest going out in the woods.  You apparently have not.  A
downed deer that has not been completely killed has real sharp hooves which
just happened to be attached to real strong legs.  Try even politely feeding
a duck for more than five minutes.  They have bills strong enough to bruise
your thumb if you don't get your hand out of the way in time.  I tried to
pick up a goose once and got beat silly by his wings.  A rabbit not only has
a pair of 1/2" teeth, but his claws (yes - sharp claws) are many time up to
1/4" long.

And don't under estimate flight (whether on legs or wings) as an asset along
with that of weapons.  Some animals do not need efficient "weapons" as their
methods of flight are so efficient in themselves.

My favorite sport is hunting woodcock.  The best way to hunt them is a
method called "dusking" in which you sit in a small clearing and wait
for the animals at dusk and dawn to fly over between their day and night
locations.  (unfortunately the hunting times in Michigan make this type
of hunting illegal)  This method would seem to be easy as it makes it
very simple for the hunter to see up to as many as 15 birds in a brief
15 minute period - get your limit in under a half-and-hour.
However, the birds fly in at about 20-30' high and when seeing a hunter
are very good at dodging and swerving making it a very difficult task
indeed.

swood

P.S. Dusking is not my favorite method by the way because of the large
	opportunity to shoot a good number of birds.  However it is my
	favorite because of the large opportunity to _see_ a large number
	of birds....
-- 
Michigan Archery deer season opens October 1st!!!!!
 I will be sure to be out there, enjoying the sunrise and watching the
  critters roam about.  Whether or not I get a deer or not, the sunrise
   will still be there, and so will I.