Making Too Much of Hunting?

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Some folks might be thinking that I’m making too much of this whole hunting issue. After all, it’s been a long time tradition practiced by some of our most famous presidents (and infamous vice presidents). How bad could it be?

Well, all you have to do is visit any grocery store magazine rack across America to find out how bad it is. If anything, you’ll see that sport hunting is worse than what I’ve been saying.

Like any other animal exploitation industry out there these days, the deeper you dig, the more shocking the details you’ll uncover. Despite my involvement (some might say obsession) with this issue (to the point of writing a book about it) I guess I really haven’t plumbed the darkest depths of hunting’s heartlessness yet. I found myself genuinely shocked when I saw the wording on the cover of an Alaskan “sportsmen’s” magazine in a grocery store check-out line on my way home from visiting relatives yesterday. Partially covering the photo of a grinning hunter posing with his dead “trophy” animal were the words, “Where to Kill the Biggest Critters”!

At least this publication was honest, it came right out and said “kill,” not “harvest” or “take” or any of those other soft-sell terms for animal murder. They know they’re evil, and they’re proud of it. Among the other articles featured was “Learning from Ted Nugent.” That should give you some idea of the intellect level of the magazines’ readership. 

But this rag is not just for sale in some backwoods enclave or at the rat-hole mini-mart where Bubba stops in for beer and beef jerky. I came upon it at an upscale grocery store by a ferry landing right across the Puget Sound from the supposedly progressive city of Seattle. This stuff is wide spread and insidious.

So what kind of awful, sick things were inside that magazine? I didn’t have the stomach to pick it up and look. Maybe next time…

Wildlife Photography Copyright Jim Robertson

13 thoughts on “Making Too Much of Hunting?”

  2. Learning from Ted Nugent? By that do they mean learn about how to poach, exceed bag limits and violate the Lacey Act?

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  5. Great article i cant wait until you write a book i’d love to read it! Please let us know when your done writing it and what its called so we can buy it ; ) thanks for all you do for animals

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  6. I came upon your blog this evening and have appreciated the many posts I’ve had a chance to read through. I’m also a wildlife photographer, with a license in wildlife rehabilitation (from California). I have never hunted and became an ethical vegetarian years ago, along a similar trajectory to yours. In my early years of wildlife and animal advocacy, even though I was against hunting in principle, I hadn’t yet had experienced enough hunting firsthand, to understand the true repercussions of this “sport” on wild animals.

    I’ve since witnessed more hunting carnage than I care to ever transcribe in my pages … more wildlife suffering than I will ever be able to manage or reconcile in my heart. Having recently moved back to Washington where so much wildlife habitat is open to hunting, I also find it nearly impossible to avoid hunting incidents if I choose to explore or photograph in wildlife populated areas. I’ve spent endless and probably unproductive hours, discussing these various issues with hunters, both in person and at hunting blogs. But, I’ve found nothing in the pro-hunting PR that rings true, compared against my real experience in the field.

    As you say, you don’t have to hate the person, but you can despise the actions that not only lead to such gross inhumanity toward other species but that also — in my view — strip the human hunter of his or her own inherent compassion. In the act of purposefully killing, I don’t think you can help but stifle the voice of empathy that would otherwise arise and intercede with an act of mercy.

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