A couple of my friends on FaceBook are "friends" with Eva Shockey so I see many of her posts.
Let's get the obvious out - she's a babe, honey, gorgeous woman, etc etc.
And I'm glad that she enjoy's hunting.
And while I don't have any problem with hunting when it involves putting food on the table or eliminating pests or dangers to man, all of the killing for the sake of killing that she promotes does bother me. Not only her, but pictures that others post of their conquests and she thinks are just wonderful.
That's my $0.02 worth.
I heard her dad on Joe Rogan the other day, and he said something that was so simple it pretty much has to be true:
When hunters are portrayed as beer-swilling, syllable truncating yokels no one is upset because that's how they want hunters to be portrayed (he even cast some light aspersion on the duck fellows for somewhat playing up to this). The current outrage is because hunting has become embraced somewhat by the yuppie middle class, and "they" are terrified by it.
I was talking (amicably) with a vegetarian the other day, and the mused that "they hate this time of year because of all the hunting photos on facebook". I took the opportunity to express that I think it is a good thing when people get closer to where their food comes from. I also defended hunting to the extent that when you kill an animal while hunting, it got to live its life to that point as an animal - happy (I guess) and free. Feed lot cows/pigs/chickens live a miserable existence on the other hand.
Also, check this out:
Not sure whether or not all of that is factual, but it can't be completely wrong.
Wasn't she Ted Nugent's first ex? I guess he missed that shot to the heart. :-S
On the non-flippant side, tend to agree about the trophy hunting crowd and the whoose comes and why fors about it all. That's just me. However, a buddy of mine did provide a very succulent venison steak that I grilled up last night. Mmmmmm good, with some onions, 'shrooms, and some broccoli side. Mmmmm, yummy little bambi's when you do them right.
Now I have another pal who wants to go ice fishing. WTF is up with that. Fishing is for non-ice season to get some more yummies.
Hunters hunt.
Take it as you will. I would say it is a stretch to assume that a hunter's motive is only to kill. Their motives are known only to themselves, assuming that understand their hunting experience is arrogant. Killing is undoubtedly part of the hunt, sometimes.
Life feeds on life.
"Killing for the sake of killing"
I don't get where this perception comes from. I've watched a few of Jim Shockey's shows, and it always seems that he's providing meat to the local village that his guides live in. I've seen a couple slobs waste game and just get amped about killing for the sake of killing. They weren't hunting, the critter was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hunters, on the other hand, don't waste the game. He may go home with the meat, or may only take the trophy but give the meat to the guide, to locals, etc.
Is it somehow morally superior if a hunter feels deep guilt and sadness rather than elation and a sense of accomplishment at the end of a successful hunt?
