In the spirit of bipartisanship...

[quarter23cd]

Then we should be hiking with tranquilizer guns, not real ones. It is their natural habitat, after all, and they are just walking around in their "neighborhood". If you spook them they're just going to try to defend themselves and possibly their own family.

Tranquilizers definitely would be a more humane way of dealing with the rather unlikely event of a bear attack. Do they sell bear-tranquilizers over the counter? Something tells me they don't. The best I can do is to keep Twinkies laced with Xanax with me at all times and hope I can outrun him long enough for him to get too mellow to eat me.

 

 

Edit: You know I'm just having fun with this, right?

[Mrs. Peel]

Well I was being a little facetious, , but I am 100% against hunting, and I see being harmed by a wild animal as a risk you take when you go out into the wilderness, their habitat. Do I want to be mauled by a bear? No. Are the odds overwhelming that I will be mauled by a bear? No.

 

I realize there is a difference between hunting and self defense, though. But I don't walk around with a gun just in case I'm attacked by a person, a much more likely scenario than being attacked by a bear.

 

Oh, and they do sell Bear Spray, a pepper spray type substance. That's what my mother in law takes with her when she goes hiking through bear territory every year.

 

 

Sorry to get off topic....

 

My biggest beef with the Dems has already been mentioned....whining, whining, whining.

[quarter23cd]

Well I was being a little facetious, , but I am 100% against hunting, and I see being harmed by a wild animal as a risk you take when you go out into the wilderness, their habitat. Do I want to be mauled by a bear? No. Are the odds overwhelming that I will be mauled by a bear? No.

Of all the many things I disagreed with my wife's dad about, I always appreciated his approach to "hunting". Oh sure, he'd go out in the woods with a gun alright, but it was never loaded. Too dangerous. For him, holding a shotgun was merely a way of enjoying nature without looking like a wuss.

[Mrs. Peel]

Of all the many things I disagreed with my wife's dad about, I always appreciated his approach to "hunting". Oh sure, he'd go out in the woods with a gun alright, but it was never loaded. Too dangerous. For him, holding a shotgun was merely a way of enjoying nature without looking like a wuss.

 

[austrya]

To those that are 100% opposed to hunting, what do you propose that we do in the state of Michigan with the deer population if no one is allowed to shoot them?

 

We already have a problem with car/deer accidents and farmers fields being destroyed by them as it is. What happens when their population grows exponentially? There really aren't any natural preditors of deer in this state that can handle the numbers.

 

Is it ok to hunt for food? I can see a vegitarian/vegan stance on this, but what if you eat meat? Hunting is a more humane way of getting meat than 99.9% of the meat sold in stores.

[viatroy]

Right on!

 

I would add that the Republicans have implemented a government who's foreign policy is being dictated by a think tank (http://www.newamericancentury.org/). To me this feels like taxation with out representation. Let the tea party begin.

 

 

 

Hey, it's back? They dropped off the net in May for 'nonpayment' of their bill. Ah, they changed their name, slick.

Did you know that McCain was instrumental in the organization that was the forerunner to PNAC?

 

McCain has surrounded himself with the best and brightest from the now-defunct Project for the New American Century: Randy Scheunemann, one of its directors, is serving as McCain

[viatroy]

Is it ok to hunt for food? I can see a vegitarian/vegan stance on this, but what if you eat meat? Hunting is a more humane way of getting meat than 99.9% of the meat sold in stores.

 

 

I am completely anti-gun (my position is "melt 'em all"). But I have to agree with you on this, having just watched this. Warning: you may want to have a salad for dinner.

[myboyblue]

To those that are 100% opposed to hunting, what do you propose that we do in the state of Michigan with the deer population if no one is allowed to shoot them?

 

We already have a problem with car/deer accidents and farmers fields being destroyed by them as it is. What happens when their population grows exponentially? There really aren't any natural preditors of deer in this state that can handle the numbers.

 

Is it ok to hunt for food? I can see a vegitarian/vegan stance on this, but what if you eat meat? Hunting is a more humane way of getting meat than 99.9% of the meat sold in stores.

 

Although I'm not technically "against" hunting, I certainly don't understand why someone would want to do it. I understand the arguments "for" but still fail to understand how or why it's enjoyable to someone.

 

That said, hunting for food is a completely different situation in my eyes than "hunting for sport".

[bobbob1313]

anti-gun (my position is "melt 'em all")

 

Man, in an ideal world this would be nice, but we have to be realistic. That's why I can't bring myself to be anti-gun.

[viatroy]

Man, in an ideal world this would be nice, but we have to be realistic. That's why I can't bring myself to be anti-gun.

 

 

I'm an idealist.

[austrya]

Although I'm not technically "against" hunting, I certainly don't understand why someone would want to do it. I understand the arguments "for" but still fail to understand how or why it's enjoyable to someone.

 

That said, hunting for food is a completely different situation in my eyes than "hunting for sport".

 

 

I don't think I could do it either, although I do love fishing. So maybe I could. I've never tried it, so I can't honestly say one way or the other.

[sweetheart-mine]

Hey, it's back? They dropped off the net in May for 'nonpayment' of their bill. Ah, they changed their name, slick.

Did you know that McCain was instrumental in the organization that was the forerunner to PNAC?

 

McCain has surrounded himself with the best and brightest from the now-defunct Project for the New American Century: Randy Scheunemann, one of its directors, is serving as McCain

[Mrs. Peel]

As far as hunting for food as necessity for survival, as in you have no access to anything else, I'm OK with that. But when there are already animals that were killed for food sitting in stores, that were raised for that reason alone, I don't condone going out and killing one that is minding its own business in its own habitat.

 

I realize the logistics of hunting for population control, I do. But in my heart of hearts, I feel that we created these problems by introducing non-native species of animals, and demolishing the habitats of others, forcing population booms and migration into "inconvenient" areas, and I just can't get behind killing them to rectify a situation we made.

 

I absolutely realize that how I view it is not popular, or even logical in terms of population versus urban development, etc., but my love for animals and my view that they are innocent creatures who have done nothing wrong except exist in places or numbers that are in our way trumps it all.

 

And hunting for sport? I think it's barbaric and ridiculous. Especially using guns....where the hell is the sport in staying 50 feet away from something, hiding behind a tree, and shooting something dead that has no idea you're even there? How someone can watch the life drain out of an animal by their own hands just for fun is beyond comprehension for me.

[viatroy]

This is the document that got me started taking another look at 9/11, since the neocons who developed the Bush Doctrine basically called for it to happen. That US foreign policy class last spring really derailed me, or opened my eyes. Or both.

[sweetheart-mine]

The best I can do is to keep Twinkies laced with Xanax with me at all times and hope I can outrun him long enough for him to get too mellow to eat me.

 

 

i'm going to have to borrow that idea. the moose in my state are so damn scary. it's amazing hollywood isn't on to them yet and making horror films featuring them. maybe then they'll make moose hunting legal all year round here so we can all be protected from these violent, hideous creatures.

[myboyblue]

I don't think I could do it either, although I do love fishing. So maybe I could. I've never tried it, so I can't honestly say one way or the other.

 

I used to tease this guy in my old job that was a self-proclaimed avid hunter. He could never really explain with any detail what he enjoyed about it. He'd say he really liked the thrill of the hunt and he loved the outdoors. I said that he should sneak up on them and take a really nice picture. He became confused.

 

He came into work once with pictures of his bear hunt in Alaska. He shot a bear from 50' out while he was on a boat. This guy couldn't have been more proud of himself. He later brought in the jaws and explained to us that based on the jaws, he could tell that the bear was close to death (age?). Again, the guy was extremely proud that he was able spend thousands of dollars to shoot an elderly bear with a shotgun from a boat that was led by a guy that was paid to find the bear.

 

From then on, I told him it was a dream of mine to shoot a sleeping goat.

[EL the Famous]

i saw my cousin's husband blow the head off a snapping turtle w/ a 357 magnum last summer. our boys slept in a room full of taxidermy. they're from southern illinois.

[quarter23cd]

Although I'm not technically "against" hunting, I certainly don't understand why someone would want to do it. I understand the arguments "for" but still fail to understand how or why it's enjoyable to someone.

 

That said, hunting for food is a completely different situation in my eyes than "hunting for sport".

I'm in agreement with this. I'm not a hunter, but do spend a decent amount of time doing "outdoorsy" stuff. I don't own a gun, but could possibly see the use for one in the rare example of the bear attack (and yes there are sprays--I have never had occasion to use it, so cannot vouch for its effectiveness). But I'm not really against hunting, I just don't find it an attractive way to spend my time. I do not at all have a problem with hunting for food. (FWIW, I know a guy who makes a mean venison chili.) Hunting for "sport" is less appealing to me.

 

But I also contradict myself in that I like fishing, and I only rarely eat what I catch. Usually catch & release, which is admittedly kind of cruel when you think about wounding animals and then saying "ha ha, its okay, I'm letting you go, little fella. no hard feelings." But the upside is that I rarely catch anything. Much like my father-in-law carrying the unloaded gun in the woods, fishing is a great way to spend quiet time on a boat or at least near water and having a fishing pole in your hand makes it look like you are doing something, so nobody thinks you're a vagrant or reports your weirdo behavior to a park ranger.

[EL the Famous]

From then on, I told him it was a dream of mine to shoot a sleeping goat.

 

this made me laugh out loud here at work.

[myboyblue]

this made me laugh out loud here at work.

 

FYI - I haven't gotten that evasive goat yet but I will... I will.

[EL the Famous]

FYI - I haven't gotten that evasive goat yet but I will... I will.

 

'kids, load up...we're going to the petting zoo!'

[Good Old Neon]

As far as hunting for food as necessity for survival, as in you have no access to anything else, I'm OK with that. But when there are already animals that were killed for food sitting in stores, that were raised for that reason alone, I don't condone going out and killing one that is minding its own business in its own habitat.

 

I realize the logistics of hunting for population control, I do. But in my heart of hearts, I feel that we created these problems by introducing non-native species of animals, and demolishing the habitats of others, forcing population booms and migration into "inconvenient" areas, and I just can't get behind killing them to rectify a situation we made.

 

I absolutely realize that how I view it is not popular, or even logical in terms of population versus urban development, etc., but my love for animals and my view that they are innocent creatures who have done nothing wrong except exist in places or numbers that are in our way trumps it all.

 

And hunting for sport? I think it's barbaric and ridiculous. Especially using guns....where the hell is the sport in staying 50 feet away from something, hiding behind a tree, and shooting something dead that has no idea you're even there? How someone can watch the life drain out of an animal by their own hands just for fun is beyond comprehension for me.

 

I

[sweetheart-mine]

the husband of a friend of mine has been an avid hunter and gun lover all his life. she explains to me that at the core of his hunting desire is "self-reliance." does that make sense to anyone?

[EL the Famous]

the husband of a friend of mine has been an avid hunter and gun lover all his life. she explains to me that at the core of his hunting desire is "self-reliance." does that make sense to anyone?

 

"small penis"?

[bobbob1313]

I'm an idealist.

 

I'm a cynic. Idealism doesn't exist in the real world.