I don't understand hunting, but then again I don't get the appeal of spa treatments, Jimmy Buffett concerts or Malcolm Gladwell books (really, is he any better than Andy Rooney?) but lots of folks seem to enjoy those too.
And I dispute hunters referring to themselves as sportsmen. There's little athletic about putting on camouflage Dickies, ramrodding a rifle and blowing a hole through a defenseless creature.
So after that introduction, why the plug for Kentucky’s 2009 white-tailed deer hunting season, which kicked off for firearms hunters Saturday, Nov. 14?
Hunters and anglers give more moneyto conservation than any of those leftist environmental groups. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hunters support U.S. conservation efforts to the tune of nearly $200 million each year through an excise tax on hunting equipment. And they support state programs through the purchase of hunting licenses.
And then there's environmental groups' business model:
- lobby the government to pass regulations it doesn't have the budget to adhere to
- sue the government for failing to comply with its own standards
- win the lawsuit, taking even more money out of the government's environmental budget
- use the winnings to hire more lawyers to sue more often, redirecting yet more government funds from the environment to pay for lawyers
- rinse and repeat
So, anyway, if you're one of those types who gets off on shooting stuff, you've got until Nov. 29 to legally do so. And you can buy your license online at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife's website [4].
No need to invite me to go hunting with you, but I'll be happy to eat your kill.
For more information: Not a hunter? Then get political and drink this weekend [5].
(Photo: Zach Everson [6])