Originally posted by B17Skull12
killing for a sport is a bad thing. Hell it almost killed one of the most amazing creatures ever. the buffalo.
The near extinction of the buffalo had nothing to do with "sport". Haven`t got a clue where you came up with this whopper.
The Buffs were nearly wiped out for two reasons. #1 What usualy drives people to destroy anything. The allmighty buck. Mostly the Buffs were killed for the hide price. Whole herds were wiped out and in the most part their meat were lleft to rot. All that was wanted was was the hide and tongue.
#2 There was a military ploy to wipe out the herds to force the Indians to the reservations..
Relatively speaking, there were very little "sport" hunting done for the buffalo.
The Indians hunted the Buffalo as a way of life and survival for centuries with never a threat to herds and numbers.
I actualy don`t like the term "sport hunter" as of recent times simply because I believe that a lot, or better yet , the majority of people hunting nowadays label themselves sportmen wrongly.
It seems more and more of the people that call themselves sportsmen nowadays haven`t got a clue what being a sportsman is. On top of that a lot of these people really don`t understand or appreciate what hunting is about. It`s like a lot of things that are done now. They do it because it is the "IN" thing to do. Shiney new SUVs and motorhomes parked within a stones throw of a commercialy baited deerstand is a far cry from what a true hunter is all about.
If you are lucky enough to be raised in a family that has a tradition of passing down and teaching what hunting and the heritage of hunting is, you have been given a gift that will give you cherished memories that will last your entire life.
The preparation and planning that goes into a family or group of friends hunting trip is an act that is not to be rushed and is to be savored like a fine wine or meal. It is something you look forward to every year.
The "kill" itself is merely a byproduct of hunting to the true hunter and someone who truly understands and respects this deeply ingrained tradition to the point of it becoming a feeling and truly a part of a person`s whole being. It teachs respect for wildlife and connects you to traditions and ways of life of long, long ago.
Some of my fondest , clearest and most cherished memories are from hunting trips of my youth. This is something that will be with me my entire life and can`t be taken away by anything or anyone. These memories are also some of my most prized "possesions". These memories can put your life back into perspective when times are rough. I have childhood memories of hunting trips of my youth that are so clear and vivid as if it were only yesterday. The memories of the smell and feel of a campfire in the company of my grandfather (Popaw) , who passed away quite some years ago at the age of 96 and of my dad who passed away in `97 are a part of me. The smell of coffee dumped into a blackened coffee pot over a hunting campfire of long ago. The stories and laughter. The bonding and closeness that came from these trips cannot be explained. They have to be experieinced.
You learn things hunting that cannot be taught in any classroom and they stick with you through life.
A true hunter never wastes or disrepects his prey. This is not the case with a sad group of people who falsely labels themselves hunters nowadays.
If you are a true hunter that actualy has the feel and understanding of the hunt, you can recognize another person with like beleifs within a very short time of meeting. It`s a bond that crosses many borders held by society.
I truly feel sad for someone who doesn`t understand or never got to experience what hunting is all about. I feel sad for the youth who are taught by the misinformed and ignorant that hunting is bad.
I despise those that call themselves hunters or sportsmen who are neither.
