I gotta vent this one out! In our local newspapers on Thursdays, there is an outdoors page. This week I find the picture of a guy (owner of a bow shop in a nearby town of Fannett, Texas) with a 800+ pound hog that he killed with one arrow! Under the pic is a long story about how he "stalked" this hog, and that this "elusive," "wild" hog had been seen only once in the last month, and that he made the "perfect" shot at 25 yards! Naturally, he advertised that he owned and operated a bow shop!
Well here is the TRUE story!
This "wild" hog that was "stalked" actually came from a 200 acre, high fenced game ranch! Now I have posted here before that I don't have a problem with high fenced areas, and I don't, IF they are several thousand acres and the animals are not hand fed.
However, as I said this was only 200 acres and to top that off the hogs and exotics come running to the sound of trucks, because they are hand fed!
I know this because about a month ago I was invited on a hog "hunt."
When I got there we were shown around the ranch in a jeep and the animals came running out for a free hand out! The next morning we were placed on stands and as our "guide" drove off, he turns on a tailgater feeder and leaves a 20 yard trail of corn and almost runs over animals on the way out! I did not like this situation at all, but because I was invited by one of my co-workers I did not vent my feelings that this is not "hunting!" I know now that I should have spoken up, one lesson learned!
Getting back to this picture and "so called "hunting" article, I know that everything in the article is a lie, the hog was not stalked or hunted, it was killed! You could have walked up to it and pet it's head and slit it's throat if you wanted to save an arrow! It was not a "wild" hog, it did not even get up when jeeps drove by it! This "wild" hog even had a name, "Big Jake!" Oh yeah and it also had a price tag! 500 dollars!
I am so mad at this outright lie that I could eat 16 penny nails and spit out 125 gr. Thunderheads!
I intend to write the outdoor columnist, and inform him (if he is not a knowing party to this lie) and tell him the real story!
In closing I have a question. I am thinking of writing an editorial to expose this garbage (Assuming the paper would print it!)
My only hesitation here is will this do more harm than good, by stirring up the anti-hunters? Or should I leave it at a letter to the columist and shop owner?
Frank