This is the stuff that gets to me!
Was reading the paper today and came along this in the "Dear Abby" section.
"BOY SHOULD BOND WITH DAD AT HOME AND NOT OUT HUNTING
DEAR ABBY: I am writing in response to the letter from "Concerned Grandpa" (Feb. 11), regarding his son-in-law taking his 4-year-old grandson hunting. I'll bet you were inundated with mail from both sides of this issue.
I fail to see how a 4-year-old can comprehend the safe use of a firearm, or navigate through the terrain to locate prey and return safely home.
Before the industrialized age, people were forced to hunt to put food on their tables. Today, whether they consume the meat or not, the majority of hunters (I use the term very loosely) are not "hunting." They are camouflaged, hiding in blinds or in tree stands waiting for the prey to wander by. Some even put out bait to lure the animals to their location.
There is no skill in hiding, waiting for an animal to wander by to be shot. These people are animal snipers. A true hunter would stalk prey using a bow and arrow for the kill. That son-in-law would better serve his son by staying home with him and teaching him real life skills. -- WALTER M. IN FLORIDA"
RESPONSE FROM SOMEONE:
I started hunting with my dad and grandpa at the age of 4. It forged a bond between us that lasted until their deaths. Learning to be a hunter is also learning responsibility -- specifically gun safety, game laws, and a deep respect for the animals and nature. Even though you referred to hunting as "killing for sport," please remember: License fees help to pay for game habitat and management. Habitat and proper management assure a healthier game population and the survival of many species through conservation efforts. Also, children schooled in the safe handling of firearms at an early age aren't as likely to be involved in gun violence. -- CARING HUNTER, WALTERS, OKLA.
I just don't get how someone can say this without even hunting in their lives. I would be darn proudif my grandpa bonded with me in the woods. No better place to be. No arguing, no problems, no nothing. Except me, grandpa and mother nature. Thats all we need.
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