[climber]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

Because he is an 11 year old who is running around with a ****ing gun with his rednecks parents consent. That makes him a redneck.

And yes I am a vegetarian but that still don't have anything to do with it. Neither does the fact that he eats meat either.

The point is you see a very rare and unusual creature the first thing that comes to mind should be "lets see if I can shoot it to prove to the fellow rednecks in the pickup how big my little 11 year old penis is".

He was under close adult supervision. Both his father and a guide.There is absolutely nothing wrong with children learning to hunt from their father. In fact it has been a social norm for millennia. That is until the last 30 years or so when clueless liberal granola heads started to get scared of guns. There are legitimate gun uses that do not involve gang bangers in LA. And I along with others on this forum who own guns can tell you that 11 year olds that properly learn to use and respect guns are not the ones that you later see on videotape being reckless with an assault weapon.

You being a vegetarian is exactly the point. This animal was raised for food! It was not somebody's pet, or a former television star. You may choose to eat something else, and I respect your right to do that. But I think you need to be a lot more tolerant.

This pig lived a much better life than any of the ones cut up and processed at the grocery. What would anyone rather eat? A animal that spent its life in a filthy overcrowded ten foot cage, or something that was able to roam and forage the Alabama countryside? I know what appeals to my palate, but then my freezer still has some elk and venison in it. The rest of us eat meat, and have to butcher it first. Get over it. Any ethical hunter consumes what they shoot. I enjoy shooting waterfowl quite a bit, but will not anymore because I do not like the taste. But then your problem seems to be with hunting in general, so consumption seems beside the point.

The only part in this story I found unusual was an 11 year old shooting such a large handgun. And believe me a S&W 500 is a huge gun. But then it depends on the child. Ten years ago my oldest was hunting deer and elk with high powered rifle at age 12. I have not even started my youngest shooting yet and he is now that age. It depends on the maturity, interest, etc. If this kid started shooting a 357mag a couple of years ago and thought it was fun, then a larger more powerful hunting gun like the 500 should not physically harm him. It is more about learning how to not get scared and intimidated by the significant recoil. As long as the father is not overly pressuring him to hunt (and there is absolutely no evidence of that) I have no problem with this.

What I find most annoying is your attitude. You assumed that any young hunter is automatically a redneck. If that is the case then we all come from a great line of rednecks going back a couple hundred thousand years. Take your head out of the sand. Hunting with our youth is NOT a symptom or a cause for rampant violence in society today. In fact the reverse could easily be argued.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by climber 

He was under close adult supervision. Both his father and a guide.

There is no such thing as close adult supervision when you combine an 11 year old, a dangerous animal and a gun. The kid should be home on a swing set and if he is hungry they have things called grocery stores.

[climber]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

There is no such thing as close adult supervision when you combine an 11 year old, a dangerous animal and a gun. The kid should be home on a swing set and if he is hungry they have things called grocery stores.

Have you ever shot a gun in your life? How about teaching someone else to shoot a gun? I have!

Father stands behind youth and makes sure proper safety is being followed. Guide stand a few yards away with a high powered 7mag ready to shoot. It is not that hard, but then you are really just scarred of all guns. You know nothing about them. Please just admit your prejudice stems from your complete ignorance.

[pooka]

Whatever. I have more respect for this fat kid and his family than the SUV driving assholes that populate Whole Foods buying cartfulls of "grass-fed" beef.

Oh, and I hate rednecks. I hate urban snobs more.

[Cipher13]

Originally Posted by climber 

He was under close adult supervision. Both his father and a guide.There is absolutely nothing wrong with children learning to hunt from their father. In fact it has been a social norm for millennia. That is until the last 30 years or so when clueless liberal granola heads started to get scared of guns. There are legitimate gun uses that do not involve gang bangers in LA. And I along with others on this forum who own guns can tell you that 11 year olds that properly learn to use and respect guns are not the ones that you later see on videotape being reckless with an assault weapon.

You being a vegetarian is exactly the point. This animal was raised for food! It was not somebody's pet, or a former television star. You may choose to eat something else, and I respect your right to do that. But I think you need to be a lot more tolerant.

This pig lived a much better life than any of the ones cut up and processed at the grocery. What would anyone rather eat? A animal that spent its life in a filthy overcrowded ten foot cage, or something that was able to roam and forage the Alabama countryside? I know what appeals to my palate, but then my freezer still has some elk and venison in it. The rest of us eat meat, and have to butcher it first. Get over it. Any ethical hunter consumes what they shoot. I enjoy shooting waterfowl quite a bit, but will not anymore because I do not like the taste. But then your problem seems to be with hunting in general, so consumption seems beside the point.

The only part in this story I found unusual was an 11 year old shooting such a large handgun. And believe me a S&W 500 is a huge gun. But then it depends on the child. Ten years ago my oldest was hunting deer and elk with high powered rifle at age 12. I have not even started my youngest shooting yet and he is now that age. It depends on the maturity, interest, etc. If this kid started shooting a 357mag a couple of years ago and thought it was fun, then a larger more powerful hunting gun like the 500 should not physically harm him. It is more about learning how to not get scared and intimidated by the significant recoil. As long as the father is not overly pressuring him to hunt (and there is absolutely no evidence of that) I have no problem with this.

What I find most annoying is your attitude. You assumed that any young hunter is automatically a redneck. If that is the case then we all come from a great line of rednecks going back a couple hundred thousand years. Take your head out of the sand. Hunting with our youth is NOT a symptom or a cause for rampant violence in society today. In fact the reverse could easily be argued.

The problem I have with what happened is this...

...these people see something amazing, a gigantic pig - not something you see every day.

Their first thought is to SHOOT the damn thing. Come on.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by climber 

Have you ever shot a gun in your life? How about teaching someone else to shoot a gun? I have!

No. I can't see any reason why I would have to be anywhere near a gun as I am not a cop nor in the army.

Does that make me less of a man

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

I hate people that can't show respect for other peoples lifestyles.

[Rev-O]

Originally Posted by C.A.T.S. CEO 

I hate people that can't show respect for other peoples lifestyles.

I hate people that have different lifestyles than my own. They deserve to be belittled as they are crushed. This includes pig shooting fat kids.

[irunat2am]

I hate working on weekends and holidays....and stale bread.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by climber 

He was under close adult supervision. Both his father and a guide.There is absolutely nothing wrong with children learning to hunt from their father. In fact it has been a social norm for millennia. That is until the last 30 years or so when clueless liberal granola heads started to get scared of guns. There are legitimate gun uses that do not involve gang bangers in LA. And I along with others on this forum who own guns can tell you that 11 year olds that properly learn to use and respect guns are not the ones that you later see on videotape being reckless with an assault weapon.

You being a vegetarian is exactly the point. This animal was raised for food! It was not somebody's pet, or a former television star. You may choose to eat something else, and I respect your right to do that. But I think you need to be a lot more tolerant.

This pig lived a much better life than any of the ones cut up and processed at the grocery. What would anyone rather eat? A animal that spent its life in a filthy overcrowded ten foot cage, or something that was able to roam and forage the Alabama countryside? I know what appeals to my palate, but then my freezer still has some elk and venison in it. The rest of us eat meat, and have to butcher it first. Get over it. Any ethical hunter consumes what they shoot. I enjoy shooting waterfowl quite a bit, but will not anymore because I do not like the taste. But then your problem seems to be with hunting in general, so consumption seems beside the point.

The only part in this story I found unusual was an 11 year old shooting such a large handgun. And believe me a S&W 500 is a huge gun. But then it depends on the child. Ten years ago my oldest was hunting deer and elk with high powered rifle at age 12. I have not even started my youngest shooting yet and he is now that age. It depends on the maturity, interest, etc. If this kid started shooting a 357mag a couple of years ago and thought it was fun, then a larger more powerful hunting gun like the 500 should not physically harm him. It is more about learning how to not get scared and intimidated by the significant recoil. As long as the father is not overly pressuring him to hunt (and there is absolutely no evidence of that) I have no problem with this.

What I find most annoying is your attitude. You assumed that any young hunter is automatically a redneck. If that is the case then we all come from a great line of rednecks going back a couple hundred thousand years. Take your head out of the sand. Hunting with our youth is NOT a symptom or a cause for rampant violence in society today. In fact the reverse could easily be argued.

Extremely well thought out post in defence of hunting.

[climber]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

No. I can't see any reason why I would have to be anywhere near a gun as I am not a cop nor in the army.

Does that make me less of a man

No of course it does not diminish your manhood. I NEVER implied as such. What makes you childish and immature is your inability to accept other peoples choices and your tendency towards derogatory stereotypes.

I take it that you at least admit that you are ignorant when it comes to guns since you clearly do not want to be near them. I say that makes you completely unqualified to judge this child or his parent. At least in terms of safety. Here is an internet tip for the day, try not to make ignorant uninformed statements on subjects you have no clue about. It is not very flattering.

[climber]

Originally Posted by Cipher13 

The problem I have with what happened is this...

...these people see something amazing, a gigantic pig - not something you see every day.

Their first thought is to SHOOT the damn thing. Come on.

I personally do not spend my time "looking" for the big and rare buck. But this story seems to imply they were on a hunting trip with a guide with the point of shooting one of these animals. They were lucky and the big one was in front of them. Very few hunters, including myself would pass on a record animal. However I am usually just thrilled to spend the time with my sons in the mountains and generally just fill the tag when the first opportunity arises. Maybe these people have the same attitude. I do not know, and this article makes it impossible to fairly judge. As far as trophy hunting. As long as the species is managed properly by fish and game, I do not think is is a problem either.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

No. I can't see any reason why I would have to be anywhere near a gun as I am not a cop nor in the army.

Does that make me less of a man

Not at all. But it means that you don't know beans about firearms, or their applications or uses. I find that the act of physically controlling MY body so that I put a tiny little hole in a piece of paper a LONG way away is fulfilling and philosophical. I don't hunt, but I respect good hunters-as opposed to the idiots that kill more cans of beer in one outing than they ever will even SEE game animals in their lives.

pooka, what Whole Foods location are you referring to. I've been to the "mother ship" in Austin a LOT. I am saddened that they have become the thralls of rich, overfed white people, considering that the whole idea behind Whole Foods was REAL FOOD (as in made of food, not ingredients). I recall their early store on Lamar-it was small, homey and visited by people like me; students and not-so-well-off people interested in their health and that of the planet. Today, in every one of their locations I visit, I see conspicuously well off people after "the best" foods, (based on price, of course) and these locations seem to be aimed at that particular audience, not the people who really care about the food's quality. This is really on topic, by the way; these people I see flaunting their wealth by only buying the most expensive foods are all show, no substance. Characterizing people with the kinds of pejorative terms you used is also show without substance.

[Cipher13]

Originally Posted by climber 

I personally do not spend my time "looking" for the big and rare buck. But this story seems to imply they were on a hunting trip with a guide with the point of shooting one of these animals. They were lucky and the big one was in front of them. Very few hunters, including myself would pass on a record animal. However I am usually just thrilled to spend the time with my sons in the mountains and generally just fill the tag when the first opportunity arises. Maybe these people have the same attitude. I do not know, and this article makes it impossible to fairly judge. As far as trophy hunting. As long as the species is managed properly by fish and game, I do not think is is a problem either.

Well, that's the problem, isn't it?

See something amazing, something rare - and kill it.

Congratulations No wonder there are so few Blue Whales left.

"Ooh it's big! KILL IT!".

[Gankdawg]

Originally Posted by goMac 

John Locke would be proud.

Couldn't let that one go by without a quote.

[climber]

Originally Posted by Cipher13 

Well, that's the problem, isn't it?

See something amazing, something rare - and kill it.

Congratulations No wonder there are so few Blue Whales left.

"Ooh it's big! KILL IT!".

Trouble reading today? I have never actively pursued or taken a trophy animal, and have no plans to do so. The chances of me shooting a trophy animal is probably less than winning the lottery. And I rarely buy tickets. I personally only abdicate hunting animals they have a stable and sustainable population. Where is the problem here?

In this case it was simply a very very large pig that has been living in the wild on someone's ranch. They are neither endangered or over pressured by hunting. I doubt anyone would argue that many commercial fisheries can say the same especially whaling. Now I do not proclaim to be an expert on fishing, so perhaps someone else can add to obvious differences.

Now if this large animal was living on your farm consuming your grain and generally making a financial nuisance, what would you say to the guy that has never even been to Alabama but says it is immoral to let someone shoot it on your property? And please try to remember these animals are raised for human consumption and are not pets.

[IceEnclosure]

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - 

Extremely well thought out and level-headed post(s) in defense of hunting.

agreed and fixed.


I would probably cry on a lion hunting trip. Doesn't make any sense to me.

I'd probably have a bit of fun on a pig hunting trip though!

As long as it's regulated and legal, and they're not runnin' out of 'em..

Naw, but not seriously.. I think we should start killing off the LARGEST specimens of all lifeforms on this planet. It would make things nice and lean. : |

[TheoCryst]

Wow, big pig.

[Pierre Capretz II]

wow, utter domination of analogue.

[Cipher13]

Originally Posted by climber 

Trouble reading today? I have never actively pursued or taken a trophy animal, and have no plans to do so. The chances of me shooting a trophy animal is probably less than winning the lottery. And I rarely buy tickets. I personally only abdicate hunting animals they have a stable and sustainable population. Where is the problem here?

In this case it was simply a very very large pig that has been living in the wild on someone's ranch. They are neither endangered or over pressured by hunting. I doubt anyone would argue that many commercial fisheries can say the same especially whaling. Now I do not proclaim to be an expert on fishing, so perhaps someone else can add to obvious differences.

Now if this large animal was living on your farm consuming your grain and generally making a financial nuisance, what would you say to the guy that has never even been to Alabama but says it is immoral to let someone shoot it on your property? And please try to remember these animals are raised for human consumption and are not pets.

No trouble reading - you said this:

"They were lucky and the big one was in front of them. Very few hunters, including myself would pass on a record animal."

That is what my comment referred to - that attitude. That is what I have a problem with.

Now, I've been hunting myself several times, and I enjoy it. We shoot kangaroos, which are a pest in the outback, mostly (so long as you shoot the right kind).

If I saw a gigantic kangaroo, though, I'd put away my bow and bring out the bloody camera.

Note: when we go hunting, it's more a camping/hiking trip whereby we'll take a few 'roo's down for food and leather (my mate is a tanner). Yes, we eat the meat, it's not just wasted.

EDIT: I forgot to address the latter comments in your post.

I have no problem with shooting pigs; as you said, they're not generally threatened (though I'm sure some species are). The last paragraph is entirely irrelevant - I'm not against this for any reason other than what I have stated already: killing an amazing animal reeks of stupidity. Had it been any other pig, nobody would give a ****, myself included.

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

And I'd be very cautious of a pejorative use of the term "redneck" if I were you. A large number of people actually associate the term with hard-working agrarianism rather than your (bigoted) view of uneducated and reckless individuals.

Oh come on, being a hypocritical bigot is FUN THOUGH.

[centerchannel68]

I think it's sad. Why do humans feel the need to find something special and then shoot it? Now there's one less mystery in the world. Poor huge pig. It reminds me of Princess Mononoke.

[irunat2am]

I wish we had a bunch of elves running around. I like elves. I think people would be less likely to shoot an elf than a 1,000 pound hog. True story.

[malvolio]

Turns out the monster hog's name was Fred. This "wild" critter had been farm-raised, and only released into the "wild" some 4 weeks earlier.

[Timo]

HOG WASHED!

[ghporter]

The hunting preserve was not as honest as they should have been about the whole thing, but note that the state considers ANY hog that is not fenced in to be feral. Technicalities aside, they messed with the public by not making this information clear from the start, and they messed with the kid's head too-they eventually told him and his family that the hog was not just roaming around, and THEN they had to tell the kid that it wasn't someone's pet or something.