Monday, November 22, 2010

Hunting, U.K. style

Someone told me a long time ago when you begin humanizing wild animals, anti hunters begin to take aim.
The conversation was prompted by the late Howard Shelly. Shelly, whose magical and lyrical voice could be heard on the old Mort Neff Michigan Outdoors TV show.
Shelly, who resided in Davisburg, might say, "There goes Mr. Rabbit, or I saw Mr. Moose," and so forth.
The titles always fit with his narration and didn't seem to draw the viewer into thinking these wild critters were in any way human. It was just Shelly's style of narration.
I used to do the same thing until someone pointed out to me how I was making wild things, well, seem more human. Actually, I think the meaning was to be along the lines of more pet-like. Hence no shoots pets!
But I digress a little. Here in the U.K. they are still muddling over a large stag that may have been shot. It was called Emperor, named by a wildlife photographer who by his own admission, has never hunted except with a camera.
Shelly did hunt and had taken many wild animals, both big and small game. He definitely was not on the anti side of things.
But there is that name thing. Most people around here think it's a shame deer are hunted and that this one was probably hunted for it's large rack.
If they had their way they would ban all hunting. Sound familiar? I was watching the program being aired about deer hunting and wondering when they would get around to blaming the U.S. for the stag's death, and for bringing hunting to the U.K.
Not this time. Hunting is hunting and remains a sport no matter what country it's enjoyed.

1 comment:

  1. Hunting was going on in Europe and the UK before there was a USA. Its only when it got crowded or all the land was owned by someone else that hunting and owning guns took to being unpopular. It is slowly happening here where city people don't even understand that chickens come with feathers an aren't found in the packages.

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