Belize Govt Shuts Down "cattle" Hunt

[Tim Smith]

The Belizean Government has just shut down a group operating hunting tours for "free range water buffalo".

Water buffalo are a domesticated animal used to plow carry burdens in Southeast Asia much as oxen were in Europe and North America in the past...

...I guess the attraction is that they have big horns?? For 5K/hunt???

There are similar operations shooting a variety of "cows" in Texas as well.

It's hard to come up language suitably brutal to apply here. Worst. Ever. Bottom of the barrel. Genetic defectives. It's all too weak.

[drew03cmc]

What does this have to do with us? Really? Is anyone here shooting cows? I don't think so. Belize is a ways away and there is a reason people were hunting water buffalo.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I am glad he does post this info. We would do well to keep up with what is going on around the world as it pertains to conservation in that we won't see this on the evening news. And this does appear to hit a little close to home as he stated about the state of Texass.

Not busting your chops Andy, just offering a different perspective to view it in.

[drew03cmc]

I hear ya, and I don't mind getting my chops busted at all. I like reading about this information, but perhaps we should adhere to conservation data referring to the four states containing Ozark Mountains in this section. Maybe the world conservation news should go in General Discussion?

[Fly_Guy]

This site is nuts - http://www.texashuntlodge.com/zebra_hunt_package.asp I think it's a good topic to bring up - One could have a lively debate comparing and contrasting hunting for a water buffalo/zebra/Nilgai in a pen and fishing in a put-and-take stream. I like the site's line "there are no seasonal restrictions on hunting zebra in Texas". Really - ya think? Just as long as the pen that they keep them in is narrow so the hunter gets a side shot without having to do to much maneuvering.

Haha - under the Hunting packages section, between Fallow Deer and Red Stag Hunts is "Father-Son hunts". Is that legal, and who is hunting whom?

This guy just retired from the IRA and fancied a sika deer hunt w/ an assault rifle. Only in Texas... http://www.texashuntlodge.com/sika_deer_hunt_package.asp

[ozark trout fisher]

This site is nuts - http://www.texashuntlodge.com/zebra_hunt_package.asp I think it's a good topic to bring up - One could have a lively debate comparing and contrasting hunting for a water buffalo/zebra/Nilgai in a pen and fishing in a put-and-take stream. I like the site's line "there are no seasonal restrictions on hunting zebra in Texas". Really - ya think? Just as long as the pen that they keep them in is narrow so the hunter gets a side shot without having to do to much maneuvering.

Haha - under the Hunting packages section, between Fallow Deer and Red Stag Hunts is "Father-Son hunts". Is that legal, and who is hunting whom?

This guy just retired from the IRA and fancied a sika deer hunt w/ an assault rifle. Only in Texas... http://www.texashuntlodge.com/sika_deer_hunt_package.asp

You have to wonder about the people who take part in these hunts. Do they get some kind of sick thrill out of killing a domesticated animal? I don't know what else the appeal could be. It irks me that these folks are classified as hunters in the same way as folks who actually value fair chase and the whole hunting experience. I view the death of the animal as a necessary means to get meat, and it's always a bittersweet feeling, mixed happiness and remorse over the animal's death. Hunting is a complex business, everything is when it involves the taking of another animals life. It's not something to be cheapened in this way.

[emjay]

Only in Texas... http://www.texashuntlodge.com/sika_deer_hunt_package.asp

Man, that site is insane. I wonder how much land these guys own.

And this hog is just MEAN looking...

[drew03cmc]

That hog could mess you up if you let him get close.

[Fly_Guy]

You have to wonder about the people who take part in these hunts. Do they get some kind of sick thrill out of killing a domesticated animal? I don't know what else the appeal could be. It irks me that these folks are classified as hunters in the same way as folks who actually value fair chase and the whole hunting experience. I view the death of the animal as a necessary means to get meat, and it's always a bittersweet feeling, mixed happiness and remorse over the animal's death. Hunting is a complex business, everything is when it involves the taking of another animals life. It's not something to be cheapened in this way.

Hear hear. I don't personally hunt at all, but I respect hunting as a means of population control and acquiring food. I respect hunters who view themselves both as sportsmen looking for that trophy, and providers of food for their families. But you have to wonder about the guy that needs to drive down to Texas so he can shoot a yak...

[Al Agnew]

I've known some of these guys. They are quite unapologetic about killing stuff like cows, stuff like zebras and antelope in Texas, stuff like hippos in Africa (geez, how hard can it be to shoot a hippo--even if they can be very dangerous if you're within their reach). They have lots of money to spend, and lots of trophy room space to fill, and lots of buddies that they can compare giraffe mounts with.

For many years, my wife tried to get me to exhibit my work at the big annual Safari Club Show. I resisted, even though it was a venue where a lot of wildlife artists were selling top dollar artwork and making a name for themselves. The biggest reason I just couldn't bring myself to do it was because quite a few of the Safari Club members had this same mindset about canned hunts and trophy collecting. The hunting experience didn't matter to them, the only thing that mattered was collecting the trophy. So although I knew the Safari Club has done a lot of good conservation work around the world, I just didn't want to hang around people like that, making nice to them in order to sell them artwork.