Belize Govt Shuts Down "cattle" Hunt

[Tim Smith]

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.

Shooting feral pigs? That's God's work. Killing a destructive exotic that's out of control and good to eat and an exciting hunt makes all the sense in the world. Non-stop all day long, just go for it. Godspeed.

Shooting a domestic cow that someone stuck out in a field for you to kill? How do you pay for that? How do you brag about something like that? What piece of a person is missing that keeps them from seeing how degrading that is?

...so degrading the Government of Belize shut it down.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I have no use for canned huntes of any type and that includes Ted Nugent. I love his music but when it comes to hunting he sucks!!!!!!

In fact I don't like the way alot of these hunters act in front of the camera on all of these hunting shows. Which I don't watch much of anymore. Hell it is getting to where I don't watch much of the fishing shows anymore either. I have a few that I turn into sometimes though.

We seem to be loosing our ethics for the sake of the almighty $$$$ and a TV show. Screw that!!!!!

[Tim Smith]

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

Exactly...remember the video of the canned leopard hunt where the leopard ran under a car in the parking lot and the hunter just walked across the parking lot and shot it while it was hiding there?

The put and take analogy is interesting but not a close match.

Put and take trout is a grocery run. Shooting a terrified animal under a car or a COW?? A COW?!?! Someone who does it by accident when they're stoned your of their minds on the opening day of deer season is lame, but they're still miles ahead of these nimrods.

[Fly_Guy]

Exactly...remember the video of the canned leopard hunt where the leopard ran under a car in the parking lot and the hunter just walked across the parking lot and shot it while it was hiding there?

The put and take analogy is interesting but not a close match.

Put and take trout is a grocery run. Shooting a terrified animal under a car or a COW?? A COW?!?! Someone who does it by accident when they're stoned your of their minds on the opening day of deer season is lame, but they're still miles ahead of these nimrods.

Agreed. And no matter how small the pen you put the trout in, you can't force him to bite (unless you have my natural fishing ability )

It really cheapens it for people who go on an actual African safari and risk their lives hunting a wild water buffalo. From now on, when I see an exotic trophy, I'll wonder where it came from, and will not hesitate to ask the owner.

There are places where you can catch monster pet farm trout however, and get a good photo to tell the friends back home. Perhaps that is a little closer than a put and take river.

[Flysmallie]

The first time I ever went to Falcon Lake the guy we were staying with had one of these places. Told me one morning he was going to take me over to hunt a Nilgai. I wasn't happy about this but only because I didn't want to give up any fishing time. I asked him how long it was gonna take he said, oh not long. You can just pretty much drive up to them with the truck and shoot one in the head. Whats the fun/sport in that? I went fishing instead.

[3wt]

These kind of people are what turn me off to hunting in general. I get that it's a rush and everything, but when the only thing about it that turns you on is the fact that you're killing something...I agree, something's wrong with you.

I don't put all hunters in this basket, but as much as I see the fun and sport of hunting, I don't like killing animals. I just don't get a hunter that doesn't have a little itnernal conflict about the kill.

There's a difference between hunting and killing, and slaughtering for food and killing. If it's just killing then I don'thave much time for it.

[3wt]

That said I'm not so sure we need it regulated or banned either.

[ness]

I have no use for canned huntes of any type and that includes Ted Nugent. I love his music but when it comes to hunting he sucks!!!!!!

In fact I don't like the way alot of these hunters act in front of the camera on all of these hunting shows. Which I don't watch much of anymore. Hell it is getting to where I don't watch much of the fishing shows anymore either. I have a few that I turn into sometimes though.

We seem to be loosing our ethics for the sake of the almighty $$$$ and a TV show. Screw that!!!!!

I agree, and I've pretty much quit watching hunting and fishing shows too. Too much showmanship, too many set up kills, just too fake. It seems any knucklehead with a camcorder can have a fishing/hunting show. Too many channels that need programming to fill the time up.

[ozark trout fisher]

These kind of people are what turn me off to hunting in general. I get that it's a rush and everything, but when the only thing about it that turns you on is the fact that you're killing something...I agree, something's wrong with you.

I don't put all hunters in this basket, but as much as I see the fun and sport of hunting, I don't like killing animals. I just don't get a hunter that doesn't have a little itnernal conflict about the kill.

There's a difference between hunting and killing, and slaughtering for food and killing. If it's just killing then I don'thave much time for it.

3wt, I see your point. But I will at least speak for myself in saying that I do not get any kind of rush out of killing an animal. To be honest with you it always makes me sad. It is a way of gathering meat, a way that seems more natural and humane than the other way meat is procured-animals raised purely for the slaughterhouse. I could maybe consider fishing to be sport, but not hunting. It's just too serious, too complex. When an animal is dying it isn't a game, and I think a lot of people miss that.

[FishinCricket]

It is a way of gathering meat, a way that seems more natural and humane than the other way meat is procured-animals raised purely for the slaughterhouse.

Wait, so killing Bambi is more humane than killing Beefy (Bambi's raised for slaughter cousin)?

Hmmmm.... How do you spin that one? lol