Damn Skippy MC, I hunt all year round and I would NEVER go hunting again with anyone that peppered a member of our group. I'm going quail hunting this weekend--if my buddy puts 8 shot in my neck and head becuase he can't control himself on a wild flush and then blames me, we would be brawling. Same thing if you shoot someone's dog---it is YOUR fault. There is NO excuse for poor gun safety. Dick ought to get a ticket from TPW or the county.
I'm surprised that the same "trick knee" that helped him avoid having to fight the Communist Menace in the 60's has not kept him from shooting up quail when he's in his 60's, while conducting an armchair war. Medical science is amazing
No, you would be in hospital and he would be busy trying to explain why he shot you in your face. No violence please.
Come off it, you don't know what you are a talking about Junior. I have been a dedicated hunter since I was 15--earlier if you count the time I spent in duck blinds and dove hunts without a gun. Killing is the very LEAST important aspect of Hunting and I do NOT associate with people that kill animals for the pleasure of killing. As a liberal with an extensive gun collection that hunting is a way life for, I walk a fine line. Further, I only hunt fair chase game and anyone that thinks Quail and Dove hunting isn't sporting has no grasp of basic physics. Quail can acclerate to 40 mph quicker than you can shoulder a shot gun and they are as big as your fist--guided missles would have a hard time tracking them, much less unguided lead shot. Regardless, if you eat meat, you have no place in any hunting arguement other than as an observer.
If the difference between canned hunting and real hunting isn't glaringly obvious to you, nothing I can say will change your mind.
When I saw this thread I was wondering how an accident could end up being 4 pages worth of posts and if it would all be bashing but after skimming it its a lot more interesting than I expected. Everything I've heard makes this sound like an accident and there's nothing to indicate otherwise. Whether Cheney will be held negligent though will be an interesting issue. I've only been hunting once so don't know much about the safety rules so its interesting to hear hunter's viewpoint about this. Of course as the VP hunting with Republican fundraisers and Secret Service I doubt any of them will step forward to testify that the VP was negligent. I've got nothing against hunting and have friends in Texas and here that hunt and they've been trying to get me to go. I've always told them jokingly I will only do it if I can hunt with a sword so I can take the deer on mano a deero. The more I hear about people getting accidently, or purposefully shot, I'm starting to think that having people hunt with swords might not be a bad idea.
Exactly. There's been talk about working towards some sort of ban on the practice here in Texas, which would be wonderful. It gives all hunters a bad name, and gives easy ammunition for the antihunting folks to paint all hunters as bloodthirsty cretins.
As former hunter, I can say the most dangerous trip is where someone new is invited along who gets too caught up in the moment to pay attention to who's where. On those trips, if a covey is flying in front of you, you'd better duck instead of fire. Those "hunters" are scolded and are never invited back. And just because he's been of a few trips a year, doesn't make them a safe hunter. Some people just get caught up in the moment and those people should hunt alone. What most likely happened, is that the guy was on Dick's left (20+ feet) slightly in front of him and the quail got up in front of Dick and flew left. Dick's gun followed the quail until he hit the guy.
The Vice President of the United States SHOT someone. If this poor guy had died Dick could have been charged with involuntary man slaughter. Oo man.
Sometimes it's better to hunt alone. When I hunt squirrels, the choice is either the shotgun or a .22 rimfire. The problem with the shotgun is the spread, and to correct myself earlier, the spread in controlled by the choke. I was thinking of my no-choke home defense shotgun for some reason. It is true, that the liability is on the shooter, that is why you must realize angles, backstop, and recognized shot. Actually quail hunting is perhaps the most dangerous to other non-intentional parties, because it is often done with other hunting parties and dogs. Shotguns must be rapidly swinged into position and the trigger shot must be quick to harvest the quick quail.
Nice post. Several good posts. I have nothing against hunting. I haven't hunted in a very long time, but there's nothing quite like it. It's a way to be with nature, almost religious, if you believe in that sort of thing (I'm agnostic), or it can be. It's a way for people to get out of suburbia and get a little taste of what the country is really like, away from the bright lights, fast food, and automobiles. If you have kids, it can be a chance to really bond in a shared experience. Sure, it's sometimes turned into a carnival be some ignorant folks, too often, and canned hunts are... well, words fail me. You may as well pay someone to go out into their pasture and poleaxe a cow. It's sick. My 2 cents. If Cheney does canned hunts, he's even more of an a$$hole than I thought he was already. Having said that, I have no doubt that he feels really bad about what happened. He damn well should. Keep D&D Civil.
