Gun Use?

Out of context: Reply #13

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  • d_rek0

    I a gun owner, an avid hunter and have hunted my entire life, and occasionally shoot for sport.

    I own a single action shotgun for big game hunting and a semi-automatic ruger .22 varmint rifle for small game, and plan on purchasing a compound bow in the near future. I do not own a pistol but have considered getting one and getting my CCW/CPL permits simply because it's my right to do so, not that I necessarily have a compelling argument for ownership. Although one could argue that simply having that Right is itself a compelling argument.

    So, in speaking as not a gun owner but as a Hunter and Conservationist I think firearms do play an important role in America for several reasons.

    For one, Hunting is one of the premier activities for an outdoorsman. It provides unparalleled liesure time for someone who even remotely cherishes the great outdoors. Not only that hunting your own wild game has myriad advantages to your diet and conscious - the least of which being you're eating ultra-lean meat provided from the land and you know exactly how that animal was killed and processed; something you can't rightfully say for industrialized livestock yards.

    As a Conservationist most people simply do no understand that we as Human beings are the Alpha Predators in our ecology. That means we are responsible - as it has been for thousands upon thousands of years - for keeping the population of wild game in check. Game herds can and will encroach upon civilian populations if left unchecked. This is when you start to hear stories about Coyotes savaging your neighbors poodle or a brown bear running around through downtown.

    Also something most people don't realize is that the popularity of Hunting (for many reasons) is at an all time low. Grandparents and parents are no longer indoctrinating the next generation into a life enriched by outdoor activity and hunting. We're a bunch of passive, city-dwelling hipsters who would as soon stop in at Chipotle and grab that burrito for our next meal than worry about actually having to work for it.

    So there is more to Hunting and Firearms ownership than simply owning the firearm and killing something for a trophy. That's a gross and ridiculous simplification of the role and responsibility of the hunter in society.

    Hopefully that all makes sense.

    d_rek 0Permalink
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    • +100. Excellents points. These are the kinds of things I want to, and like to see. Rational reasons for gun ownership.mg33
    • Ah yes. If it weren't for guns in my country the bears would take over the city.Peter
    • Oh waitPeter
    • It's not only about encroaching on civilian populations. Conservation goes way beyond the human element of society.d_rek
    • Everybody has a gun, that is why bears don't roam the streets in the US. Rest of the modern world, on the other hand ...Peter
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