Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Masciarella
Forrest vs. Destry:
Forrest, you have the right to an opinion, but your "fair chase" argument is faulty if you think it's okay to kill a turkey with a rifle, and not an 8 ga. Now, if you want to outlaw rifles, that's a different story. This is much to do about nothing and really has nothing to do with "fair chase". Rifle, shotgun, bow-what's the difference so long as you're not shooting them in a cage.
And don't worry about gun makers producing 8 ga's. They could do it now cause my research shows that using 8 ga's are legal in many states for nonmigratory game. Why aren't they making them? Cause there is no demand!
Heck, if you think about it, we can even legally use punts guns for nonmigratory game. Fla regs say game can be taken with shotguns. Only limits are that deer/turkey can't be taken with anything smaller then 20 ga and migratory game can't be taken with anything larger then 10 ga. But don't tell Destry cause I don't want him to come down here with his punt gun and shoot my turkeys! (haha)
Men of goodwill can disagree and have different opinions. It doesn't make them unethical. You shouldn't attack a man's ethics because he has a different view.
You also keep saying "many people" would be "uncomfortable" and wouldn't consider using 8 ga "fair chase". Who are these folks? Who are you speaking for? It seems most folks here don't share your view. To these folks I ask: can any of you come up with a rational, factual basis for permitting turkeys to be taken with a rifle and not an 8 ga without questioning someone's ethics or merely expressing an opinion. I would honestly like to know if I'm overlooking something here.
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If would read my earlier post I addressed the rifle/turkey issue. And actually the people who agree with me on the issue of the 8 ga. are the ones who have not overturned the law in the past 100 years. If the Federal ban on 8 gauge guns for waterfowl was lifted, new SAAMI regulations would be put in place making it possible for shotgun manufacturers to produce one. Like Destry alluded to, all it would take is an idiot news reporter holding an 8 gauge shell next to a 20 gauge shell, and it would spark a flurry of bad PR for hunters and hunting. The fact that an 8 gauge gun is not being produced right now has nothing to do with demand. Until SAAMI provides regulations on the 8 gauge the manufacturers can not produce one.
I hunt deer in Wisconsin where baiting deer is legal. A very large percentage of hunters (I believe it is over 50% in recent polls) feel that shooting a deer over bait is unethical, and I have no problem what so ever calling someone that shoots a deer over bait an unethical hunter. At this point it is still legal to bait, but very close to or more than half of all deer hunters in Wisconsin are against it. Unfortunately the pro baiting side has powerful (rich) supporters, such as retailers. And it is difficult to get a state represenative to introduce an anti-baiting bill. Baiting deer in Wisconsin is a black eye on the sport and done much to damage the image of hunting in the public's eye. And it's all nice and legal.
Whether we like it or not, hunting is a dying sport. The only way it will last to be passed down to our children, is to regulate ourselves and improve it's image to the public at every opportunity that we can. That includes standing up against something that we feel is wrong whether it is legal or not, especially if there is a high probability it will harm the perception of hunters and hunting in the public's eye.
I'm done