h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Although it is true that during hunting season there are a lot of fools out there, it shouldn't be that way. A lot of popular hunting is done by people that simply want to go out and shoot a gun. This really should stop. One metiod of doing so would be for park rangers and game wardins to carry breathalizers and revoke the offenders hunting licence if they detect alcohal.

More imporantly people don't understand how to hunt, or more likely don't care. If you see white, the deer is running from you. If you shoot at the white part of a deer you'll more than likely only wound it, destroy a lot of good meat and have to track the poor creature for at least a mile. The careful hunter has no need of tracking for more than twenty feet, and only uses one slug.

Recreational hunters should not be allowed to hunt. They are not really interested in the meat and just want to kill. To a certan extent that's usefull for thinning the population, but they also tend to be careless and dangerous.

Another way to reduce careless mistakes is to reguard hunting accidents as first degree murder. Currently, you could shoot someone during hunting season and get a slap on the wrist. Why? The fact of the matter is YOU ARE CARRYING A LETHAL WEAPON! If you are not careful then you are responseable. Anyone who discharges a firearm should be 100% certan of what the projectile is about to do. Anything less is the same irresponsablity as drunken driving.

'nuff said.

Anyone who discharges a firearm should be 100% certain that they're either a police officer or in a firing range somewhere.

or, perhaps, a member of the armed forces. Or someone who is going hunting, perhaps. I'm still uncertain about the whole culling argument for hunting (deer and the rest), but if animals need to be culled, then it's better that they get culled, rather than left to starve slowly to death over winter. The debate really ought to be over the necessity, rather than the humanity, imo...

No shooting while under the influence - good start. And why not make people pass a hunting test to get their licence to prove they know how to tell the difference between a human, a cat, and a deer. And where and when to shoot and suchlike.

As it is, careless hunters would appear to be successful at thinning their own population - or maybe I've been listening to Tom Lehrer's "The Hunting Song" too much...

Sadly there is a test that you have to take, along with a training course for most states in the USA. The problem is that people either forget or purposely ignore what they were taught.

As far as culling it is neccesary many times because there are not a lot of natural predators left. However I hunt for food. My reason? One, its less expensive (slightly when you consider all the factors). Two, I'd rather eat an animal that has had a chance to live a decent (and longer) life than a animal rased in a pen.