Anybody see the 60 minutes segment on exotic big game hunting in Texas?

[Blackjack200]

Ran last night. I thought it was really interesting, and while I generally can't stand anything associated with Texas, I thought most of the ranchers and hunters came across as pretty reasonable. The ranchers were saying that they generally only allow 10% of the animals to be hunted per year and that they are careful to make sure the herds were safe.

The opposing viewpoint was provided by a "Friends of Animals" crusader who seemed very unsympathetic and unreasonable in the piece, although I think it's entirely possible that this was intentional manipulation by 60 minutes.

Link to website:
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/60minutes/main3415.shtml

Title of the piece is "Can Hunting Endangered Animals Save the Species?"

 

[OutHouse]

i have a distant cousin who has a 3,000 acre exotic game ranch in NE texas. never met the guy in my life but he let us stay there when my father passed. all i can say about it is this. its not real hunting and equivalent to shooting fish in a barrel.

its big money, to bag a water buffalo on his ranch will set you back about 8,000.00.

 

[Blackjack200]

In the segment they followed a hunter who took days to track down an antelope. I imagine there's a range of experiences from legitimately challenging hunts to what you're describing.

Uh oh, looks like some time warping going on...
\/ \/ \/ \/

 

[monovillage]

This is a win-win for everyone except the tight puckers of PETA or the Humane Society. You get insurance against extinction, more diverse genetic pool, exotic disease free along with a ready cash opportunity for the ranchers willing to keep them stocked.

I bet the hunter and the rancher can set up any difficulty hunt that is wanted... including a loin cloth and a club. (depending on applicable laws, rules, regulations and directives from the Federal, state, county and local jurisdictions)

 

[the DRIZZLE]

I saw it. Frankly I don't see any reason for it to be illegal even if it didn't help the conservation efforts at all. These animals are private property specifically bred at the owners expense to be killed. They are no different than any other livestock.

I'm not a hunter so I can't comment on the whether it's real hunting or not but I think that it's irrelevant from a policy standpoint.

 

[ichy]

The anti-hunting lobby can be a little nutty. In Maryland there's a big hoopla over hunting deer in the suburbs, never mind the fact that deer are breeding like crazy. People seem to forget that nature had a way of controlling deer populations and it wasn't through deer family planning. Unfortunately we've gotten rid of all their natural predators so we need to take over the job.

 

[Lemon law]

I am now more a fan of hunting animals with a Camera, but I can't get too excited about all the injustices of Texas game ranches. Maybe I might advocate tax payer funded US zoos can better do the job, but this is at least a second best choice at the present time.

As critics of the practice don't put their money where their mouth is.

But then again, maybe the Texas big game ranchers might make even more money off of big game photographers. I can't afford to visit Africa with my Camera, but Texas is doable for my vacation budget.

 

[soundforbjt]

I missed it... Did Cheney shoot someome in the face again?

 

[Lemon law]

I missed it... Did Cheney shoot someome in the face again?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have to understand that Dick Cheney is a man of no courage, he would not hunt big game animals like lions, leopards, lions, or cape buffalo who might stand a chance. Quail is Cheney's game and Quail are helpless, and can't fight back.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

As a lifetime Texas resident and an avid hunter in my younger years I have mixed feelings about these hunting ranches. I don't despute their right to operate anyway they want to, but I would never hunt at one.

There are a vast array of types of these ranches, from not much more than a regular deer lease to near hollywood productions where you go and stay at extravagant lodges and dine on 5 star cuisine and are entertained by nationally reconized musical acts at night and choose the animal you want to take from a glossy catalog complete with weights measurements and prices. Then your taken to a luxurious stand in a high fenced "kill zone" and your chozen animal is trotted out in front of you for the shot, then when you make the kill the ranch hands butcher, process and package the meat and the onsite taxidermist begins work on your trophy mount while you return to the lodge and are serviced by high priced call girls if you like.

 

[Craig234]

I find these hunters pretty despicable and pathetic to want to kill like that, and think it's a great thing having the preserves - sad there isn't money for them without killing.

 

[DrPizza]

Not all ranches are like that though. One of our school's classes sends a bunch of kids to New Zealand every year to hunt "exotic" big game. Those kids hike for miles, up steep terrain, etc. When they get their animal, they're expected to do all of the work skinning it, getting the meat, and packing it out. It's not always a matter of the ranch hands doing all the work.

Personally, my definition of hunting isn't to wait 200 yards away for an animal, whether on a ranch, or in the wild, to come to a baited area (salt lick, artificially placed food, etc.) I have no ethical problems with them killing the animal, provided it's a clean kill. That's what the animals were raised for - food (and sometimes, trophies.) I just don't like to call that "hunting." More like "harvesting."

However, the people with the money to spend on hunts for trophy bucks on ranches aren't the type of people with the necessary time to put into hunting. Hunting an area takes days/months of constant scouting, etc. That's something that's taken care of by the ranch hands. The amount of money in it is incredible. For instance, on the top deer ranches, they cull the inferior bucks and concentrate on breeding for the best genetics. You can even get a bachelor's of science degree in managing big game for ranches like that. Once they have a trophy sized buck, it'll be tranquilized, measured for a raw Boon and Crocket score, then a list of people waiting will be called. "Hi, we have a buck that will place 14th on the all time list. It's $42,000. Are you interested." This is little different from farming for meat producing animals - you have your county fairs and FFA types of events where the animals are judged for quality. Then, you can move into the next tier of shows, showing animals nationally and trying to improve the genetics of your herd for the best quality animals. These animals are pretty pampered and extremely well taken care of.

 

[spittledip]

I am not crazy about endangered animals being hunted. I don't have time or desire to watch the video (wish there was something to read instead). What point are they making about hunting endangered animals as being good for the animal population? The fact that they only let 10% get hunted while the population flourishes? Also, I assume they are not hunting for big predators- is this true?

 

[monovillage]

If they could only figure out a way to put huge antlers on feral pigs we'd have a 2 birds with one stone solution.

 

[NeoV]

"I find these hunters pretty despicable and pathetic to want to kill like that, and think it's a great thing having the preserves - sad there isn't money for them without killing."

This

What kind of suck F*CK wants to hunt lion cubs?

 

[BladeVenom]

If they could only figure out a way to put huge antlers on feral pigs we'd have a 2 birds with one stone solution.

Why would someone need an incentive to kill feral pigs. It's free bacon; that's incentive enough. I wish there were feral pigs were I lived.

 

[monovillage]

Why would someone need an incentive to kill feral pigs. It's free bacon; that's incentive enough. I wish there were feral pigs were I lived.

True, but they make lousy trophy mounts. Here in California they're all over the place. Fish and Game officers had to shoot a couple of feral pigs in town a few weeks ago, you should have heard the complaints from the animal rights groups.

 

[Rastus]

It's the same with native species. An outfitter gets a lease from a rancher and then brings his clients to a certain spot and has his employees drive the game past them.

 

[BladeVenom]

True, but they make lousy trophy mounts. Here in California they're all over the place. Fish and Game officers had to shoot a couple of feral pigs in town a few weeks ago, you should have heard the complaints from the animal rights groups.

I think a nice boar head with big tusks would look good on a wall.

 

[Zebo]

Most of those places are not real sporting so I tend to take a dim view of it. I mean I only deer hunt with muzzle because with 14-20x scope and 300 winmag I can kill one in the wild in half an hour or less and one reason I hunt is to be in the wild. Anyway - to each his own.

 

[davmat787]

Feral hog hunting via helicopter in HD, to the tune of Hells Bells. :awe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGC1tjHCSVE&hd=1

*note: the landowner pays for this service, as the wild hogs will ruin land/crops overnight

 

[Wreckem]

I am not crazy about endangered animals being hunted. I don't have time or desire to watch the video (wish there was something to read instead). What point are they making about hunting endangered animals as being good for the animal population? The fact that they only let 10% get hunted while the population flourishes? Also, I assume they are not hunting for big predators- is this true?

Because if it wasn't for the ranchers, the species they are talking about would have already been extinct.

 

[Zebo]

As a lifetime Texas resident and an avid hunter in my younger years I have mixed feelings about these hunting ranches. I don't despute their right to operate anyway they want to, but I would never hunt at one.

There are a vast array of types of these ranches, from not much more than a regular deer lease to near hollywood productions where you go and stay at extravagant lodges and dine on 5 star cuisine and are entertained by nationally reconized musical acts at night and choose the animal you want to take from a glossy catalog complete with weights measurements and prices. Then your taken to a luxurious stand in a high fenced "kill zone" and your chozen animal is trotted out in front of you for the shot, then when you make the kill the ranch hands butcher, process and package the meat and the onsite taxidermist begins work on your trophy mount while you return to the lodge and are serviced by high priced call girls if you like.

I went to this European hunt in Nebraska one time. Essentially what it was is they have probably never taken flight before pheasants in a huge wood box with 6-8 chutes they open every two minutes with "hunters" arrayed around the box/barn to shoot these birds. I said fuck this went back to the 5 star lodge and spent about $250 on drinks. Most ridiculous hunt I ever been on.

Like you say 5 star all around. They even had a pro photographer who for $100 would send you a picture of your kill. Total weekend warriors. Guess hauling their fat asses through 8' corn rows is just too much for them but that's the way to do it.

 

[Craig234]

I think a nice boar head with big tusks would look good on a wall.

Bitter divorce?

Disgusting.

 

[MagickMan]

I have no issue with hunting, but it should be done with bows or spears.

Want a rush? Go bear hunting with only a recurve bow and a Bowie knife.