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It’s been a little discouraging of late, what with the keyboard commandos attacking hunters and outdoors sportsmen, and sportswomen. This, on top of the constant attacks from all fronts to us as firearms owners. Consider most recently, Eva Shockey. She is the daughter of noted sportsman and hunter, Jim Shockey. She has come into her own right as one who has hunted on more than one continent. Just this week she and her dad were in North Carolina to hunt their notedly huge black bear.
After posting a picture of her prize, all 510 pounds of it, on Facebook . . .

she started receiving death threats. One person suggested that she shoot her dog instead of the bear. It should be noted that she and her dad donated the meat to local charities. She will likely keep the rug. I know I would. A moose she recently bagged will feed her guests at her upcoming wedding. Mmmmm, moose burger!

Add to that the online attacks of Kendall Jones, the Texas cheerleading huntress who had Facebook remove some of her photos.
And let’s not leave the guys out of the mix. TV personality and world traveling hunter Tim Herald had his entire Facebook public figure page deleted (now restored). Supposedly due to people complaining about him posing with his game. Before you can say things like, don’t use Facebook, or stay off social media, consider that social media is also part of the way these folks advertise their services and stay within contractual obligations with their sponsors, etc.

So far I have been immune from attacks on my page, probably because I’m nobody. Besides promoting hunting and fishing, I’m part of several gun- and hunting-related groups, .416 safari rifles for one, Oregon Long Range Hunting Buy and Sell, a couple of safari outfits. And yes, I post pictures of me and my game.
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What these anti-hunter or vegan/vegetarian types usually aren’t aware of is something called the Pittman-Robertson Act. Signed into law in 1937, it enacted a tax of 11% on long guns and ammunition sales. In the ’70’s it was amended to add handguns and archery equipment. The law stipulated that money be allocated to hunter education programs, shooting ranges, and most importantly, (in my opinion), wildlife management.

In some states, deer were endangered, elk were all but gone. Buffalo? Close to extinction. Now, some states have extended seasons and five deer per hunter limits. Kentucky has elk to hunt again. Buffalo tags are for sale in a few states. All due to wildlife management, paid for with Pittman-Robertson revenue.

The money generated by this act pales in comparison to the amount of money spent by hunters on license and tag fees. Especially out-of-state license fees. (and I’m not going to even add in travel expenses, hotel, food tourism dollars, or outfitter fees). My upcoming elk license and tag ran me $72.00. My buddy Dave is from Washington and is spending $657.00 for his non-resident fees. Most states charge extra for out-of-state hunters. I’ve been putting in for a Montana moose tag the past few years to no avail. And it costs just to apply. A resident gets charged ten bucks. Me? Fifty. And if I ever draw a tag, it’s gonna cost $750 for my tag instead of $50 for Montanans.

Those fees are on top of the guns, archery equipment and ammo I’ve already bought throughout the year. Working from memory, that includes a rifle, $900. Scope, $300. Shotgun, $600. Rifle ammo, about $350 in live ammo, another couple hundred on reloading supplies. Shotgun ammo, about $500. New Mathews bow, $800. Arrows, sight, quiver, release, arrow rest…another few hundred.

And those are just three of my hunting rigs. That doesn’t count several cases of pistol and rifle ammo that I just plink with. Not to mention food for my .50 that I can’t use for hunting because Oregon has a weight limit on guns for hunting. (Apparently they are looking out for my health, not letting me lug a 35 pound rifle around).

So, add up all that Pittman-Robertson money, and I’ve contributed well over $400 to wildlife conservation. Now include the left over money for the tags here and abroad that I didn’t draw. Even if you don’t hunt but enjoy the fun of shooting for groups…

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you’ve contributed to wildlife conservation and management. For that, I personally thank you for your contributions. Keep up the great work while exercising our natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms.

The latest dollar amounts available regarding the P-R act are from fiscal year 2012. That’s a total of…drum roll please…$555,300,000 bucks for bucks and other critters collected and distributed to the states for wildlife conservation. We can all take a WAG at the amount for the year of the gun, 2013. It will certainly eclipse 2012. That’s well over a billion dollars in two years donated by all of us. Shooters, collectors, self defenders, investment types, and finally, hunters. Hunters, paying to hunt the animals they pay for to be managed. Talk about the circle of life.

For the anti-hunter-hater crowd, I would ask. How much money have you contributed? As for the vegan and/or vegetarian crowd? This is all I have:

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66 COMMENTS

  3. “Hey BooBoo, I need a pick a nick bask…” BLAM! Thud.
    “Woohoo, I got him, but his little friend got away. Remind me to thank Mr Ranger at the Jellystone gate for telling me where to find this big guy!”

  4. Johnny Carson had a running joke that anyone in the studio audience who didn’t like his show could get their money back. Because the tickets were free.

    I’m honestly sick and tired of those who complain about bookface policies and decisions, or the consequences of photographically bragging about their trophies to the ignorant, bunny-hugging public. Make no mistake, the ignorant bunny-huggers will always be among us.

    bookface is free. If you don’t like what happens when you use it, ask for a refund. Then maybe grow a pair and come up with some other way to brag.

  5. Hunters and fisherman are the ones responsible for maintain and expanding wildlife in the United States not these Gruberite greenies. Twenty years ago you would hardly find Wild Turkey outside of a liquor store. Now the woods are crawling with them because hunter funded projects have restocked large portions of the country.

    Hunters have done more for the environment than the Sierra Club ever will.

      • Hm.

        Down he-yuh, in the ‘Deep South’ (so deep, Atlanta, Ga., considered the heart of the ‘Deep South’ is over 400 miles North of here), Wild Turkey 101 has always been IN stock.

        In my imbibing daze I worked rotating shifts (and working holidays was worth double time and a half and all the OT you wanted – for some reason people with families liked being with them on holidays and not at work, hm.) My traditional Thanksgiving was Wild Turkey 101.

        W.T. 101 was OK, but back then I preferred Makers Mark.

        So enjoy being with your families on Bird-Day, folks…

    • In fact, in parts of the Sacramento area in CA you can actually see wild turkeys out side of liquor stores on occasion.

    • Are these the people I can thank for the turkey’s running rampant all over the Dodge expressway in the center of town during rush hour? My wife wanted to run out and rescue them, I was weighing the cost of legal fees vs the cost of store bought protein.

    • It kinda makes you wonder how there was any wildlife at ALL back in the days before fisherman, hunters and governments, huh? And another thing, who pruned all the trees back then so that there could be forests?

  6. Sorry, Tom, but once again the ‘fail’ on our side is trying to use logic and facts on those devoid of higher functioning neural matter. They just don’t care.

    On the subject of the “Hunters pay for…” argument…I was just reading an anti-hunting web page the other day where they dissembled that argument. Not with any facts, mind you (no citations or even reference info given), but to the internally-sometimes-consistent self satisfaction of their own readership.

    The comment section of that site was a fun read….if harming ones own IQ is considered “fun.” Me? Cooking up bambi spaghetti as I type this, and planning to go hunting in the morning.

    I’m pretty much done trying to ‘convince’ the non-thinking, dare-I-say STUPID, of anything.

    • If we don’t bother to at least put in the effort they’ll harp on about “See? No one disagrees with us!”

      Dissent-r-Us.

      (And the world of crap I had to put up when ‘Toys-r-Us’ first came to town with that damn giraffe spokes-character)

      “I’m pretty much done trying to ‘convince’ the non-thinking, dare-I-say STUPID, of anything.”

      ‘Intellectually-Challenged’ is more polite than STUPID… (although STUPID *is* far more accurate)

      Being Pro-2A is hard work these days…

      • “If we don’t bother to at least put in the effort they’ll harp on about “See? No one disagrees with us!””

        Good point.

        I should say I’ve pretty much given up trying to CONVINCE them. Pushing their buttons with tidbits of fundamental truths of life, however, will forever remain on the table.

        • We can’t convince THEM but we can convince those who watch the discussions as outsiders. Perhaps we can interrupt attempts at indoctrinating new anti hunters.

    • You seem to have escaped still in possession of your IQ points.

      I know a couple of greenie vegetarian non-hunters who are very smart about this; they buy duck stamps and hunting licenses every year, because they know where the money goes. This is Texas, where even a few of the progs have some common sense.

  8. I don’t hunt, but I would like to give it a try sometime. As a species, we’ve been hunting for thousands and thousands of years. There has never been anything wrong with it. There isn’t anything wrong with it. Also, I would really like a t-shirt with that last picture on it.

      • Well the meat you buy in the store is there because SOMEBODY killed an animal. So you are wrong there is no such thing as. A free lunch. If I want to eat meat it has to come from somewhere. Now if your a low IQ Eco weenie you likely think that hunting a wild animal is somehow less moral than the life led by a captive one. YOUR WRONG! You also likely think that without hunters wild animals live gentle long lived with peaceful, humane deaths from “natural causes”. Well wise up hippie! In the wild “natural causes” are slow starvation before being ripped apart by predators. And in modern America the lack of habitats in most locations have reduced predator populations and game habitats that without culling by hunters the whole populations of game are at risk. So if enough hunters don’t take game in some areas, game wardens will have to be PAID to hunt animals to reduce te population.

      • Meat in the store is far less healthy for you than meat on the hoof — ditto with the process of acquiring it.

    • Absolutely, and if you get a good instructor, the course itself is a blast! And the enthusiasm of the really young ones in our class was infectious. They were all pretty much raring to go for bird season and asked some great questions on stuff none of the adults would’ve thought to ask about.

      Our instructors made sure to thoroughly emphasize the benefits of Pittman-Robertson in a qualitative sense, but seeing those numbers, I’m glad to know my arms and ammo purchases of the last few years are part of something really beneficial. Speaking of which, I need some more ammo.

  11. Ok, confession time. Knowing that I am an animal lover… not like in a pervert kind of way, I had a hunter start backpedaling and explaining about wildlife management and all that once. I stopped him and said, “Just because I can’t personally shoot a deer, doesn’t mean I am opposed to it.” Of course come TEOTWAWKI I will need to cozy up to some hunters so I can keep eating meat or I will be left with snakes and fish. Am I a hypocrite for being a meat eater but incapable of harvesting it myself? Probably. But I can live with that fact. Go ahead and flame me. I can live with that too.

    • “Just because I can’t personally shoot a deer, doesn’t mean I am opposed to it.”

      I don’t see anything wrong with your attitude. I consider it to be mature. As far as hypocrisy is concerned, well, at least yours has limits. Anti-hunters have none.

      • Yeah, hypocrisy is more “how could you kill one of those creatures you monster – you should be hunted, pass me another steak.”

    • Nothing at all wrong with your opinion. I love animals too. They make a hike in the woods 10 times better. I get to teach my granddaughter what a meadow lark sounds like, what a porcupine looks like and what a skunk smells like. She loves it all.

    • ““Just because I can’t personally shoot a deer, doesn’t mean I am opposed to it.” ”

      And *that* is irrefutable PROOF that you are more tolerant of a different POV than they are, the ones who consider only themselves as being tolerant…

    • That is nothing to be worried about. I don’t hunt anymore, but I used to enjoy it, and I take satisfaction that I’ve killed, cleaned and cooked game birds, and could do it again. My family raises beef too, but I really don’t expect people to kill their own meat as long as they understand what’s involved.

      I support the wildlife habitat conservation orgs and local animal shelters, and spoil my pets rotten. It’s not a contradiction to me.

      As I said in another comment, I actually know some non-hunters who buy hunting licenses and stamps to support wildlife habitat. You could do the same if that’s something you want to support.

    • “Just because I can’t/don’t/aren’t personally _____, doesn’t mean I am opposed to it.”

      This concept is way above many peoples heads, unfortunately not limited to any one “side”. I’ve see the opposing mentality from plenty of gun owners themselves. I try to just chalk it up to the nature of politics, but finding anyone with the maturity to recognize the above is like coming across a gem in a pile of gravel.

    • I wouldn’t count on hunting as part of a long term TEOTWAWKI survival strategy. A lot of other people will be thinking the same thing. Unless you live in a very isolated area the game will be quickly hunted to almost nothing.

      • “A lot of other people will be thinking the same thing.”

        A lot of people that have never hunted before and lived cushy urban lifestyles THINK they will survive on hunting skills they never developed.

        It’s really kind of fun to listen to some of them.

  12. Hey Tom, thanks for the great article. My hunting license was $165. That’s so darn reasonable I got one for my stepson. Plus plane tickets times 4 for $1400. Our hunting rifles and scopes were several thousand dollars each. Virtually all of that stuff is also American made.

    American hunters and the money they have generated for conservation efforts are responsible for the proliferation and health of game species in our nation. Ethical hunters and the money to purchase licenses and services abroad protect endangered game in Africa and around the world.

  13. “Now, some states have extended seasons and five deer per hunter limits.”

    Hell, in Alabama, you can take up to three antlered bucks per season (as long as one of them has four or more points on one side), and one unantlered deer per day as well as an antlered buck per day (up to that season limit of three.) down here it is as much about population control as anything else, and the number of deer hunters is declining.

    In regards to those that don’t hunt: Some of them can be made to listen, some can’t. The evangelical vegetarians and vegans (I lived in Portland, Or for a while. Don’t even fucking get me started about the vegans) aren’t really able to be converted. Your strongest argument is against the omnivores that are against hunting. These people take advantage of the industrialized food system in order to as far from the source of their food as possible, and tend to consumer much more in the way of processed foods. That is much more abhorrent to me than an ethical hunter harvesting game in order to consume it. I’ve said, for a good long while now, that if I’m not willing to kill and process an animal, then I probably shouldn’t be eating it. Now, I’ve got a ways to go before I kill and process all the animals that I eat every now and then, but I don’t have a problem doing so and, at some point, it is my goal to get around to all of them so that I can really appreciate where it came from and the sacrifice of that animal in order to feed me.

    Being divorced from the source of your food leads to not appreciating the true value of the loss of life required to feed you. If someone doesn’t appreciate their food and where it comes from, I’m happy to give them the finger and walk away, because that’s not a person I want to have anything to do with.

    (Edit: I don’t mean to indicate that all people that eat meat but do not hunt don’t appreciate their food. Some people just don’t have the stomach for killing, but they ought to still strive to get close to the source of their food and understand where it comes from and what must be done in order to provide it. People that object to others hunting and eat meat, on the other hand, I’ll happily tell off.)

    • I asked some vegans in Portland once how they felt about letting wolves and coyotes and big cats wander the countryside and small towns and the edges of cities at will. They didn’t like it, because it could endanger people. I explained that hunters like me were the reason they didn’t have to worry about predators endangering their kids or cute little dressed-up dogs; I was taking the place of the predator. I extended the argument to the fact that so long as humans are displacing predators, it’s a human responsibility to have someone fulfill that function, and unless they had a way to reduce the planetary human population back under two billion, hunting was a human duty to the planet.
      When one realized hunters were “fulfilling a function of the Earth-Mother”, she was all thanking me for being a part of nature…. I left them arguing amongst themselves.

      As for those who eat meat and criticize, I’ve always held forth that if you can’t kill it yourself, don’t eat it. A college guy from Albany took me up on that once, got his license, went out hunting with me, and when he got a buck in his sights froze –he just couldn’t pull the trigger. So I got the buck.
      But the amazing thing was that once it was dead, he only swallowed hard and pitched right in gutting it and getting the carcass back to the truck. After that, whenever he was around and I made my point about being willing to kill your own meat, he would add, “Or at least help butcher it!” I decided that was a fair amendment to my principle.

  14. Please don’t bring up the P-R tax as a good thing, least someone figure “Well, if gun owners think 11% is good, then 1000% would be GREAT!” No matter how you slice it, it’s dangerous because it’s a tax on a right.

    O2

    • A right? A right to do what? Hunt? Didn’t you know that the State, in its sovereign capacity, owns all the fish and game within its territory? That’s why you have to have a license to harvest it. If you do not have a license, it is poaching. Sorry, try again next time.

      • The tax is applied to firearms and ammo purchases regardless of whether they are used for hunting. So, respectfully, his point still stands.

        • What he said about hunting applies just as well to taxation. If you don’t like the tax you have avenues available to you to challenge it. Primarily I believe by challenging the intent of the tax and the apparent intended effect. Tax on firearms and ammo? The established right of the government. Taxation designed to infringe on a protected right? Not so much. You wouldn’t consider sales tax on newspapers and books a suppression of our rights right?

    • If they’re dumb and slow enough to let an ofwg like me shoot them they needed to be removed from the gene pool. It’ll improve nature.

      • That’s how you sell hunting, eventually the selective pressures of our predation will result in a breed of deer that will grow thumbs and start shooting back.

    • If Thumper, and his other rodent buddies start impinging on my produce production, they made a bad choice. My friends with livestock would say the same for the burrows and gopher holes Thumper and the gang leave around so inconsiderately. As for Bambi, ask me again after you hit him with your car and have to deal with a deductible the size of California’s drought. And the resulting insurance hike. Oh, and from a purely subjective point of view, they both taste pretty damn good.

  20. Why is it that keyboard kommandos always send death threats to female hunters who obviously know how to use a gun? Are they THAT retarded?

  21. Hey, not all vegetarians are a$$hats. I’m a vegetarian and a member of North American hunters. I don’t hunt but I support the right to do it. Personally, I think the factory farmed animals is cruel and hunting is the way to put meat on the table.

    • You sir, are the embodiment of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s dictum that the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. Many internets for you.

  22. I know Im gonna take some heat for this comment but thats ok.. Im an old man and I have done my share of hunting, especially deer and taking trips to Craig Colorado for those big mule bucks. That said after awhile I just could not bring myself to shoot some of these animals that people seem so proud to have harvested from nature. Lets be honest for a moment, the woods are not as filled with as many animals as they were when I was a kid out hunting with my grandpop in the 60’s.. Im certainly not anti hunting or even one to make a big deal out of people posting their harvests. It just seems to me after awhile these “professional” hunters with their tv shows only make what I call animal snuff films. I’ve shot a deer etc, I dont need to see some moron in Mossy Oak do it on tv every week. Those are the people that bother me…Rant Off.. Have a good day

  23. Over the years I have paid well above my fair share in taxes for wild life maintenance so there is nothing any of these leftards have to say that I give a f**k about. As for all this crap on social media? Well, that brings us back to the stupid list, doesn’t it?

  24. Since when does Oregon have a weight limit on hunting rifles? I’ve hunted here my whole life and studied the regulations in detail

    • Will, you are correct. That reg was erased from the books.
      It was there when I bought my .50. No rifles over 14 pounds.
      I just spent some time on the phone with several people at ODFW. No one seems to know when that reg was deleted. One person did remember it though.

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