The world's largest army? America's hunters

[Solus]

Received this in an email so I don't know how accurate it is, but I like the thought anyway.


I don't spend my fall weekends tramping around the woods in pursuit of a buck, but a lot of my friends and neighbors do.
This blogger adds up all the hunters in just a handful of states, and comes to a striking conclusion:
The state of Wisconsin has gone an entire deer hunting season without someone getting killed. That's great. There were over 600,000 hunters.
Allow me to restate that number. Over the last two months, the eighth largest army in the world - more men under arms than Iran ; more than France and Germany combined - deployed to the woods of a single American state to help keep the deer menace at bay.
But that pales in comparison to the 750,000 who are in the woods of Pennsylvania this week. Michigan 's 700,000 hunters have now returned home. Toss in a quarter million hunters in West Virginia , and it is literally the case that the hunters of those four states alone would comprise the largest army in the world.
His point? America will forever be safe from foreign invasion with that kind of home-grown firepower.
Hunting -- it's not just a way to fill the freezer. It's a matter of national security.
*************************************************

I love my country
It's the Government I'm afraid of.
God Bless America

[cookie62]

It is said that's the reason the Japanese didn't invade during WWII

[kmitch200]

His point? America will forever be safe from foreign invasion with that kind of home-grown firepower.

Admiral Yamamoto said "there would be a rifle behind every blade of grass" if Japan tried to invade the continental US.

Now if we can just keep our own freaking politicians in check....

[twyacht]

Both cookie and kmitch nailed it.

To this day, even our gov't knows foreign invasion won't happen, for this very reason. However, our gov't has forgotten why there is so many of us.

"Governments like control -- the only real power governments have to fall back on if necessary to preserve their authority is the use of force. That is not as easy or effective against an armed population. So governments around the world seek to disarm everyone except their own military and LEO forces. This had been the case for thousands of years. It is still the case today. The only time governments want their average citizens to be armed historically is when the threat of losing their authority to foreign invaders is greater than the risk from their own population."
Zoogster

"How long would the Nazis have kept it up...if every Jew they came after had met them with a gun in his hand?"
Walter Mathau - Fail Safe - 1964

[Solus]

Admiral Yamamoto said "there would be a rifle behind every blade of grass" if Japan tried to invade the continental US.

Now if we can just keep our own freaking politicians in check....

Yamamoto reportedly made that statement many years after the war in a conference of WW II Vets, US and Japanese when asked why Japan did not invade the west coast of the US, knowing as they did, that there could be no naval defense and that our ground forces were not prepared for war, particularly an invasion.

The rest of his answer was that  "We were to smart to step into that quicksand"

[Sponsor]

[wtr100]

It is said that's the reason the Japanese didn't invade during WWII

much as I wish that were true it just aint.  The real reason there is no way in hell logistically the Japs could hope to succeed in that.  Too much ocean , too much 'stuff' in the US.

Besides according to ARFCOM the hunters are 'just a bunch of Fudds' anywayz

 

[graywolf]

Solus, Just to set the record straight, Yamamoto was shot down by Army Air Force P 38 Lightnings when he left his base in Rabaul.  I believe it was in '43.  You are correct about this quote however.

[kilopaparomeo]

I'm going to be a pessimist here.  NOTE:  I am making broad generalizations below and I'm sure you'll have plenty of individual data points that refute this but I will posit that I'm correct in the broad sense.

If we had a "Red Dawn" event tomorrow, I don't think you could count on even a very small percentage of people to take up arms.  That is a pipe dream.

I grew up a hunter and have been to many deer camps and pheasant hunts through my life.  A very large percentage of hunters are not into self defense, independence as we see on forums like this.  They really know very little about guns, only view them as a tool, know nothing of tactics.  They have fieldcraft skills but this doesn't make them a FIGHTER.  That is mindset and to confuse the two is a big mistake.

+ A disgustingly small percentage of people actually take the time to vote
+ Getting people to call their congresscritters against a bill is like pulling teeth
+ How many people join the NRA...yes we have 4M members but that is ridiculously low
+ Try to get someone to volunteer to do something at church, Cub Scouts, school...almost impossible.  They'd rather be home being sedated by watching "Dancing with the Stars" or reading People magazine.   Tripe.

Do we have the potential of a large armed force?  Yes.  Are hunters more likely than the average Berkely hippie to take up arms?  Yes.  But that is a far cry from a trained, motivated force to resist tyranny.  

Depressing rant off.

[JC5123]

much as I wish that were true it just aint.  The real reason there is no way in hell logistically the Japs could hope to succeed in that.  Too much ocean , too much 'stuff' in the US.

Besides according to ARCOM the hunters are 'just a bunch of Fudds' anywayz

 

Interesting thought since they tend to specifically seek out these "Fudds" when looking for men to put through sniper school. I guess being a skilled woodsman and shooter only count when it benefits them?

Of course you are talking about a government agency....

[JC5123]

I agree with what you say KPR, but that is why it is up to people like us to be force multipliers. Most people are lazy sheep. But given the proper scare, and the right leadership, you could accomplish a lot with them. Just remember, all sheeple are useful in one way or another. Even if it is for cannon fodder.