Hunters Vs. Shooters

[JohnJacobH]

The game population is down, so hunting (like we used to do ) is on the downside

The game population is DOWN???

 Where the heck do you live? 

We got Bambi attacking cars, Mama Bear wandering through the middle of the city with her cubs, rabbits that have to be shooed away from the car door so we can drive to work, squirrels committing suicide everyday in front of cars pulling out of their driveways.

 If you leave the dogs out about 3 or 4 AM they all get riled up by some raccoon or fox or coyote or possum running around in the culverts. 

Naturally, it is ILLEGAL to discharge a weapon inside city limits.  I did take out a bat hanging from the carport in plain view under odd circumstances with my handy dandy air rifle but I didn't exactly broadcast it to the neighbors before or after.

The tide is turning (slowly) since they just declared an "urban hunting season" to thin the Bambi population (for those cities who
REQUEST it)  But sometimes it takes a full blown Apocalypse to get some of the ruling Bolsheviks to see reason.

[Teresa Heilevang]

I live in the middle of the Flint Hills in south east Kansas.( that would be the part of Kansas where there are rivers and woods .) .in other words ..NOT western Kansas.. but the pretty part.
I'm not talking about deer or varmints.. We have a million of those dang coyotes.. and the deer are thick.( and we have trophy sized whitetail ) ..but we have no bear in these parts though 
But I was actually referring to birds..  like quail..and prairie chicken is about nil. .. and our rabbit population is very low. ( cause the KF&G put a protection on the stupid hawks..) soooo we have a hawk on every fence post and the rabbit and quail have been their food source.

( DON'T get me started on the Fish and Game..)

We have plenty of deer and squirrel and our dove hunt is wonderful . But the other critters are hurting in their numbers.

[Middle Man]

Personally, I'm 99.5% in the shooter category.  I take the rare hunting opportunities that come my way.  However, the scarcity of multiple resources prevents any serious pursuit of hunting for myself. 

In my eight years in the firearms industry, I've witnessed the dramatic downturn in "hunting" related firearms and a vast expansion of handguns, AR's, et al.  Hunting firearms and related ammo and soft goods represent a dwindling percentage of overall sales.  There exists a vast amounts of potential factors that have contributed to the changing trends.   

[2HOW]

Are you NAVY ? Let me clue you in, what works well with a 16 inch NAVAL rifle isn't quite as effective with any thing less than 40mm   

  No Tom 155 howitzer, works great when their dug in. 

[Hazcat]

  No Tom 155 howitzer, works great when their dug in. 

Outgoing!!

[Sponsor]

[JohnJacobH]

But I was actually referring to birds..  like quail..and prairie chicken is about nil. .. and our rabbit population is very low. ( cause the KF&G put a protection on the stupid hawks..) soooo we have a hawk on every fence post and the rabbit and quail have been their food source.

( DON'T get me started on the Fish and Game..)

We have plenty of deer and squirrel and our dove hunt is wonderful . But the other critters are hurting in their numbers.

Before you blame  Hawks  blame Smokey the Bear (that ridiculous infantilization of a dangerous land mammal with a campaign  hat and park ranger pants) and his stupid fire suppression policies. 

Praires need grass fires and when grass fires were common they were not dangerous and greatly benefited the native grasses and plants.

One of these links might help you out:

http://www.qu.org/quis2/State_Site.cfm?State_ID=16&Chapter_ID=0

http://www.qu.org/quis2/Chapter_Site.cfm?Chapter_ID=103&State_ID=0

http://www.qu.org/quis2/Chapter_Site.cfm?Chapter_ID=102&State_ID=0

http://www.qu.org/quis2/Chapter_Site.cfm?Chapter_ID=110&State_ID=0

[Rastus]

..............But I was actually referring to birds..  like quail..and prairie chicken is about nil. .. and our rabbit population is very low. ( cause the KF&G put a protection on the stupid hawks..) soooo we have a hawk on every fence post and the rabbit and quail have been their food source. ..........

Interesting observation on the fence posts....jogged my memory.  My dad used to explain to me when he was a child (70-75 years ago) that they used to catch the hawks to keep them from eating the chickens they depended on for food.  They'd get a steel trap, set it on top of a post with a bundle of feathers on it for bait.  Couldn't afford shotgun shells in those days.....

[tombogan03884]

  No Tom 155 howitzer, works great when their dug in. 

When I was in the Guard 89-92 I was Unit Armorer (76Y) for A Btry 3rd/197th FA, We had M-198's
The (Then) new 155's that you did not have to dig breech pits for 
But being a Marine first (and always) I did not think of HOWitzer till after I posted

[Big Frank]

I can't remember the last time I actually hunted even though I always buy a small game license.
I've never been to any type of organized shooting event. But I buy ammo by the case full.
I like to shoot my guns just because I find it enjoyable. I like to customize them too. It's fun.

[tombogan03884]

I can't remember the last time I actually hunted even though I always buy a small game license.
I've never been to any type of organized shooting event. But I buy ammo by the case full.
I like to shoot my guns just because I find it enjoyable. I like to customize them too. It's fun.

I have not got to the customizing yet but it sounds like fun. I got into machining because I thought I'd be able to make my own knives, when my first job out of vocational school was with a gun company I almost messed the FRONT of my pants. Boy, did I have A LOT to learn