Does Hunting Appeal To Your Inner Rambo?

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Someone just sent me a link to an article about hog hunting in the Wall Street Journal.

As always, I was a little cautious since articles on that publication are not always the kindest to hunters (although I’ve been pleasantly surprised before). The title of the article pretty much set the tone of the whole thing: Special Ops, Pig Patrol: Commando Wannabes Stalk Porky.

“Just a little snarky,” I thought, but being charitable and cautious, I decided to read on.

Well, the tone never really got any better. I suppose one could call it benevolently supercilious if one were predisposed to that sort of language. Or you could call it, “snotty.”

The article was focused on the growing popularity of high-tech hog hunting, involving military-style rifles and night-vision equipment. As we’ve mentioned here so many times, the explosive growth of the “black rifle” in the sporting market has definitely captured the imaginations of many hunters. As more and more of these guns go into the field, it does play into the “little boy playing army” stereotype, which is what the article seemed to be ridiculing.

I’m not sure it’s as widespread as the article would make it sound, but maybe it is. Does hunting appeal to your “inner rambo”?

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Fashionguy

Posted August 22, 2011 at 6:26 PM

No…my hatred for tact-i-cool idiots like these has no bounds.
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J.R.

Posted August 22, 2011 at 7:37 PM

No inner Rambo for me, but I can understand the “hi tech” geekery. I love gadgets, while I’m not into night vision, I can understand the appeal. I was at the range on Sunday and walked to the soda machine while I let my barrel cool. Not that I haven’t noticed it before, but lane after lane after lane was filled with “black guns”. On one hand, I’m glad people are taking up shooting and appreciate their R-P Act contributions. On the other, I keep hearing TS Whelen’s quote in my head “only accurate guns are interesting”.

Walking out to the targets it’s clear there are accuracy issues, probably with both shooter and weapon. Splitered target frames and sparsley dotted targets make you wonder what they think when looking at their target. If I have a 3 shot group that is larger than 1.25″ I am extremely frustrated. That said, to each his own, and as long as they stay safe and are having fun then fire away.
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Joshua Stark

Posted August 23, 2011 at 1:02 AM

I’d say it appeals more to my inner Jeremiah Johnson, for sure. But to be honest, I do understand the inner Rambo-ness. Come on, it’s cool to have these skills – or, so I’ve heard.
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asmmer

Posted August 23, 2011 at 1:44 AM

I love a good looking gun, but I’m more of a traditional-looking gun guy. I really don’t have any interest for the AR style guns, though. I will admit they do look pretty cool, though.
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Rich Mellott

Posted August 23, 2011 at 1:33 PM

I have an old Browning BAR, with a raggedy scope, but I’ve taken three pigs in the last year, and that’s what it’s all about. I can hit what I’m shooting at, finally, and when push comes to shove, it is probably a beautiful gun. I understand the Black Gun mystique, and I hunted with a friend who has three…I got the pig. It’s more about hunting successfully, and having a weapon that is accurate, for me.
Since the AR craze, I have seen plenty of them at the range, and I think the majority of the shooters were considerate, and used screens to stop the flow of hot brass, but there were some yahoos who would seem to be boys playing with popguns. When I asked some of them why they shoot, or if they hunt, a lot said they didn’t hunt, it was just fun to make a lot of noise, and be out with the gang. Here in LA, that is kinda scary, since we have so many gangs, it’s hard to know who you’re talking to, so I tend to stay anonymous.
As for channeling Rambo, it seems to me that there are many thoughtful hunters out there who have given an AR a chance, and are working to improve it’s function. The majority of the shooters are trying to spruce up the guns, to have the best technical tools for the job. But a few slobs always make it difficult, in any pursuit, and get the notice of the press, simply because it’s more in line with their thinking about hunters, hunting, and guns. We always get the bad news first, because we all like to live vicariously. Something or someone dying is “not us” so it is “survivor thrill.” I like the Tool song, “Vicarious,” since it speaks to something all of us mortal humans seem to want to deny…that we “…need to see something dying, from a safe distance…” As such, we thrill when we get the news that Rambo lives to stalk again.
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Asaxon

Posted August 23, 2011 at 3:12 PM

Here is what I posted earlier on JHO when I saw this article.

“The Admiral showed me that article in the Wall St. Journal. 40K worth of tacticool stuff and the group of them shot 4-5 hogs in the night? If my friend on Catalina who eradicated the hogs there or one of you “high end” hog hunters like myfriends410/ltdann/big boar stopper/etc had that gear, they could probably wipe out half the pigs in the county in one night!”

In my view, this is “paintball” with live animals as the “enemy”. This does not appear to me.
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Holly Heyser

Posted August 23, 2011 at 3:42 PM

Ugh, I saw that too. It’s hard to blame WSJ for taking that tack given how we sometimes represent ourselves – Hank and I were watching hunting TV a few days ago, and the music, graphics and product names in both shows and ads really play into the myth of hunting as war.

We really need to seize control of hunting media, throw the kids running it now into a POW camp, and put in place a new regime.

Wait, did I just say that?
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JAC

Posted August 23, 2011 at 4:10 PM

I have an inner Rambo? Does this mean that the next time someone asks “Who are you?” I will blurt out, “You’re worst nightmare”?

The people engaging in make believe war on living animals appeal to my inner nausea.

And, I’m pretty sure that John Rambo killed his hog by jumping on it out of a tree. But you can’t expect much of WSJ in the cool analogy department.
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Joshua Stark

Posted August 23, 2011 at 4:23 PM

Oh, wow. I’m reading the comments after mine, and I’m thinking I was way off. I wasn’t even thinking about the killing part, but about the fun that comes from getting good at tracking, stalking, shooting, etc. I see that I’m way off, as some people have a “thing” for killing. I ain’t one of ‘em. As my Dad put it, “we are great hunters. We are just horrible killers.”
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Phillip Loughlin

Posted August 24, 2011 at 12:11 AM

Wow, didn’t really expect this much feedback! Excellent, and I’m enjoying it, except the level of vitriol from a couple of folks.

Personally, I’m not really crazy about the way this was portrayed but I can absolutely see how the writer got there. I’m sure there are a lot of folks out there who are exactly what the article describes.

It doesn’t look good, but honestly, beyond that I’m not sure there’s much real harm in what guys like Rod Pinkston are doing. The hogs need to be killed (these are all depredation hunts), and there are people who get a kick out of using all of this high-tech equipment to do it. He’s found a unique way to market and make money off of the activity. I put it in the same box with the Texas outfits who are taking “sports” up in helicopters to lay waste to the hog population there.

It is unfortunate that the hunting industry appears to be going out of its way to make us all look like bloodthirsty killers, fixated on success above sport, and playing to the short-attention-span generation. I’d lay odds that 80% of hunting television programs fit this mold… and another 19% straddle the line or have advertisers pushing the latest high-tech rifles, scopes, off-road vehicles, baits and lures, or whatever. I understand that television programming has to keep a high level of energy, and not many viewers are going to tune in to watch hunting shows where nothing gets killed, but I do believe there can be a better balance. I’m just not sure how to get there.

Does Hunting Appeal To Your Inner Rambo?

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