from another forum, about hunters

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

The World's Largest Army.

America's Hunters?

The state of Wisconsin has gone the entire 2010 deer hunting season without someone getting killed. (Not even friendly fire)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 (Wisconsin) to help keep the deer population 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, nearly a million in Ohio, and it is literally the case that the hunters of those five states alone would comprise the largest army in the world.

It is a volunteer armed guard, no tax money required or ask for. It is about families, safety and private property.

America will forever be safe from foreign invasion of troops with that kind of home-grown firepower. Hug a hunter today.

Hunting - it's not just a good way to fill the freezer. It's a matter of real American homeland security!

[brimic]

Its too bad that they:
A. arn't very politically active
or
B. all to often vote for socialists.

Unfortunately from what I've observed, most hunters are the type who go to the range once a year to fire a 1/2 box of shells then go hunting. They have very little invested 2A so long as nobody threatens to take away grandpappy's 30-30, even fewer of them are going to be in any physical condition to fight an invading force, let alone be able to hit a man sized target beyond 50 yards without a benchrest. I know a lot of hunters and I'm being generous in my assessment.

[drewtam]

I don't think anyone will argue that a typical hunter is at the same level of an active duty infantrymen. But consider that some of these guys are retired military whose years hide long ago training. And the quote, 'quantity has a quality all its own.'

[brimic]

I don't think anyone will argue that a typical hunter is at the same level of an active duty infantrymen. But consider that some of these guys are retired military whose years hide long ago training. And the quote, 'quantity has a quality all its own.'

The what I'm guessing is about 10-15% of hunters who are the serious hunters that are are in shape, can find their way around in the woods at night, and can shoot straight are going to be a much bigger threat to an invading force than the rest combined. Yes, and there are the retired military folk as well.

[BridgeRunner]

Unfortunately from what I've observed, most hunters are the type who go to the range once a year to fire a 1/2 box of shells then go hunting. They have very little invested 2A so long as nobody threatens to take away grandpappy's 30-30, even fewer of them are going to be in any physical condition to fight an invading force, let alone be able to hit a man sized target beyond 50 yards without a benchrest. I know a lot of hunters and I'm being generous in my assessment.

+1

I'm a greater threat than most hunters I know, and I've been sick for a week...

[Tallpine]

Unfortunately from what I've observed, most hunters are the type who go to the range once a year to fire a 1/2 box of shells then go hunting

Not me ... 1 box of shells equals 20 deer (and/or coyotes)   

[Lee]

Unfortunately from what I've observed, most hunters are the type who go to the range once a year to fire a 1/2 box of shells then go hunting

Probably true...but then most of them are probably successful in killing something, or they would try harder.   I'd probably take that over someone who can run a marathon, program an army pcs (or is an accountant) and has never been cold or killed anything.  I know what you're saying though.

[MechAg94]

I used to work with a guy who did the two boxes of shells a year thing.  He didn't have a lot of extra money and hunted for the freezer as much as because enjoyed it.  He told me once he took his wife hunting and put her in a stand with a 30-30.  He said he walked down a ways to where he was going to hunt when he heard 3 quick shots.  He came back to where she was and saw that she had shot and killed 3 doe.  I don't know what kind of shot he is, but I would consider her fairly dangerous.   

[Bogie]

A lot of soldiers hesitate to kill, be it critter or man... Hunters already know what's going to happen.
 
If we get invaded by a Really Big Army, I don't have to hump a ruck 20 miles... I just have to kill ten enemy before they kill me. Given the average soldier's shooting skills, shouldn't be too hard.
 

[Lee]

I really can't imagine why any foreign power would want to invade us anyway...but facing 20 million armed folks AFTER fighting the military would suck for sure. 

[Boomhauer]

I really can't imagine why any foreign power would want to invade us anyway...but facing 20 million armed folks AFTER fighting the military would suck for sure. 

I can tell you that foreign armies don't worry me a bit. My own government worries me a LOT, though.

[BridgeRunner]

Probably true...but then most of them are probably successful in killing something, or they would try harder.   I'd probably take that over someone who can run a marathon, program an army pcs (or is an accountant) and has never been cold or killed anything.  I know what you're saying though.

Lot of guys hunt for the social aspects of deer camp, and either don't worry overmuch about killing something or sit in a heated blind over/next to a food plot or feeder or pick 'em off.  

It's also pretty difficult to train for and run a marathon without ever being cold. 

I don't think our hobbies define our capabilities all that well.  Sure, plenty of hunters are competent with their weapons and would be great in a civil defense situation.  And plenty of others aren't and wouldn't. 

[Monkeyleg]

This is sort of on-topic. I got to talking to a guy at Home Depot today who was a combat veteran in Viet Nam. He still shoots, but only paper. He hunted a lot before being drafted, but can't bring himself to hunt now.

I've talked to a few combat vets who share his "paper only" feeling. I wonder how common that is?

The instructor for my junior high rifle league was really into shooting back then. I called him a couple of years ago for the first time since junior high, and he hasn't fired a shot since coming home from Vietnam.

Do you think that's common, too?

[French G.]

I make a damn fine effort to avoid public ranges in the early fall. It's not supposed to be my job to go all apoplectic screaming at folks who pull up the truck, get out then trot down a hot range to post their one target. Then of course I see little to no practice from a field position. I understand checking zero, but if you know what you're about that ought to be about 3 shots.

That said, I do hunt, love to be out in the woods. Around here we have serious hunters, people close their businesses for deer season. Then comes bear season. I'm convinced, that if you told some folks around here that Osama bin Laden took a 600lb pet black bear with him everywhere he went, that they'd find him in under a week.

[stevelyn]

Its too bad that they:
A. arn't very politically activeor
B. all to often vote for socialists.

Unfortunately from what I've observed, most hunters are the type who go to the range once a year to fire a 1/2 box of shells then go hunting. They have very little invested 2A so long as nobody threatens to take away grandpappy's 30-30, even fewer of them are going to be in any physical condition to fight an invading force, let alone be able to hit a man sized target beyond 50 yards without a benchrest. I know a lot of hunters and I'm being generous in my assessment.

They're also the biggest reason we have more to fear from our own government than we do a foreign one.

[French G.]

They're also the biggest reason we have more to fear from our own government than we do a foreign one.

I wish I kept my old Blue Press catalogues, oh how my wife hated to see those in the mail. Anyway they had an article by, Jeff Codrea I think, entitled "If you don't vote like a gun owner, you suck!"

That's a big problem with the hunting class, many of them punched the ticket that put the current crew into the White House.

[Bogie]

More like a lot of them were told that the opposing candidate was only 90% "for" the gun culture, so they voted for the guy running against him... That'll teach those guys who only support "gun" stuff most of the time...

[French G.]

I think the shoot yourself in the foot rabid radical gun rights people are 10% of the populus when compared to the blue collar, hunt and fish, pays his union dues worker who elected the great mistake. I know they delivered WV to him on a platter.

[MicroBalrog]

More like a lot of them were told that the opposing candidate was only 90% "for" the gun culture, so they voted for the guy running against him... That'll teach those guys who only support "gun" stuff most of the time...

Help me here: what anti-gun bills has Obama signed?

[Bogie]

Right. This guy is obviously better than the other guy woulda been...

[Monkeyleg]

Help me here: what anti-gun bills has Obama signed?

His track record in the Senate and in the Illinois state senate are 100% anti-gun.

He's not signing any bills because none have reached his desk, and he's making sure that none reach his desk. If he could, though, he would. If the Dem's had been successful in using the Tucson shootings to rally the people around more gun control, he would have been proud to sign a bill.

[gunsmith]

Help me here: what anti-gun bills has Obama signed?

 Wise Latina Sonia Maria Sotomayor, more dangerous than any legislation, and Kagen too 

[Bogie]

Obama's was a very important election, due to the Supreme Court, and to just further MTV-style info-bombardment eroding of our rights... When they push a bill that takes several reams of paper to print, you KNOW they're hiding something...

[red headed stranger]

I think the shoot yourself in the foot rabid radical gun rights people are 10% of the populus when compared to the blue collar, hunt and fish, pays his union dues worker who elected the great mistake. I know they delivered WV to him on a platter.

Yep.  I've got family in MI and MO who had no problem voting for Kerry or Obama.  They bought the hunting photo-op that Kerry did, and they believe Biden when he says that he will protect their huntin' guns.  Some of the family members have even said, if they ban guns, that's fine with me, I'll still have my bow!! 

Another problem are the "republicans" that only vote for the R because of the Republican pro-life stance.  If that issue went away, they'd be voting with the unions and the socialists. 

Right. This guy is obviously better than the other guy woulda been...

Unfortunately, both choices from the D and R camps in 2008 were bad ones when it came to guns. 
 

[BridgeRunner]

Another problem are the "republicans" that only vote for the R because of the Republican pro-life stance.  If that issue went away, they'd be voting with the unions and the socialists. 

Meh, that's the pro-life issue was politicized on a national level in the first place.  Fwiw, I'm a "republican" who only votes republican because it's the better of the two mainstream parties on 2A issues.  As the old saw goes, the second amendment is the one that protects all the others, and I'm so far from aligning with any political party that I mainly vote repub. because 2A is one of very few areas of politics where I am pretty uncompromising.

Yeah, largely irrelevant, just saying that the incidental voters thing cuts both ways; Repubs pick up an awful of votes from 2A believers who are social moderates or liberals but place 2A above less clear-cut issues.