Sheep Hunting covered in New York Times (Positive article for hunters)

[mfb99]

An amazing positive article on sheep hunting is in the digital edition of the New York Times

The Ultimate Pursuit in Hunting:
Sheep Permits to hunt bighorn sheep are auctioned for hundreds
of thousands of dollars — and that money has helped
revive wild sheep populations and expand their territory.
By JOHN BRANCH

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/sports/bighorn-sheep-hunting.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

This is a good example of keeping an open mind in regards to hunting coverage. The NYT is labeled as a liberal paper, but in this case it has presented a fact based article that shows the positives that hunters have done for the species.

Facts are our friends.......

Cheers

Mark

 

[Cornell2012]

I was just about to post this. NYT has been fairly good about their reporting around hunting recently.

 

[Oak]

I see a HT'er in one of those pictures (abqbw, Khunter's bro).

 

[MTGomer]

I was just about to post this article. Well done piece by the NYT I think.

 

[Huntin_GI]

Hunting is getting trendy fellars. Prepare yourselves for hipsters in the coming years.

 

[Dinkshooter]

I see a HT'er in one of those pictures (abqbw, Khunter's bro).

Snuck in there, where's Waldo.

 

[Carnage2011]

Very good read.

 

[npaden]

The comments on these types of stories always amaze me.

 

[MTGomer]

I see a HT'er in one of those pictures (abqbw, Khunter's bro).

I'm in there too, but I am just an outline at a table in the background.

 

[TheTone]

Positive? I think it did a good job of outlining that the rich hunt sheep, the rest of us don't.

 

[Nameless Range]

Positive? I think it did a good job of outlining that the rich hunt sheep, the rest of us don't.

That was kind of my impression too. I appreciate the conservation mentioned in the article, but the whole dudes scouting for clients and hundreds of thousands of dollars exchanging hands has little to do with the act of hunting sheep for most people who hunt sheep.

 

[Oak]

Positive? I think it did a good job of outlining that the rich hunt sheep, the rest of us don't.

That was kind of my impression too. I appreciate the conservation mentioned in the article, but the whole dudes scouting for clients and hundreds of thousands of dollars exchanging hands has little to do with the act of hunting sheep for most people who hunt sheep.

I skimmed it and saw the direction it was taking. I tend to agree with you.

 

[MTGomer]

Positive? I think it did a good job of outlining that the rich hunt sheep, the rest of us don't.

It also mentioned the unlimiteds.

If you're not hunting sheep, its because you choose not to. You have made a conscious decision not to hunt sheep.

 

[RunWilderness]

Until I took an interest in hunting, I was completely ignorant regarding conservation fundings dependence on sportsmen and women rather than general funds. It's great that the wealthy are willing to pay a for conservation but not I'd rather see them doing it because the cause is just rather than because they're buying an auction tag. It seems to send the signal to both nonhunters and hunters alike that someone else will pickup the tab for the wildlife they care about.

 

[Matt/VT]

Overall a good article in my opinion, certainly emphasizes the conservation angle.

The comments make me laugh and cringe- people still fail to realize the blood that is on their hands from simply living that they have essentially paid someone to wipe off, not to mention that hunting is what made them who they are.

 

[LopeHunter]

Comments include lots of snowflakes and imagine they will never realize the impact on habitat loss even if are a vegetarian. If instead they eat meat from the grocery store then have no respect as death created the muscle they are buying wrapped up in the meat section. I appreciate that urbanites rarely see how cruel nature is and some even like to think wild animals have families and report cards and assisted living homes. The Disney-fication of animals to be people beneath fur.

Comments about the sheep should be armed or we should hunt people are the mantra of someone who does not grasp the complexity of managing wild animal populations at a time humans require more and more room and more and more food and water. Hunters pay for conservation to a large extent directly from purchasing tags, licenses and Pittman-Robertson taxes and regular taxes. Ignorance about how things get funded and presuming a magic wand will replace the loss of conservation funds if hunting was stopped is the realm of snowflakes. The outdoor world where wildlife live is cruel. A hunter is least of a bighorn sheep's worries and offers one of the quickest and least gory ways to die.

I liked the article. An idea for a follow-up article would be to focus on the Joe Sixpack hunter that mainly hunts local using resident tags. Joe Sixpack cumulatively does more than the few 100 Richie Rich guys that drops $10,000s to get an auction tag.

 

[BigHornRam]

It also mentioned the unlimiteds.

If you're not hunting sheep, its because you choose not to. You have made a conscious decision not to hunt sheep.

Being a victim is easier.

 

[brymoore]

This article outlines what sheep hunting should not be about. If the NYT wants to do an article on real sheep hunters they could interview several guys on HT who have drawn tags and did DIY hunts. It could interview conservationists out building guzzlers or negotiating the transfer of grazing allotments.

 

[MTGomer]

This article outlines what sheep hunting should not be about. If the NYT wants to do an article on real sheep hunters they could interview several guys on HT who have drawn tags and did DIY hunts. It could interview conservationists out building guzzlers or negotiating the transfer of grazing allotments.

That would be a great follow up piece for someone to do. This article did a good job covering how the money is raised, and gave a 10k foot level overview of where it goes, but the journalist being present when the guys on the ground are digging a catchment in 110 degree Arizona sun, or show a picture or two of a wolf or grizzly bear they saw, while riding a horse into the Beartooth to look at the growing population in the retired Ash/Iron mountain grazing allotment might hit home to the morally superior factory food eaters in the article's comment section.

 

[MTGomer]

Being a victim is easier.

There's no sheep. There are grizzlies everywhere. The outfitters camp on the only legal ram that ever wanders out of the park. And shut the season down before the average guy ever has a chance.

Atleast that's what all the guys that have never set foot in there tell me.