A special reminder for people against hunting

For the past few weeks I’ve been struggling to get back into public opinion. Since our buddy Pierre sudden passed, both my human and I have been laying low. But today I’m pissed off and I want to throw an old bone at the anti-hunting supporters and yes there are friends within the herd that are keen on banning hunting.

Hunting is as old as the human race is. If hunting did not happen back when cavemen roamed the earth, then today’s modernized, social media addicted, online protesting humans would have never developed. It took us 40 million years to reach a billion people on planet Earth, but it took only 40 years to reach the 4 billion mark. (Yes, between the small representation of  humans who are vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters humans still haven’t learned how to use a condom or to take the pill).

Before you throw rocks at me remember I’m a green cow, some of you enjoy that plastic taste, McDonalds, on your way home from work or a night out. I am your food so listen up you anti-hunting crowd, this rant is about you.

This week it was announced that James Hetfield, the frontman of Metallica, would narrate a new documentary on a History TV about bear hunting in Alaska. The producers of the documentary argue that the documentary presents a balanced view: “Brown bears co-exist with humans on the island and it’s a delicate balance, yet it’s regarded as one of the most successful conservation efforts in the world. Most hunters go after adult males, or boars, who when food is scarce are known to kill and eat cubs, as well as cause trouble near populated areas”

You can read on Metal Hammer site about the Glastonbury festival protest for removing Metallica off the bill because of this and I’m pretty sure that the majority of Metallica fans who are eagerly awaiting their set at Glastonbury are not in agreeing with this protest. The anti hunting protesters are fighting against an already recorded, produced and soon to be broadcasting TV series about brown bear hunting.

Hunting season is currently open in South Africa (months without an R in it are hunting months) and guess what, right now permits and hunting licenses to hunt game are in process. This brown bear hunting from what I could read up on the internet happens in all natural habitats and not in a 1 hectare cage that is considered ‘cage hunting’.

Hunting is one of the biggest income streams in our country. Not our fruits or vegetables or our meat or even tobacco comes to this. And no, not even tourism, because tourists will spend a certain amount of budget which is way under what an average hunter will spend. Every province in the country has a certain quota of hunting licenses that they have but not all of those hunting licenses are applied for or even awarded to the hunter. For example: In Limpopo 40 hunting permits are available to hunt lion but only 5 of those hunting permits might be applied for and awarded. Why? Because hunting is friggin’ expensive, just ask any person who goes hunting.

You will pay maybe R 7 000 for an impala but over R 40 000 to hunt a bigger antelope. Then you still need to skin the animal, meat cut up and sold and all this needs to be done by a butcher who you have to pay. The skin must be processed if it’s going to be sold at curio shop or at the local interior decorating store or by a taxidermist (someone else that needs to be paid). The meat that was cut up will go to the hunter as he bought it and some will be sold to the butcher and such. The dry wors you’re chewing contains beef that’s mixed with game meat. Where do you think your game biltong/dry wors in the grocery stores come from? Probably from free roaming cows or something?

Hunting is as part of the natural eco system as much as lions are part of the Kruger National Park. Successful wildlife management is where you keep everything as natural as possible. Some game farms might not have big predators like lions, leopard, brown hyenas, spotted hyenas or cheetahs. Thus every year during winter they have to count their wildlife stock and decide how many animals are going to be captured and sold on wild life auctions and how many are going to be put up for hunting. You do this to keep the gene pools of animals open and not shrink it. You do this to keep your animals numbers at a certain total and of course managing their habitat so there is food for everything (yes from the ticks to the vultures in the sky). If we don’t hunt in hunting season where is all those animals going to go? To the zoo? Oh wait some of you are against zoo’s as well and they play such an important role in saving species. Since animals habitats (the places where they live) are being destroyed everywhere due to new housing, new malls, new office spaces and the growing farming some these animals have to live in a zoo.

Let me assure you as well this cow is against canned hunting (which is wrong on so many levels it’s not even funny). Regulations in the hunting act of SA stipulate that no animals are supposed to be hunted in a confided space and must self sustaining for at least 24 months or more. So, that animal must be able to live and thrive on it’s own in nature without any human help. Also, bow hunting must be done under strict supervision and also that I’ve heard most hunters say “You must kill the animal in one shot, not injure it and then leave it”

Yes, there are people who abuse the rules and have zero regard for regulations and the animals. Those ones I call poachers and it’s not limited to the rhino’s (as you’ve seen on TV). From lions to the small hares, all kinds of animals are being poached for traditional medicine (yes, even the African traditional medicine), bush meat (there are a lot hungry and unemployed people in South Africa) and those tourist idiots who buy products next to the road (without thinking where that animal skin or nails came from). My human and I have seen first hand what a poacher can do to an animal and you want to get so angry that you want to cut off his balls.

If all the anti hunters in the world can rather throw their energy, time and money at stopping canned hunting and poaching we will have much better results on both side. Stopping hunting is not going to stop poaching or canned hunting, but it will stop both mentioned if you fight harder for those instead of anti hunting.

How many of you anti hunting guys have actually did the research on hunting? You took all the negatives and never looked at the positives. Working on game farms and for hunting parties is a huge industry and puts food on the table of many South Africans. What about our own local musicians that do go hunting? Are you also going to stop buying their CD’s and boycott their shows? Then your life is going to be spend confided to your homestead. I’m not going to name well known singers names who I know personally who go hunting because then you bunch will start to attack them as well.

Today there is such a high demand for fish farming because humans are busy eating up all the fish in the ocean. Yes, sushi lovers I’m looking at you. But I’m not going to stop anyone from eating sushi or seafood products because it’s their choice as long as they do it responsibly. On the flipside, why do you buy McDonalds when you know it’s bad for you? Us cows cause more green house gasses than your car. The point is, in the end nature has to play against man’s greed and the longer you anti hunting party guys fight the more trouble you are going to cause in a few years time.

The impact of removing hunting from the ecosystem will cause such serious damage you guys will just pull your shoulders and say “It’s not our problem”. I challenge any human out there reading this rant to actually sit down with a professional hunter and hear what they have to say. Next time you’re looking at buying a local musician album and you got a problem with hunting then leave it be. You won’t like the fact that artist is going on a hunting trip soon to relax, enjoy the bush and get away from the public eye.

I couldn’t care if my favorite musicians goes hunting for Springbok or eat beef burgers, they make good tunes. Here in Mpumalanga we are raised on tourism and game meat that we got from family members that went hunting. Hunting an Eland is like hunting two cows worth in meat, the same for buffalo. That my friend is something to think about. Boycott Metallica’s music, go right ahead, burn your t-shirts and CD’s but you are the one that is going to loose out.

Leave a comment and let me know if you agree or disagree with me.  Feedback is appreciated and welcome here. If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, feel free to share this with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Remember: Sharing is caring.

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