I read Tom Reed’s essay in the Oct. 11 issue
and was struck with the anti-gun rhetoric and the doom and gloom
about the state of hunting in the West.
First, although
Tom considers the National Rifle Association a mere dispenser of
propaganda, he should understand that it’s one of the few
organizations that fights for the citizen’s individual right
under the Second Amendment to the Constitution. This right is not
at all about hunting; it’s all about guns, specifically those
that may help protect us from tyrants.
And thanks in
great part to this amendment, our violent crime rates are not
increasing as are those in countries where only law enforcement
officers have the right to possess firearms.
Second,
populations of many game animals, most notably white-tailed deer
and Canada geese, are estimated to be higher than they were before
Europeans began exploiting the New World. Here in North Dakota, the
number of deer tags issued has increased from none in 1953 to over
145,000 this year. Moose, bighorn sheep and elk have all been added
to the list of game animals in recent years, and we have a healthy
population of pronghorn.
Finally, I find it hard to
believe Tom doesn’t feel the slightest bit of nostalgia about
the rifles and shotguns he has used to harvest game over the
decades. Most hunters can tell you exactly what firearm they used
for their first deer, or pride themselves in keeping
grandpa’s old guns as treasured family heirlooms.
Hal Kantrud
Jamestown, North Dakota
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Hunting: It’s a lot about the gun.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
