Vice President’s Accident Shows Press Ignorant of Hunting

For the comedians, it’s a gift from God. The Vice President of the US accidentally shot a hunting buddy. For the anti-Busheviks, it’s a scandal that should force him from office. Yet all that anyone has really learned from this is that the American media doesn’t really know diddly squat (a technical term) about hunting.

First off, the hunt in which Mr. Cheney and the unfortunate Harry Whittington were engaged was on the move. That is, they were in a line of hunters advancing across the terrain in pursuit of quail. This is different from sitting in a duck or deer blind, and truthfully, a bit more dangerous because of the motion. One needs to pay extra attention. One never crosses “the line.” One stays in control no matter what the quail do. It is harder than sitting still, and accidents come with the territory.

Second, Mr. Cheney is a very experienced shooter who wanted a bigger challenge than most, and for that reason, Mr. Whittington isn’t worse off. The vice president used a 28-gauge gun, not the usual 12-gauge. The difference is between the elegance of the 28 and the power of the 12. One must get closer with the 28-gauge because the cluster of shot breaks sooner, has less stopping power. And while the equipment is under discussion, the Veep didn’t use “buckshot” despite what many reports say; it was “birdshot.” Hunters don’t go in for high fallutin’ names: buckshot is for shooting bucks, and bird shot is for shooting birds. One needs far less lead to stop a bird, so birdshot is a lot smaller than buckshot -- and less lethal to hunters.

Third, the Vice President isn’t a true hunter. According to the Corpus-Christi Caller Times, Katharine Armstrong [owner of the ranch where the accident took place] “said she was watching from a car while Cheney, Whittington and another hunter got out of the vehicle to shoot at a covey of quail late afternoon on Saturday.” The term is “road hunting,” and among hunters stands next to “poaching” as a term of abuse. In most states, including Texas, it’s illegal. However, Texans have the right to do as they wish on private property, which the Armstrong ranch clearly is (all 50,000 acres of it). So, while it wasn’t illegal, it sure was tacky.

Fourth, this isn’t the first time Mr. Cheney has shown what a non-hunter he is. In December 2003, he participated in a canned hunt at the Rolling Rock Club and Game Preserve using farm-raised pheasants. Five hundred birds were released in front of the line, and 417 were killed, more than 70 by Mr. Cheney. Iin the Dakotas, where there are a lot more wild pheasants than Pennsylvania has, 3 to 5 birds is the limit, and 15 or so it the possession limit. Killing 70 is just plain greedy, and a real hunter would leave more for next time as a matter of enlightened self-interest and etiquette. Shooting farm-raised animals isn't hunting; it's butchery with a gun instead of a cleaver.

If the press knew anything about hunting, which damn few of them do (CNN’s Rich Sanchez is a notable exception), the coverage wouldn’t have anything to do with Mr. Cheney’s failure to have the $7 ppland game bird stamp or on why a Saturday afternoon accident wasn’t reported until Sunday. Instead, they could ask why a man, who can successfully hunt with a 28-gauge, go road hunting? What kind of punk is he to kill more than he can eat? And when is lawyer season in Texas, anyway?

The Danish flag appears here as a protest against the violence being done to the free press of that country and elsewhere by those offended by some cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed, peace be unto him. A perceived insult is not an excuse for intimidation and violence, even in the name of the Creator. One cannot insult God, only small-minded men who falsely claim to speak for Him. © Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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