Hunting is nothing but killing
David Guthrie made some wild and sweeping statements and accusations in his letter about the nobility of hunters and the "narrow-minded" and "misinformed" non-hunters.
(Ironically I read his letter in Lower Sabie, so I suppose that makes me an “indifferent spectator”. My “indifference” cost me quite a bit of money as being a “narrow-minded” visitor to the park does not come cheap.) Does he and do all hunters really know so much more about nature than all non-hunters?
My event was also carefully planned from packing, menu planning,to checking my (non-lethal) equipment, in short, very much the same as Mr Guthrie’s excursion.
Only, mine did not end in the death of an animal.
One often sees these great hunters in their customised bakkies – spotlights and padded armrests on the roof, all in the name of their noble sport. Armed of course, with highly sophisticated guns with telescopes.
Then there are those hunters who put out bait for predators or lie in wait at water holes. I know of a hunter who built a hide and placed a quadriplegic Spaniard in the hide, even the gun was firmly supported and aimed at the bait so the brave hunter really only had to pull the trigger when the leopard arrived.
All for money and in the name of “sport”. Please just answer one question,
Mr Guthrie – what emotion do you feel when you kill an animal that did you absolutely no harm, when anything, from a steenbokkie to an elephant lies lifeless?
Do you feel powerful, godlike, untouchable, superior? A hunter kills an animal because he likes killing, no other reason. A trophy hunter is even further down the scale. He does not even pretend to “hunt for the pot”.
He wants to put the head up in his bar and impress people.
