average american

unfortunately this is what hunting has come to. It is all about who gets bragging rights or who can make the most money off of the killing of wildlife that supposedly belongs to all of us. The selfish act of killing this trophy deer has little to do with the place he was killed and everything to do the fact that he was a TAME deer. This deer was hand fed by countless people, hundreds of pictures have been taken of him and he was admired by many. I have pictures of this deer and watched another almost as big as him beat a lady to the ground because she wasn't feeding it peanuts fast enough. Anybody that calls himself a hunter and isn't outraged by this is part of the problem. This guy took a big round-house swing with the mallet that is driving the stake into the heart of sport hunting. If this story gets out to the news papers hunters will be crucified on all fronts. We can argue about ethics forever and never agree on what is ethical and what is not, but this just plain lack of respect and lack of common sense. Sport hunting is being attacked every day by better funded and organized groups than us. Do we really need to give them this sort of ammo to use against us? Eventually they are going to win the fight. I have been hunting in this great state for 40 years and this is one of the most shameful acts i've seen yet. I guess congratulations are in order for this guy., and while we are at it lets congratulate the guy that shot the trophy bull between the houses illegally a couple of years ago and the kids that shoot the geese off of the pond at the park and the people that brag about the big trout they caught in the breeder ponds at the hatchery. It's all the same, it's all about the "LOOK AT ME" mentality. Pretty harsh I know, but it is what I believe, and if we don't speak up for our beliefs we are already lost.

I would like to add a few comments to the controversy about the bait ban currently being reviewed by the game and Fish Commission. First off let it be known that I mite be a newbie on this site(sort of) but I am no newbie to hunting in Arizona. I am an Arizona native and have been hunting for over 30 years. I have taken probably more than my share of Whitetail and elk over the years as well as 9 of the big 10 and have seen hunting change drastically over the last 20 years, not all for the better. To think that rules don't need to be adjusted or changed over time is just plain crazy. If rules hadn't been implemented decades ago there would not be any game out there for us to pursue today. Things change, get used to it. Fact is, there is just too many people using the resources for things not to change. I do respect other's opinions on this matter and would never revert to name calling or threatening. We all have opinions and the right to expess them in a civil manner. We will never all agree. Nothing I can say will change any minds nor can anyone change mine. It's never easy to decide just where to draw the line on matters like this but we all need to draw it somewhere. I am sure that the G&F do have some valid scientific or management reasons for taking up the subject of baiting although we may never know for sure or agree with them. I am very opposed to baiting animals for probably different reasons than most. First, I think that we owe the animals that we are pursueing a little more respect than to get them addicted to an unnatural food source for the sole reason of killing them. All the advances in hunting technology over the years has been ours. The deer's knowledge is the same as it always has been. At what point will it become not fair chase? Second, I believe that baiting has the potential to do more harm to our hunting rights by giving ammunition to anti-hunting groups everywhere. Most of the general public does not hunt or have an opinion either way about hunting but they are out there in greater numbers all the time. With all of the corn piles and food blocks out there they see them too. I would just about bet that most of them would say that baiting is an unfair way to hunt. I have talked to a few hikers who were very put off by it. It won't be long before the baiting issue is taken out of the G&F hands and put to the voters of the state, much like trapping was years ago. The trapping ban was not the fault of the G&F but rather the fault of a few unscrupulous trappers that placed traps wherever they pleased and caught peoples's dogs. Pretty soon it was front page news and the antis had the story they needed to get the voters to vote with their bleeding hearts. The same thing could easily happen here. While I respect the views of the outspoken people expressing opinions here I will never agree. I don't ever see hunters uniting on controversial subjects unanimously. We live in a country where we have the right to stand up for what we feel is right and i would expect everyone to do just that. If we support things that we don't believe in we really are sheeple. I could not in good faith back something that I thought was morally wrong and I don't for one second think that this is just the tip of the iceberg in taking away our hunting rights. It might just be a move to help save them. One thing is certain: we all have the right and duty to tell the G&F how we feel on the subject. It's easy to send an e-mail to them. If you don't take the time to at least express your opinion you don't have any right complaining whatever the outcome.