What was Jim Zumbo thinking???

[.270]

ok, nobody got my objectivity lesson. if you're gonna take someone's money, you have to represent them. your opinions and feeling don't mean anything and if they're contrary to the boss's, you best keep em to yourself. if he had those kinds of opinions, he should have never been a hypocrit and accepted the positions. i have my problems with the nra too. i really got yanked off when they weighed in on Azgfd commission appointments. they need to let states take care of themselves and keep themselves involved in federal firearms concerns. but "assault" rifle fans are a big part of their business. (i hate the term assault rifle. if you read the federal definition, a .22 auto rifle is an assault rifle) the only way shooting and hunting stays alive is by being polarized. the groups that have taken up the banner have to be diehard, no quarter asked or given, plum mean people to survive and you can't have someone in your ranks, representing you, that isn't the same way. the opposition is just as mean and diehard and doesn't have to use the truth. remington is a tough company and won't take this. so are the other outfits that paid his bills. and they shouldn't be expected too. they don't want anyone else popping up and doing the same thing. look what happened when smith and wesson jumped ship on all the other gunmakers and settled with clinton. they about went broke. the nra cut ties with them. they couldn't sell a gun. didn't take em long to see their error and fix it either. but they're smith and wesson. a big company. zumbo is one guy and he said some things that his bosses couldn't live with. like Gus told Jake Spoon just before he hung him, "you crossed the line". there is a line there and zumbo crossed it. the only thing that keeps hunting and shooting available to us all is tough vigilance. to the point of being mean. and whoever said that zumbo wrote one of the first articles in outdoor life needs to look a little closer. outdoor life has been around since the latter 1800's. zumbo might be nearing geezerdom, but he ain't that old. Lark.

[Outdoor Writer]

Since I DO know the man and have for more than 30 years, I'll clear up some erroneous statements before I leave for Mexico to catch some bass in the morning.

 

Zumbo is a wildlife biologist . In fact, he has two degrees -- one in forestry and another in wildlife management. He worked for the BLM out of Vernal, Utah as a forester and wildlife biologist for 15 years.

 

Long before he got "famous," thus getting all the perks of that status, he paid his own way and SUCCESSFULLY hunted in many places and for many critters on his own. That's how he became a hunting writer.

 

Now I'm outta here until next week sometime. Have a great week. -TONY

[COOSEFAN]

Best of luck with the fishin'.........by the way Tony, thanks for the book! I had my fingers crossed and hoped that was the prize with MY name on it, now I can take my old, beaten up, scribbled on, paperback and put it away.....replacing it with this one! Thanks, JIM>

[COOSEFAN]

As far as this Zumbo ordeal, I feel really sorry for him and what he's goin' through. As Lark said, I also believe there has to be zero tolarance for any negative publicity about any firearm and you have to stay as firm and vigilant as the opposition. You give in a little, they will take advantage of the weekness and run with it. It is unfortunate it was Mr. Zumbo that this happened too, but I also feel everything happens for a reason, maybe this incident may be the starting foundation for Jim to bring to the general public all the things he, himself, has been unaware of this whole time. Hopefully his new ambitions of studying and learning the common uses and advantages of "black" guns, has a positve affect on the issues and ideals surrounding these weapons! I wish him luck in his new found goals! JIM>

[parothead]

Travis,

The infighting that has resulted and will continue result from this statement , among hunters at least, will be much more damaging to us as a whole than what the anti's will come up with. Rembrant was completely right about polarization. In another context look at what comments you get from someone who spots and stalks makes about someone who sits in a stand over a corn feeder in Texas. On this site even there have been many derogatory remarks made about this type of hunting. However, according to TX state law it is a legal method and therefore we should not argue and call names, we should appreciate the fact that they are out there hunting and we can quietly keep hunting the way we prefer.

When we weaken from within, that is when the sport of hunting is truly endangered and unfortunately this has happened to a certain extent in this case, rather than let Mr. Zumbo apologize he was crucified, granted he made a misstep but he immediately tried to correct it.

I in particular don't feel that he did deserve what he got , and neither would you if you were in his position, and if you deny that I would unfortunately have to say you were full of it. Nobody wants to see their livelihood go up in smoke. AG

 

Fatfootdoc.

 

Yes I am full of it. I am full of the freedom to choose which firearm I own and which weapon I hunt with. I am full of the love of the hunt without harrasment for being a hunter. I am full of it because I am full of life because of the outdoor lifestyle I live. I am sorry if you don't understand my comment, I don't want to start any type of in fighting, but there is a huge responsibility that goes along with the being a spokesperson for the hunting and firearms community. Thousands of people read his written word and millions more watch his TV show. The anti-firearm community doesn't have do any but let the leaders of the hunting/firearm communty make their statements for them. They only have to magnify those foolish comments for their benefit.

 

Travis Roberts

Tucson, AZ

[wetmule]

Hard to believe that a guy with that kind of longevity in the outdoor writing business would step in it that bad and be so reckless publicly with his words. I wish no ill will on the guy and hope he can make the best of a bad situation but that will be a hard one to live down and will probably stick to him as long as he's around. If you look at recent history to what happened to Clinton (impeached) for his perpetual lies. Dan Rather lost his job for fabricating false stories. And a whole slew of others for similar mis-steps, they never do completely recover. Although I've never read much of his stuff I have alot more respect for the paid outdoor writer than I do for all the guys that give their stories to Eastmans or Trophy Hunter for a coffee cup or a T-Shirt just so they can see their mug in a magazine. I respect them for their accomplishments and I enjoy looking at their pics etc. but not for literally giving their stories away for free and adding to the publishers bank account.

Like 270 said if you work for someone or some company, you represent them in the best possible light or more than likely you're gone. There are many cases where any publicity is good publicity, but in this case where there are so many Hyenas foaming at the mouth to strip us of our 2nd amendment rights, this kind of publicity can't be anything but bad, IMO

[fatfootdoc]

Travis,

I was not trying to start a fight with you and did understand your point, what I was pointing out is that we need to put ourselves in his shoes. All of us have said or done something we immediately regretted, we probably also were able to apologize for it and be forgiven with little loss of our success in personal or business endeavours. My point is that you would not be to happy to be in his shoes right now, neither would I. AG

Oh and one other thing, the saying is don't judge another until you have walked a mile in their shoes----Then you are a mile away and have their shoes ag

[.270]

i just read zumbo's apology and explanation. i'm even less impressed with him now. he does all the self penitent stuff that anyone in his position would, but he also says he had no idea that people actually hunted with ar-15's and other "black" guns. what a crock. ruger has been making the mini-14 for decades and it falls right into the assault rifle class and folks have hunted with it for years. ruger sells em by the jillions for military use all over the world. that's why the came out with the 7.62x39, mini.30 model. what about all the sks's out there? he never saw or heard of one of those in the field? or anything else? several outfits make custom semi auto coyote rigs that are based on the ar-15 design. i don't buy it. this guy was as involved in the shooting industry as anyone ever has been and he didn't know folks used "assaul" rifles. this joker said what he actually felt. must have had too many shots o' jack and it loosened up his typin' hand. besides, it shouldn't matter at all why folks have "black" guns, they're still guns, legal guns, guns that are owned by a big numer of law abiding people who have no ties to terrorists or cop killers, and he was representing gun interests. i think everyone is better off with sheepskinned coyote out in the open without his camo. too bad they can't take back all the cash he's duped the shooting public out of for the past 30 years. oh yeah, i don't care if he is a "wildlife professional" or park ranger, he couldn't hunt his was to town and back. don't care how many degrees he has, if he ain't bein' guided, he's lost. Lark.

[Rembrant]

Come on Lark. Break out of that shell.

Tell us how you really feel!

Mike

[firstcoueswas80]

Actually, for once Lark had a valid legit point... not bad for an ole; Geezer

 

 

Jumbo has been around the hunting world for 30 years and he didnt know people hunted with "black guns" AR-15's AR-10's Mini 14;s SKS'... come on.. thats a crock of BS and we ALL KNOW IT!! some people are ignorant and some people are blind but nobody is that blind... i have read alot of stories from him about coyote hunting... on all those trips nobody carried one of the above guns? come on Jim, were alot smarter than you think. ya gotta come up with something better than that to trick us!