From the E-Mailbag…

Duane Hanson wrote me to say…

I understand why you don't get the idea of hunting. It was never part of the culture or reality where you grew up. While I am of a similar age to you, I was born into a lower middle class family in a very rural area of northern Minnesota. My family hunted deer, ducks and geese. If my dad got a deer during the fall hunting season, it meant the freezer would be full and we would eat better all winter. In addition, deer hunting in places like Minnesota provides a necessary service by keeping the deer population at a manageable level. There is a limited amount of forage available and during harsh winters many thousands of deer can starve to death if their numbers outstrip the available resources. Nature's population control can be pretty brutal.

I never became a hunter myself and moved to a bit more urban area eventually, but I have many relatives who still look forward to hunting season in the fall and the chance to fill the freezer with venison and game birds. That type of hunting is a far cry from the trophy hunting pursued by people like the dentist who killed Cecil the lion. I have never been comfortable with trophy hunting and I understand the opposition to it. At my place of employment there's a guy just down the hall who has the walls of his office covered with big game trophies. I know trophy hunters feel pride and accomplishment in what they do, but I find it a bit creepy.

I'm afraid I find it more than a bit creepy. I do understand the kind of hunting where you grew up. It's not something in which I can ever imagine myself participating but I get it. There are lots of activities in that category like skydiving or race car driving or watching Will Ferrell movies. (Well, maybe not the Will Ferrell movies.) I just don't "get" the rush of pride and excitement that some seem to associate with trophy hunting.

And putting the head of the animal you killed on your wall? I'm not sure I could even stand to be in your house if you did that. I have left rooms because of taxidermy.

By the way: A lot of folks directed my attention to the segment Jimmy Kimmel did on his show about this. Watching Jimmy Kimmel is close to skydiving or race car driving in my book but this was pretty good. So you see: I am open to new experiences. Sometimes.