Texas Tech Students Hunting Photos Cause Uproar

[33girl]

Just wondering, are any of these animals edible? I mean I know that if you had to you could, but would you want to?

Re that comment navane posted, coupling hunting and conservation just sounds kind of like coupling rape and sex education.

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Just wondering, are any of these animals edible? I mean I know that if you had to you could, but would you want to?

Re that comment navane posted, coupling hunting and conservation just sounds kind of like coupling rape and sex education.

In the US, groups like Ducks Unlimited bring a lot of money to conservation and lots of votes. They provide vocal support for conservative politicians to get behind conservation efforts with money and programs. NRA members are a huge voice in US politics and they are very interested in conservation issues because many of them hunt.

In places in Africa, hunting tourism brings money that contributes to the local economy and supports preserving habitat for these animals. I personally wouldn't hunt these animals, but limited hunting provides impetus to preserve important habitat and species.

That said, I sort of hate this chick. She's not educating people. She's not working to preserve habitat. She's not promoting understanding. She's exploiting a cultural divide for her own gain. She's profiting by making Americans scream at each other over a cultural divide. She's a nasty little fame whore who is representative of everything wrong with reality TV.

[Hearttoheart]

You can't really call her a fame whore without calling all of Hollywood and most politicians the same! This obviously is a hobby of hers. Obviously her family encourages this hobby. If she wants to capitalize on this hobby, more power to her!

She wouldn't be darting rhinos to help the local vet fix a broken leg is she didn't have compassion for animals.

My own daughters hunt and often post pictures of themselves with their "trophies" on Facebook. We then process the animals for food and use the hides for pillows, rugs, throws etc. nothing is wasted. Neither of them is looking to star in a reality series. They just want to share with their friends the victories of the hunt.

Don't be too hard on a girl who had been encouraged by her family her whole life to hunt animals. From a woman who's family owns a wild game ranch, there is a such think as responsible hunting and wildlife management.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by Hearttoheart

Don't be too hard on a girl who had been encouraged by her family her whole life to hunt animals. From a woman who's family owns a wild game ranch, there is a such think as responsible hunting and wildlife management.

I'm not hard on her for hunting. I understand why people hunt.

What bothers me personally is that she is standing over a dead animal that is considered to be endangered, or nearly endangered. She's smiling and gloating over her kill of these animals.

I think if she had the same pose/smile with deer, which is not considered to be endangered, then this would not even be news.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Hearttoheart

You can't really call her a fame whore without calling all of Hollywood and most politicians the same!

They are all fame whores to varying extents. DUH. What now?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by KDCat

That said, I sort of hate this chick. She's not educating people. She's not working to preserve habitat. She's not promoting understanding. She's exploiting a cultural divide for her own gain. She's profiting by making Americans scream at each other over a cultural divide. She's a nasty little fame whore who is representative of everything wrong with reality TV.

Yep.

Hearttoheart - I have no problem with hunting. I grew up in a town where they post pictures and lists of deer and bear kills in the newspaper. And LOTS of girls hunt. But they sure as hell don't do it in full makeup and pose for pics where they're eye humping the camera.

[Nanners52674]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Yep.

Hearttoheart - I have no problem with hunting. I grew up in a town where they post pictures and lists of deer and bear kills in the newspaper. And LOTS of girls hunt. But they sure as hell don't do it in full makeup and pose for pics where they're eye humping the camera.

This. Most people don't have a legit professional video crew document their hunts. They don't say they hope to get a TV show.

If you hunt because you love to hunt, awesome! Have a blast! But if you're just killing animals for the purpose of trying to get on reality TV that's not right imo.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Nanners52674

This. Most people don't have a legit professional video crew document their hunts. They don't say they hope to get a TV show.

If you hunt because you love to hunt, awesome! Have a blast! But if you're just killing animals for the purpose of trying to get on reality TV that's not right imo.

So if she's going to hunt, enjoy herself and probably make millions of dollars, what's the objection there? It seems everyone from the permit sellers who are going to be able to sell permits for lots more money, probably meaning more resources for the preserves to the hunter herself who will get fame and fortune to the sport of hunting all win.

And while they're doing that, they improve security and manage the size of populations on the preserve, this kind of seems like an everyone wins sort of scenario.

[33girl]

The sport of hunting doesn't win (nor do conservation efforts) when its poster girl is this fame whore. She makes hunting seem like something selfish spoiled rich girls do just to get on tv. That's not the norm at all.

For comparison - has Honey Boo Boo improved the image of child beauty pageants? Or turned it into something its participants need to apologize for?

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by 33girl

The sport of hunting doesn't win (nor do conservation efforts) when its poster girl is this fame whore. She makes hunting seem like something selfish spoiled rich girls do just to get on tv. That's not the norm at all.

I haven't seen it portrayed that way. We'll see what producers do with her. For all you know, they'll portray her as some sort of badass. Consider the demographic they're marketing to. I would think that lionizing her [bad pun intended] is going to make her much more marketable than treating her as some sort of Paris Hilton with a rifle.

For comparison - has Honey Boo Boo improved the image of child beauty pageants? Or turned it into something its participants need to apologize for?

Having some poor child damn near abused by her parents and turned into a national spectacle is a total apples vs. oranges comparison. This young lady kind of sounds like a badass.