John Kerry Wasn’t Hunting – He Was Killing
By Larry S. Moore
CNSNews.com Commentary
October 22, 2004

Of all John Kerry’s flip-flops, Thursday’s staged hunting trip in Ohio was
certainly one of the biggest FLOPS. The effort to portray him as a “guy’s
guy” showed instead that John Kerry is still an elitist.

Most of us hunters struggle for access to quality hunting grounds. But
because of his status as a senator and presidential pretender, Kerry easily
found premium land on which to hunt — in a state where he knows few people,
never mind hunters.

John Kerry did no homework for his hunting trip — no landowner contacts, no
scouting trips, no dog training. He probably did not even buy his own
camouflage jacket.

He probably could not recite the laws governing his hunt — which means he
did not read his Ohio Hunting Guide or the federal migratory bird rules.

John Kerry is a poster boy for the Humane Society of the United States and
PETA – groups that object to hunters just walking out into the fields and
shooting things.

What John Kerry did is not hunting — it was killing.

John Kerry did not develop landowner relations. Where were the photos of
Kerry thanking the family for permitting him the opportunity to hunt on
their land? Where were the photos of John Kerry asking the farmer if he
needs help with any chores or offering to share some of the rewards of the
hunt? Then he says he is too lazy to carry his own game!

As a hunter, I have great respect and honor for the reward of the hunt,
which is the game I take. That means carrying out my game, and it means
properly cleaning and preserving (freezing) the meat for later dining
pleasure.

Beyond hunting, there always must be reverence for the game — otherwise you
don’t hunt with me. There is always a special place for the dogs (in my
case, beagles) as my hunting partners.

John Kerry was out of sight of the photographers when the actual hunting
took place. Did he shoot his geese? To me it is unethical for someone else
to shoot part of your bag limit. Depending on the circumstances, it could be
illegal. Did John Kerry display respect for the land by picking up his empty
shotgun shells?

John Kerry is taking every photo opportunity to convince us that he is a
regular guys who loves to hunt. But Kerry is missing the mark with true
sportsmen and women of Ohio who understand that hunting is about more than
waltzing into a state and killing a couple of animals an sacrifice for your
political ambitions.

For me, hunting is about family and friends. I hunt with my children. I am a
volunteer Ohio Hunter Education instructor. I have worked hard to teach
proper respect and ethics to our young people as they take up hunting.

My daughter is featured on the front cover of the Ohio Hunter Education
Manual. There is a photograph of me when I was about seven years old with my
cousin and his beagle. He taught me about beagles and passed down a family
tradition.

We gather around a table of venison, rabbit or pheasant and praise God for
the bounties of this land and the opportunities we have to share our hunting
experiences as family. That is what true sportsmen understand.

Far from showing he is a regular guy, Kerry is showing Ohioans he just does
not understand these things. His trips afield for photo opportunities are as
staged and fake as when he threw someone else’s war medals away.

John Kerry is not connecting with the true sportsmen.

(Larry Moore is the Ohioans For Concealed Carry Senate District 10
Coordinator and a frequently published outdoors writer in Ohio.)