Shooting Rufus Gives Us All A Bad Name

What was this hunter thinking?   I mean…c’mon, if you have to shoot a wild turkey that the locals have for months considered somewhat of a pet because of its friendly nature…then you need to take up a different sport.   ‘Cause buddy…your actions are giving all of us hunters a bad name.   Truthfully, when news of an idiot hunter hits the AP Newswire it usually only broadcasts to the world that hunters are: #1. Idiots; and/or  #2. Dangerous; and/or #3. Uncaring.   Take your pick…because more often than not that is how the media chooses to portray us.

Take, for instance, the story that I’m referring to about the wild turkey.   Here’s what the AP reported earlier today:

“CULDESAC, Idaho – For six months, Rufus the wild turkey beguiled area residents and served as unofficial greeter, pet and tourist attraction at the Jacques Spur Junction Cafe. But someone decided to turn him into dinner on the opening day of turkey hunting season Saturday.

“I heard the shot and got up to look down the street and saw a guy wrestling with a turkey,” Sarah Berna, a waitress at the northern Idaho cafe, told the Lewiston Tribune. “I knew it was Rufus.”

Berna said the hunter was an older man who drove an older model Chevy Blazer with Idaho plates, parked about 50 yards from the cafe in Culdesac, about 10 miles east of Lewiston. Rufus put up a fight, Berna said, even as he was grabbed by a leg and thrown through the top hatch of the Blazer….”

Okay, now I know what you’re thinking…the guy probably had a license to hunt turkeys and technically did nothing wrong by bagging a turkey.   Albeit, if he was hunting on a public street you would think that perhaps some local ordinances might have been broken…but I’ll give him that.   It is a rural area of Idaho, after all.

But honestly…do you think that the hunter was completely unaware of the fascination this community had developed with the turkey and the notoriety it had gained as an “unofficial greeter” of the local restaurant?   Furthermore, I’m bothered by the thought that this old man was too lazy or decrepit to go out in the woods and that perhaps he should not be hunting in the first place.   I mean let’s get real…where’s the sport in shooting a wild turkey that has grown so accustomed to being around humans that it has lost some of its natural fears?

“…Rufus’ pluck and boldness carried him through Thanksgiving as diners feasted on turkey while watching Rufus in the parking lot. He eventually started walking up to the car doors to look inside, and restaurant patrons responded by getting “turkey bags” for Rufus when they left.

Rufus, however, was a discriminating eater, turning down broccoli and cracked corn, but accepting grapes, sunflower seeds and leaves.

“I know it’s hunting season, but I know we’re going to miss Rufus,” said Jean Ballard, who lives near the cafe and gave Rufus his name. “I hope the guy is proud of himself.”

As hunters we need to be better aware of how our actions are perceived by the general public.   Did the hunter in question act appropriately?   Perhaps in his mind he did because he did not apparently violate any laws.   But acting appropriately (staying within the law) and acting properly (using good judgment) are two very different things.   This hunter exercised such poor judgment that his actions now appear broadcast in news outlets throughout the country, if not around the world.

I’m not saying that as sportsmen we need to honor everyone’s feelings and strive to be politically correct with all facets of our actions.   Still, we all need to use a certain modicum of compassion towards others who might view wildlife in a completely different way than we do.   That’s why hunting should take place deep in the woods and NOT on some public street.   And while what this particular hunter did may not be technically wrong…he should be chastised not only by the media for being an idiot…but more importantly among his peers who feel his hunting actions were completely disgusting and totally unnecessary.

© 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.