Montana Outdoors: "Big Game Hunting"...On the Fast Track to...

...oblivion...at least in the traditional sense. Traditional in that "to hunt well meant to stalk up close and personal, put the pill where it belonged; anything less than a one shot quick kill was deemed a failure and...And being labeled a good hunter meant the same thing as being labeled a woodsman which used be about as high an accolade as one could aspire to...No more; today's hunting heroes are measured mostly in how far off did you shoot that "shooter" buck, bull, you name it...

The above 1000 yard tack driver (first test fire put 10 shots inside 7 inches at 1000 yards, 9 shots well inside 6 inches) was put together by a Pennsylvania pal to kill paper targets; but such super accurate long-range rifle/scope combos would fit right in with the latest rage in so-called big game "hunting" crowd.

Ever since the last March Madness bucket dropped my Saturday evening (you know, cocktail time) channel surfing has hit rock bottom; like if you can't cuff stuff like the In-Fisherman what the hell next...Jack and Jill Romancing the Whitetail Deer Ad Nauseum or, perish the thought, Best of the West How the Hell Far Off Can You Whack Em starring Smilin Jack and sponsored in part by the The Best Little Dildo Shoppin Mart for Far Out Shoot Em Ups...or whatever the handle.

Long ago, in a rare moment of enlightenment, I concluded enough already. Like how many ways can you stick a whitetail , while settin a tree surrounded by Booners leased to the hilt by Mathews Awesome Cams or whatever the latest whiz bang widget is labeled these days? Sorry gang, just ain't doin it for me no more...Thus I all but gave up the so-called "sportsman channel" and their kind as well...

But as I say, no b-ball to watch, yet another lousy hockey game and well hell, ya gotta watch somethin to slow down the booze consumption so...We come to last nights...ah-h, show...Sorry,  don't know what else to call it so...Back to my rant...

The "show" starts off okay with Smilin' Jack bragging on a well-worn guide (about to help dude 100 punch a bighorn sheep tag). Guide and hunters ride off into the sunset; cut to youngster's first antelope hunt...kid whacks a nice antelope...way to go so far except now amid all the whoop-ups and high-fives we learn the range 497 yards...helluva shot, you bet, but to call it a hunt or label the kid a "good hunter"? Sorry, ain't buyin' that one....Back to the sheep after a couple days hard going in rugged mountains and passing up a couple "shooters" the guide finds the "one" and you guessed it...another crack shot this one 897 yards, I think...could have been 997 but hell, when you whack a "shooter ram" damn near or slightly over a half mile off who am I quibble a mere hundred yards or so...

To the dynamic duo's credit did appear to at least be horsing and tramping around in real sheep country, steep, rocky, a real bitch, is in no way stooping as low as whacking a "Booner ram" out the truck window while grazing grass at the road berm as one hero I know did recently but c'mon a half mile shot and call it hunting...no way. I rest my case...