The Archive

Texas ages to kill a deer

Phew, just as I was running out of ideas and energy to blog, Texas comes up trumps by introducing laws to allow blind people to hunt.

Because, let's face it, if you or I were blind, wouldn't one of the things we missed most, after the ability to witness our child's first steps, be the ability to kill other animals with guns? Don't deny it now.

Now you might think that being blind would be something of a barrier to effective aiming at things, but you'd be wrong. Apparently you can mount a sight on the side of your rifle, so that a buddy can look through it over your shoulder.

Presumably, they then say 'left a bit... right a bit... there, you got him, fire' until you bag your deer, making it a bloody and frightening version of that game they had on kids' TV on a Saturday morning, where kids would phone up and guide the celebrity controlling a video game.

But this does raise a couple of questions. Firstly, aren't you supposed to be quiet and not frighten the deer if you want them to stand still long enough to take a gutful of lead? Surely they'd catch on pretty quick that the distant murmer of 'left a bit' was a good time to scarper.

And secondly, if you are only holding the gun following instructions and firing wildly into the bushes, even if you did eventually bag a Bambi, does it count as your kill, or the guy who told you where to aim?

How satisfying can it possibly be to hit something you didn't even know for sure was there?

I'm not convinced.

Then again, a bunch of blindies running around the woods with loaded guns and a lust for blood. I'd like to see that.

From a distance, of course.

UPDATE: Flatmates' contributions to the blind hunting debate.

1. What if they only let blind people hunt blind deer.
2. That's not fair that they have to have a sighted person with them. Can't they tie a bell on the deer or something.

posted by Peter The Great @ 8:35 PM