Jaxson Dart Shakes Hands with a Lion

[Seahawker]

The point of this thread was to emphasize how some things are priceless and can't be replaced with money. Things like our kids, friends, families, the outdoors, a shared campfire, even our pets can't have a price put on them. Pro athletes often have outside life long interests that transcend even football.
Just saying that throwing a random dart at a free agency map and going to the highest bidder might not be everyone's idea of an
utopian state. Some may want to have a say in where and how they live & may leave some money on the table to achieve that. The smart players retire while they are still physically intact and can still lead an active lifestyle.
Besides .net I frequent a hunting forum and I guess this cross-pollination was too much for the audience. Didn't think this would take an anti hunting slant but my two cents is that cougar are vastly over populated and one wolf is too many.

 

[Bobblehead]

I don't mind hunting with a purpose.. I despise killing for the sake of ,,, killing

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Yeah, what a "man" he is

 

[gmor]

Yeah, what a "man" he is

Huh?

 

[GeekHawk]

I grew up hunting, as we were pretty poor and a mule deer contains a lot of venison. However, I would never shoot anything I didn't intend to eat. And I sure wouldn't want to eat a mountain lion! In general, carnivores don't taste very good. The fish and the turkey - thumbs up. The mountain lion - two thumbs down.

 

[Nerter]

I grew up hunting, as we were pretty poor and a mule deer contains a lot of venison. However, I would never shoot anything I didn't intend to eat. And I sure wouldn't want to eat a mountain lion! In general, carnivores don't taste very good. The fish and the turkey - thumbs up. The mountain lion - two thumbs down.

Dude...have you ever tried cougar (NO...not THAT kind)?
I have eaten it numerous times. I like it very much.

 

[Rat]

I don't mind hunting with a purpose.. I despise killing for the sake of ,,, killing

Yeah, I'm not exactly a vegetarian so I'll try to refrain from sounding like a complete hypocrite, while still probably being one, but it's so astounding to me that there are people who actually ENJOY killing helpless animals.

 

[Ozzy]

He has a fish and a bird, both hunted species. Now the big cat.... sometimes its encouraged because ecological, agricultural, safety issues, livestock loss etc. It doesn't seem like many people in here understand hunting at all. I don't see anything that tells me he hunted solely for the enjoyment of killing something.

 

[Rat]

Yeah, I'll bet Dart is just passionate about livestock loss.

 

[Bobblehead]

He has a fish and a bird, both hunted species. Now the big cat.... sometimes its encouraged because ecological, agricultural, safety issues, livestock loss etc. It doesn't seem like many people in here understand hunting at all. I don't see anything that tells me he hunted solely for the enjoyment of killing something.

Here's a hint.. the big F'n grinn on his face.

 

[rjdriver]

I don’t really understand the correlation of the text and the photos in the OP.

Jaxson Dart grew up in the intermountain west at the base of the Uintah mountains surrounded by six national parks. He likes to hunt and fish. I’m sure a lot of players count themselves amongst the millions who do.

Right now in Utah, the state has implemented aggressive culling procedures for mountain lions. They are trying to boost mule dear and big horn sheep populations and have actually removed seasonal bag limits on mountain lions.

Interesting timing on the post. I’m not qualified to tell you if Jaxson Dart enjoys killing for the sake of killing. What I can say is that I know many avid hunters and outdoorsman who care very deeply about the wildlife ecosystem and preservation of forest lands and species.

For the record, I’m not a hunter nor am I fan of some people with whom Dart shares a podium.

 

[Sperrydogg]

I grew up hunting, as we were pretty poor and a mule deer contains a lot of venison. However, I would never shoot anything I didn't intend to eat. And I sure wouldn't want to eat a mountain lion! In general, carnivores don't taste very good. The fish and the turkey - thumbs up. The mountain lion - two thumbs down.

Yeah the mountain lion is bs. That’s just for sport. It’s disrespectful to life in general

Ok if he ate the cougar then it’s actually cool

I shot a squirrel once, damn sure ate it, and after we pinned the skin on a board to dry it out my dog ate that too

 

[Sperrydogg]

Dude...have you ever tried cougar (NO...not THAT kind)?
I have eaten it numerous times. I like it very much.

If I had my choice between wild animals to eat I don’t know if I’d ever get to cougar. I’d definitely eat alligator and shark, I’d eat snake , I don’t think I’d eat any bird of prey, I might try cougar….

 

[Bobblehead]

I don’t really understand the correlation of the text and the photos in the OP.

Jackson Dart grew up in the intermountain west at the base of the Uintah mountains surrounded by six national parks. He likes to hunt and fish. I’m sure a lot of players count themselves amongst the millions who do.

Right now in Utah, the state has implemented aggressive culling procedures for mountain lions. They are trying to boost mule dear and big horn sheep populations and have actually removed seasonal bag limits on mountain lions.

Interesting timing on the post. I’m not qualified to tell you if Jaxson Dart enjoys killing for the sake of killing. What I can say is that I know many avid hunters and outdoorsman who care very deeply about the wildlife ecosystem and preservation of forest lands and species.

For the record, I’m not a hunter nor am I fan of some people with whom Dart shares a podium.

I don't like the idea of "professionals" trying to control nature, they are simply no good at it.. they screw it up every time.

 

[Grahamhawker]

Cool if y'all choose to get your meat on a cellophane wrapped tray by paying someone else to do the dirty work, but I find the criticism hypocritical unless you've gone hardcore vegan. Mt. Lion is excellent eating btw.

As far as managing nature there are precious few environments that are not heavily manipulated by mere human presence. We are all having an impact on nature and wildlife by simply existing.

 

[Steve Hawk]

Cougar is some of the best wild game meat there is. It may be off putting to some, but it is damn good. Very lean and healthy.
Where I live, they are a constant threat to our animals and pets. We deal with them all winter long. I am not killing something I won't eat.

 

[GeekHawk]

Yeah the mountain lion is bs. That’s just for sport. It’s disrespectful to life in general

Ok if he ate the cougar than it’s actually cool

I shot a squirrel once, damn sure ate it, and after we pinned the skin on a board to dry it out my dog at that too

If he ate the mountain lion then okay. But I really doubt it, I imagine it's just a taxidermy mount. As far as squirrels go, I've never shot nor eaten one. Though, on a hunting trip a couple (3) of decades ago my f-ing idiot former bro-in-law shot one right in the eye with his .22 rifle just for fun. The Hunting Gods were not pleased. We were totally blanked all weekend and he was really pissed off. On our way back to the West side heading over Chinook Pass, he's driving himself, me, and my friend Rob in his truck when he suddenly spots a prime 3-point buck (that's 3 points on each side for you east coast folks that call that a 6-pointer) just standing beside the road. After dark. After legal hunting hours. So he instantly pulls over, gives Rob a really bright spotlight, and whips out his hunting rifle (which it turns out he didn't unload and was illegally driving with a loaded gun on the highway with no CWP). I think I mentioned he was (still is) an f-ing idiot. I told him to not do this bullshit, then plugged my ears with my fingers when he shot from the cab, across the highway. Then he shot twice more because the deer refused to die. The decoy deer set up by the Dept of Fish and Wildlife. A damn robo-deer. It was amazing how quickly the flashing red-and-blue lights showed up. I got thoroughly questioned about my part in all these shenanigans but I believe they must have had close-up surveillance on the spot that dumb-ass parked because as unlikely as my pleas of innocence might have sounded they didn't doubt anything I said. One question they asked was "Why didn't you stop him?" I was like "Look man, number one he was armed and I was not. Number 2, if I piss him off and he kicks me out I have to walk back home over a damn mountain pass, and I need to be at work at my new job like tomorrow morning." So they told me to choose better hunting partners, and wrote criminal citations for dumb-ass and Rob. They both spent a weekend in county lockup, Rob got his rifle back with a couple of year's suspended hunting license, and dumb-ass lost his rifle and had a longer hunting license suspension.

The lesson (well, one of the lessons) here is that you should only shoot what wildlife you intend to eat. Otherwise you risk pissing off the Hunting Gods. Just sayin'.

 

[Sperrydogg]

If he ate the mountain lion then okay. But I really doubt it, I imagine it's just a taxidermy mount. As far as squirrels go, I've never shot nor eaten one. Though, on a hunting trip a couple (3) of decades ago my f-ing idiot former bro-in-law shot one right in the eye with his .22 rifle just for fun. The Hunting Gods were not pleased. We were totally blanked all weekend and he was really pissed off. On our way back to the West side heading over Chinook Pass, he's driving himself, me, and my friend Rob in his truck when he suddenly spots a prime 3-point buck (that's 3 points on each side for you east coast folks that call that a 6-pointer) just standing beside the road. After dark. After legal hunting hours. So he instantly pulls over, gives Rob a really bright spotlight, and whips out his hunting rifle (which it turns out he didn't unload and was illegally driving with a loaded gun on the highway with no CWP). I think I mentioned he was (still is) an f-ing idiot. I told him to not do this bullshit, then plugged my ears with my fingers when he shot from the cab, across the highway. Then he shot twice more because the deer refused to die. The decoy deer set up by the Dept of Fish and Wildlife. A damn robo-deer. It was amazing how quickly the flashing red-and-blue lights showed up. I got thoroughly questioned about my part in all these shenanigans but I believe they must have had close-up surveillance on the spot that dumb-ass parked because as unlikely as my pleas of innocence might have sounded they didn't doubt anything I said. One question they asked was "Why didn't you stop him?" I was like "Look man, number one he was armed and I was not. Number 2, if I piss him off and he kicks me out I have to walk back home over a damn mountain pass, and I need to be at work at my new job like tomorrow morning." So they told me to choose better hunting partners, and wrote criminal citations for dumb-ass and Rob. They both spent a weekend in county lockup, Rob got his rifle back with a couple of year's suspended hunting license, and dumb-ass lost his rifle and had a longer hunting license suspension.

The lesson (well, one of the lessons) here is that you should only shoot what wildlife you intend to eat. Otherwise you risk pissing off the Hunting Gods. Just sayin'.

Holy sh&t

Great story, that’s insane

 

[Nerter]

If he ate the mountain lion then okay. But I really doubt it, I imagine it's just a taxidermy mount. As far as squirrels go, I've never shot nor eaten one. Though, on a hunting trip a couple (3) of decades ago my f-ing idiot former bro-in-law shot one right in the eye with his .22 rifle just for fun. The Hunting Gods were not pleased. We were totally blanked all weekend and he was really pissed off. On our way back to the West side heading over Chinook Pass, he's driving himself, me, and my friend Rob in his truck when he suddenly spots a prime 3-point buck (that's 3 points on each side for you east coast folks that call that a 6-pointer) just standing beside the road. After dark. After legal hunting hours. So he instantly pulls over, gives Rob a really bright spotlight, and whips out his hunting rifle (which it turns out he didn't unload and was illegally driving with a loaded gun on the highway with no CWP). I think I mentioned he was (still is) an f-ing idiot. I told him to not do this bullshit, then plugged my ears with my fingers when he shot from the cab, across the highway. Then he shot twice more because the deer refused to die. The decoy deer set up by the Dept of Fish and Wildlife. A damn robo-deer. It was amazing how quickly the flashing red-and-blue lights showed up. I got thoroughly questioned about my part in all these shenanigans but I believe they must have had close-up surveillance on the spot that dumb-ass parked because as unlikely as my pleas of innocence might have sounded they didn't doubt anything I said. One question they asked was "Why didn't you stop him?" I was like "Look man, number one he was armed and I was not. Number 2, if I piss him off and he kicks me out I have to walk back home over a damn mountain pass, and I need to be at work at my new job like tomorrow morning." So they told me to choose better hunting partners, and wrote criminal citations for dumb-ass and Rob. They both spent a weekend in county lockup, Rob got his rifle back with a couple of year's suspended hunting license, and dumb-ass lost his rifle and had a longer hunting license suspension.

The lesson (well, one of the lessons) here is that you should only shoot what wildlife you intend to eat. Otherwise you risk pissing off the Hunting Gods. Just sayin'.

Yes, I have heard of these stories and all I have to say is....please don't confuse POACHERS with hunters.
Two different people altogether, and poachers are what gives actual hunters a bad name.
I have seen these robo deer in operation and guess what, never once was I tempted to break the law and take a shot at one.

 

[chrispy]

Cows and chickens and even corn and wheat aren't native species. We brought them and it impacts wildlife. Effectiveness can be debated, but the result is that we need to manage wildlife populations or disease will destroy both domestic and wild. In some states (Idaho being one) hunters, trappers and fishermen fund the entirety of that management. There is 0 tax or public funding for Fish and Game. It's all from licenses and tags. So, if you enjoy catching a glimpse of a deer or seeing trout when you cross a bridge and would prefer those animals to be healthy and beautiful, judge not. If you're truly interested, read up on CWD and fish hatcheries to understand more about Fish and Game's services.

There's plenty to complain about regarding Dart, but the legal harvest of wildlife is a service to the environment and society regardless of our icky feeling about killing pretty animals.