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Hunt your animals online...

Jr_Bullit

I'm sooo teenie weenie!!!
Sep 8, 2001
2,028
1
North of Oz
I don't eat enough meat on my own for hunting and killing animals to hold a lot of appeal for me...but...seems to me that you'd want to physically be at the site where you kill the animal...that you'd want to feel the rebound of the gun into your shoulder, rather than the click of a mouse...but that's just me...

What do y'all think of this weird texans new business?
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/11/16/life.hunting.reut/index.html

That moose may soon be just a mouse click away
Internet hunting idea has wildlife officials up in arms

Wednesday, November 17, 2004 Posted: 2:38 AM EST (0738 GMT)

HOUSTON, Texas (Reuters) -- Hunters soon may be able to sit at their computers and blast away at animals on a Texas ranch via the Internet, a prospect that has state wildlife officials up in arms.

The Web site already offers target practice with a .22 caliber rifle and could soon let hunters shoot at deer, antelope and wild pigs, site creator John Underwood said on Tuesday.

Texas officials are not quite sure what to make of Underwood's Web site, but may tweak existing laws to make sure Internet hunting does not get out of hand.

"This is the first one I've seen," said Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wildlife director Mike Berger. "The current state statutes don't cover this sort of thing."

Underwood, an estimator for a San Antonio, Texas auto body shop, has invested $10,000 to build a platform for a rifle and camera that can be remotely aimed on his 330-acre (133-hectare) southwest Texas ranch by anyone on the Internet anywhere in the world.

The idea came last year while viewing another Web site on which cameras posted in the wild are used to snap photos of animals.

"We were looking at a beautiful white-tail buck and my friend said 'If you just had a gun for that.' A little light bulb went off in my head," he said.

Internet hunting could be popular with disabled hunters unable to get out in the woods or distant hunters who cannot afford a trip to Texas, Underwood said.

Berger said state law only covers "regulated animals" such as native deer and birds and cannot prevent Underwood from offering Internet hunts of "unregulated" animals such as non-native deer that many ranchers have imported and wild pigs.

He has proposed a rule that will come up for public discussion in January that anyone hunting animals covered by state law must be physically on site when they shoot.

Berger expressed reservations about remote control hunting, but noted that humans have always adopted new technologies to hunt.

"First it was rocks and clubs, then we sharpened it and put it on a stick. Then there was the bow and arrow, black powder, smokeless power and optics," Berger said. "Maybe this is the next technological step out there."

Underwood, 39, said he will offer animal hunting as soon as he gets a fast Internet connection to his remote ranch that will enable hunters to aim the rifle quickly at passing animals.

He said an attendant would retrieve shot animals for the shooters, who could have the heads preserved by a taxidermist. They could also have the meat processed and shipped home, or donated to animal orphanages.
 

llkoolkeg

Ranger LL
Sep 5, 2001
4,335
15
in da shed, mon, in da shed
Echo said:
You gotta admit it's a good idea :D

Entrepreneurially, it's a good idea, but a firearm is not something that should ever be operated by remote control or with less than one's completely undivided attention. This is a precedent I'm not terribly excited about, frankly. What happens when others copy his idea and start setting up remote control firearms on property they don't own or for the purpose of shooting at people? As iffy as the internet is what with hackers and everything else, I just can't see this going anywhere good.
 

Jr_Bullit

I'm sooo teenie weenie!!!
Sep 8, 2001
2,028
1
North of Oz
I have to agree with Ilkoolkeg on this as well...as much fun as video games are, they're becoming very realistic (half life 2...c'mon now, we all know that's starting to get amazingly close to looking at reality)...with the sort of technology available in shoot-em-up games, who's gonna feel remorse or guilty when they kill something, anything with the click of their mouse and it happens in reality?
 

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
llkoolkeg said:
Entrepreneurially, it's a good idea, but a firearm is not something that should ever be operated by remote control or with less than one's completely undivided attention. This is a precedent I'm not terribly excited about, frankly. What happens when others copy his idea and start setting up remote control firearms on property they don't own or for the purpose of shooting at people? As iffy as the internet is what with hackers and everything else, I just can't see this going anywhere good.
Yes, I agree... I meant "good idea" in the sense that it's interesting and funny in theory, not in the sense that would actually be a good idea to implement it :p
 

llkoolkeg

Ranger LL
Sep 5, 2001
4,335
15
in da shed, mon, in da shed
Jr_Bullit said:
I have to agree with Ilkoolkeg on this as well...as much fun as video games are, they're becoming very realistic (half life 2...c'mon now, we all know that's starting to get amazingly close to looking at reality)...with the sort of technology available in shoot-em-up games, who's gonna feel remorse or guilty when they kill something, anything with the click of their mouse and it happens in reality?
It's funny...I love the Grand Theft Auto series of games but cannot bring myself to buy a "war" video game(ya know...one with soldiers and super-realistic scenarios) no matter how much fun they might be. Perhaps I'm just weird about it, but I find it somewhat offensive that WWII, Vietnam and Desert Storm gore games are so popular. Most likely, it's because I personally know people who fought(some of whom died) in each one.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Seems like a fine idea to me.

There are already laws in place for issues like LLkool, came up with.
 

llkoolkeg

Ranger LL
Sep 5, 2001
4,335
15
in da shed, mon, in da shed
BurlyShirley said:
There are already laws in place for issues like LLkool, came up with.
True enough, but laws only curtail the activities of the law-abiding. What if it became possible to hack that gun and shoot the guy collecting the downed game? I do not put anything past some of the homegrown enviroterrorists out there. You should see some of the booby traps they set for hunters on public lands...
 

Jr_Bullit

I'm sooo teenie weenie!!!
Sep 8, 2001
2,028
1
North of Oz
BurlyShirley said:
Seems like a fine idea to me.

There are already laws in place for issues like LLkool, came up with.
As mentioned in the article listed, they don't have laws that deal with this sort of issue....that's part of whats causing the consternation. I would expect some laws to be created quickly to prevent something like this, or at least place a measure of control and licensing on it, but in the meantime, it's a free-for-all.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Jr_Bullit said:
As mentioned in the article listed, they don't have laws that deal with this sort of issue....that's part of whats causing the consternation. I would expect some laws to be created quickly to prevent something like this, or at least place a measure of control and licensing on it, but in the meantime, it's a free-for-all.
No. The laws they dont have in place for this type of thing include how hunting licenses would work for out of staters, game control, things like that. However, the concerns here are with safety, and I assure you, killing people will not be legal with this. There are laws against killing people in any manner you can come up with.
 

biggins

Rump Junkie
May 18, 2003
7,173
9
sweet now i dont even have to carry my booze into the backwoods with me when i hunt! ican just sit at my desk, get drunk, and shoot at anything that might look or sound like a deer.
 

Fathead

Monkey
May 6, 2003
433
0
SE TX
llkoolkeg said:
Entrepreneurially, it's a good idea, but a firearm is not something that should ever be operated by remote control or with less than one's completely undivided attention.
LL is right on. While intriguing and potentially profitable, I think this concept (especially in THIS application) is completely irresponsible. The 2-dimensional image from a remote camera does not provide enough information for a person to make a good decision on whether/where to shoot. The ability to pan the surroundings w/out magnification, see 3D images around and behind the target, and HEAR what else is going on are all necessary before pulling the trigger.

As for the application: 330ACRES??? That's approximately .5 square miles, which is fine for 1-3 "live" hunters who are alert, responsible, and in communication w/each other. But a remote hunter who can only see what the camera shows him/her? How do the neighbors feel about this? Even if the tract is in a completely rural area used only for hunting, I wouldn't wanna be within 2 miles of that contraption. Regardless of the parcel shape, there are too many possibilities for stray rounds on that size tract. I'm not even comfortable w/the target practice (who's got the range of a hot .22 round handy?).

There are already enough low-budget hunts, full-service "Cadillac" hunts, and canned hunting situations available. I feel the danger inherent in this concept far outweighs any positives it may offer the market.
 

llkoolkeg

Ranger LL
Sep 5, 2001
4,335
15
in da shed, mon, in da shed
5 Killed, 3 Hurt in Wis. Hunting Dispute

By JOSHUA FREED

BIRCHWOOD, Wis. (AP) - A deer hunter shot and killed five people and injured three others in northwestern Wisconsin following a dispute about a tree stand during the hunt's opening weekend, authorities said.

The 36-year-old alleged gunman, who lives in the Minneapolis area, was arrested Sunday afternoon, Sawyer County sheriff's officials said. Jake Hodgkinson, a deputy at the county jail, identified the suspect as Chai Vang but would give no additional details.

The incident began when two hunters were returning to their rural cabin on private land in Sawyer County when they saw the suspect in one of their hunting platforms in a tree, County Chief Deputy Tim Zeigle said. A confrontation and shooting followed.

It's not known who shot first, Zeigle said.

Both hunters were wounded and one of them radioed to the cabin a quarter mile away. Other hunters responded and were shot. About 20 shots were fired, but it's unclear who shot them, he said.

The dead included four males - including a teenage boy - and a woman, Zeigle said. A father and son were among them, he said. Some of the victims were shot more than once.

All five, from the Rice Lake area, were dead when officers arrived to the area in southwestern Sawyer County, he said. Authorities found two bodies near each other and the others were scattered over 100 yards.

``It's absolutely nuts. Why? Over sitting in a tree stand?'' asked Zeigle.

Zeigle said the suspect was ``chasing after them and killing them,'' with a SKS 7.62 caliber semiautomatic, a common hunting weapon. Wisconsin's statewide deer gun hunting season started Saturday and lasts for nine days.

Two young people who stayed in the cabin emerged safely after the shootings.

The suspect, who did not have a compass, got lost in the woods and two hunters, not knowing about the shootings, helped him find his way out, Zeigle said. When he emerged, a Department of Natural Resources officer recognized the deer license on his back, given to police by a victim, Zeigle said.

The man was out of bullets and was arrested, Zeigle said.

One of the injured hunters was in critical condition at St. Joseph's Hospital. Another was listed in serious condition and the third was in fair condition, both at Lakeview Medical Center.

Hunter Bill Wagner, 72, of Oshkosh, was about two miles away near Deer Lake with a party of about 20 other hunters. After they got word of the shooting, he and others went to round up the rest of the party. He said they heard sirens, planes and helicopters and noticed the surrounding roads blocked off.

``When you're hunting you don't expect somebody to try to shoot you and murder you,'' he said. ``You have no idea who is coming up to you.''

It took about three hours to round up the other hunters, who were up to four miles apart, Wagner said. ``We're all old, dyed-in-wool hunters,'' he said. ``We wouldn't go home because of this but we will keep it in our minds. We're not forgetting it.''

11/22/04 05:59
© Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

http://cnn.aimtoday.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?&idq=/ff/story/0001/20041122/0559494822.htm&sc=1110&photoid=20041121WIMG102
 

Lexx D

Dirty Dozen
Mar 8, 2004
1,480
0
NY
BurlyShirley said:
I assure you, killing people will not be legal with this. There are laws against killing people in any manner you can come up with.
So killing people is illegal? And there's actual laws against it? Thanks for the heads up, I've gotta change my plans for tonight. :thumb:
 

llkoolkeg

Ranger LL
Sep 5, 2001
4,335
15
in da shed, mon, in da shed
Hunting Death Suspect's Relatives Shocked
By ROBERT IMRIE

HAYWARD, Wis. (AP) - Relatives of a man being held in the deadly shooting of six deer hunters say they are just as stunned and bewildered by the incident as authorities investigating the case.

Thick glass prevented Chai Vang from any contact with family members during a brief visit Monday at Sawyer County Jail. They spoke via telephone, mixing English with the native language of Hmong immigrants from Laos.

``I still don't believe it,'' the suspect's brother, Sang Vang, said. ``He is one of the nicest persons. ... Maybe something provoked him or something. He is a reasonable person.''

Charges had not been filed against 36-year-old Chai Vang, of St. Paul, Minn., as of Monday night.

Vang is accused of opening fire on several hunters Sunday with a semiautomatic assault rifle, leaving six people dead and two wounded, authorities said.

``I just don't think any of this makes sense,'' Sawyer County Sheriff Jim Meier said.

Meier told reporters a dispute over Vang's use of a tree stand on private property preceded the gunfire. Killed were Robert Crotteau, 42; his son Joey, 20; Al Laski, 43; Mark Roidt, 28; and Jessica Willers, 27.

Denny Drew, 55, died Monday at St. Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield, his family announced. Two others remained hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

Officials said the victims were part of a group of 14 or 15 who made their opening-weekend trip to Robert Crotteau's 400-acre property an annual tradition.

``This was his first time out with that group. He was delighted to be invited,'' said Karen Roidt, whose son was killed.

Some Hmong leaders questioned whether racial differences may have figured in the shootings; authorities have not determined a motive.

Sang Vang said his family was devastated, and that his brother has lived in the United States for more than 20 years and is a U.S. Army veteran.

Vang's mother, who does not speak English, declined comment through an interpreter Monday night.

``This is an incredible tragedy, one in which a great family tradition like a deer hunt has turned into such a great loss,'' Gov. Jim Doyle said. There have been previous clashes between Southeast Asian and white hunters in the region.

In Minnesota, a fistfight once broke out after Hmong hunters crossed onto private land, said Ilean Her, director of the St. Paul-based Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans.

Vang's arrest left some Hmong citizens in his hometown fearful of a backlash. About 24,000 Hmong live in St. Paul, the highest concentration of any U.S. city. And the shooting has already provoked racial tension in an area of Wisconsin where deer hunting is steeped in tradition.

Locals in the Birchwood area, about 120 miles northeast of the Twin Cities, have complained that the Hmong, refugees from Laos, do not understand the concept of private property and hunt wherever they see fit.

Activist Michael Yang said various Hmong groups on Monday held an emergency meeting to discuss how to respond.

But, Minnesota state Sen. Mee Moua rejected the idea that cultural differences played any role in the shooting.

``We're all just speculating that may have been a trigger for him,'' said Moua, who is Hmong. ``We're all searching for answers.''

Moua added that Hmong-Americans feel racism on a daily basis, but ``that doesn't mean you kill people.''

Authorities said Vang has no criminal record with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Police in St. Paul said there had been two domestic violence calls to his home in the past year, but both were resolved without incident.

11/23/04 07:38
© Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
 

Barbaton

Turbo Monkey
May 11, 2002
1,477
0
suburban hell
Fathead said:
(who's got the range of a hot .22 round handy?).
I saw his current practice rig on the nightly news tonight and it sure as hell ain't no .22. Don't know much about guns but I'd say it's at least 762mm. It was a very large gun.
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
Barbaton said:
I saw his current practice rig on the nightly news tonight and it sure as hell ain't no .22. Don't know much about guns but I'd say it's at least 762mm. It was a very large gun.

You prolly mean 7.62 mm.... 762mm is about 30 inches in diameter.. :eek: