The deer hunter
IN MY SHOES: In this New York Times op-ed, PA deer hunter Seamus McGraw, author of “The End of Country,” explains why his weapon of choice is a .50-caliber flintlock:
Maybe it’s because I grew up in a family that always did things the hard way, or maybe it’s because I’m basically a Luddite, but when I took up hunting, I eschewed all the technological gadgets designed to give modern hunters an extra edge over their prey. I like to believe that there’s something primitive and existential about the art of hunting, and that somehow, stripping the act of hunting to its basics makes it purer.
I wanted a weapon that required more of me, one that demanded all the skill and all the planning that I could muster, a weapon that gave me just one chance to get it right. I made the decision to hunt only with the most basic firearm there is, a muzzle-loading black-powder rifle, fired by a piece of flint striking cold steel. I often tell my more conservative friends that I carry the gun the Second Amendment explicitly guarantees me the right to carry. …
[A]ntique weapons also carry with them an antique sense of responsibility. To kill with a flintlock, you must get close. And because these ancient guns are notoriously balky and inaccurate, there is a very good chance that you’ll miss your target altogether or, worse, that you’ll simply wound the creature and in so doing, inflict greater suffering than is necessary. And so you take every precaution to make sure that your one shot is clean, that it kills quickly and mercifully.
One thing. The Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear arms. It does not say which ones. It covers George Washington's sword and pistol as well as the average soldier's flintlock. And it covers the guns people carry today.
Also, if you are going to hunt the primative way, why not use a bow and arrow? Or a spear? Or drive the animal over a cliff the way they used to back in primitive times? I do not hunt (though I eat meat) but if I hunted with anything but a camera my explicit intent would be to kill the animal as humanely as possible. Meaning that if I miss the killing shot, I can make a second attempt immediately. The last thing I would want is a notoriously balky and inaccurate gun.
Finally, a hunter with his high powered rifle and scope and special- purpose ammunition is just as dedicated to the one-shot kill as is this man.
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