In The Field Chris W. Cox NRA-ILA Executive Director

FOOLING THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF
AMERICA'S HUNTERS AND SPORTSMEN
IS A TOP PRIORITY OF THE KERRY/EDWARDS
CAMPAIGN. YOU WOULD THINK THEY
WOULD MAKE AN EFFORT TO
SOUND CONVINCING.

Kerry & Edwards:

Unsportsmanlike Conduct

Every day in this presidential election, we're treated to a new display of acting skills--some good and some just plain awful--beamed back to Washington from the traveling road show that is the Kerry/Edwards campaign.

For well over a year, John Kerry has done his best to act like a hunter. Now, sidekick John Edwards is adding comic relief, mangling his own efforts to don the mantle of outdoorsman.

Kerry has set a new low in pandering to hunters, with his incredible response to a reporter's query about his favorite kind of hunting. "Deer, "he replied and then expounded as follows:

"I go out with my trusty 12-gauge double-barrel, crawl around on my stomach. I track and move and decoy and play games and try to outsmart them. You know, you kind of play the wind. That's hunting, "said Kerry. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/5/04).

So "that's hunting, " according to Kerry. That description is so utterly bizarre it makes me wonder whether Kerry has ever hunted a deer in his life. He could have answered "pheasant hunting" and at least he would be able to describe it in rough terms--we've all seen the photo-op of Kerry grinning in an Iowa field.

But he's had trouble with describing his bird-hunting expertise as well, such as when he told The Washington Post about his love for dove hunting. Once again, he felt the need to expound on methods: "You clean them, let them hang ... you might have it at a picnic, cold-roasted. "Anyone who hangs dove is making an artistic statement, not cleaning their game. Contemplate the picture of John Kerry at a Nantucket wine and cheese picnic, taking down dove inexplicably hanging from a clothesline, and "cold roasting" them for his horrified guests.

Does Kerry know anything about hunting at all? I'd say that's doubtful. However, he has clearly decided he needs to appeal to the enormous number of deer hunters in America. As a result, his made-up response makes him look like a fool. And please, if you're thinking of trying his deer hunting tactics yourself, at least wear some blaze orange so other deer hunters won't think you're a snake slithering through the brush.

How about Country-Boy-in-Chief John Edwards? He's a lot slower on his feet, and seems more apologetic about polishing his fake credentials. According to the Raleigh News and Observer, a visitor from the North Carolina Wildlife Federation once asked him his favorite species of wildlife. Edwards hesitated and thought, then volunteered, "When I was growing up it was rabbits and squirrels. "He went on to admit that he used to hunt them, and then apologized, saying, "I'm sorry to admit that to you. "The mystified visitor later told the paper that the question "wasn't supposed to be a stumper, " and wondered why Edwards apologized for hunting.

Edwards hasn't done much better with specific queries about his sportsman skills. The same paper asked him first whether he was a fan of NASCAR or country music. "I don't follow anything except politicking, " he said, noting, "I have in the past been a country music fan. "Fading memories also characterize his fishing days:"I haven't fished in years either. Just no time. "The reporter, growing desperate for something specific, finally asks how long ago did Edwards own a gun. He seems taken aback, answering, "When I was growing up. I haven't had a gun in--you mean personally?--in years. "And what kind of gun was it? "Get out of here, " Edwards laughed.

The words of President Bush, on the other hand, not only reveal an intimate knowledge of hunting and conservation, but his words are also backed up by actions. The president recently announced several initiatives to expand the landmark "Conservation Reserve Program, "or CRP. He told the audience, "First we're going to expand and extend the CRP. The CRP is the largest public-private conservation partnership in the nation. Approximately 800, 000 farmers participate in the program. In return for an annual payment, farmers retire some of their land, letting it turn back to its natural state. It's good for the soil. It's good for habitat. .. contracts covering roughly two-thirds of the existing land in the program are scheduled to expire in 2007 and 2008. To make sure these farmlands stay protected, I directed the secretary of agriculture to offer early re-enrollments and extensions of existing contracts . . .

"Secondly, we're going to expand the borders of the conservation program to cover vital grasslands that often serve as borders of farmlands. I'm ordering the secretary of agriculture to help protect 250, 000 acres of grasslands, which are home to several species of birds, including the northern bobwhite quail. By expanding this program, our goal is to increase the quail population by about 750, 000 birds per year.

"Thirdly, we're going to expand the conservation program to cover wetlands that are not in a flood plain. .. these wetlands are what farmers around here call prairie potholes, and offer a home for pheasants and ducks and other birds. These prairie potholes will now be a part of CRP, and that's good for wildlife. "

In just a few short minutes, the president announced initiatives that will benefit wildlife throughout the nation, and made it clear he knew the details. His command of the issues, along with forceful resolve to act on behalf of hunters and wildlife alike, stands in stark contrast to the bumbling efforts of the Johns--Kerry and Edwards--to portray themselves as hunters.

Fooling the tens of millions of America's hunters and sportsmen is a top priority of the Kerry/Edwards campaign. You would think they would make an effort to sound convincing. Most likely, they have no idea how foolish they sound, nor do their advisers. That alone should be enough to convince any hunter that this pair shouldn't be put in charge of our outdoor heritage and traditions.

After all, if you wouldn't hunt with them, why would you vote for them?