"It's like hunting a sofa"

From the excellent Western Watersheds blog comes this story about a decision to open the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming to bison hunting. Or should we say bison "hunting," a sport which has been compared to hunting a sofa.

The refuge managers say they need to permit this "hunting" because bison have overrun the place. The trouble is, every winter they also artificially feed these very same bison that so badly need killing. Soooooo, feed the bison, shoot the bison, feed the bison, shoot the bison. And pretend it's just one more tragic but unavoidable result of proper management.

The Western Watersheds blog post issues the poignant reminder that this is a politically charged action in Dick Cheney's home state, where blasting away at your fellow "hunters" on a drunken outing is considered to be sporting.

--Zadig