http://www.flatheadmemo.c...nting.html

I love it...Senate Bill 112 - "An Act Providing that a Hand-Thrown Spear Must be Considered a Lawful Means of Hunting". Since I haven't been able to get an elk for a couple of years now with a rifle, maybe I'll have to try a spear. Of course, we spear chuckers will need our own hunting season....how about the entire month of January?

Thank God the newly empowered GOP is getting some important sh!t done!

I'm especially disappointed in this:

http://www.krtv.com/news/...mt-senate/

We don't allow you to vote, gamble, smoke or enter into contracts, but what the heck, drop out and screw up your life. We don't care.

[This message has been edited by Denise Selk (1/17/2011)]

I swear to God these over-reaching state legislature republicans are going to make a liberal out of me yet. They seem like they have a little common sense when they are home. But when they leave town and go to the capitol, they become dumb as a box of rocks.

How about hunting by atlatl? Will this bill make that legal? I mean, that is an IMPORTANT issue, almost as good as the last lege's bill on drying your hands in public restrooms.

I agree, Denise. I did write the Senate Education Committee asking members of both parties to pass SB44 and raise the dropout age from 16 to 18 y.o., primarily on the basis that there's a direct correlation between higher education and higher incomes in Montana. Requiring students to finish high school would also likely reduce demand for social services and corrections.

A prompt response arrived from state Sen. Eric Moore (R-Miles City) expressing concerns about efficacy of the bill and describing how it was being opposed by school superintendents, even though it was introduced upon the urging of State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Sen. Taylor Brown, bill sponsor, was the only Republican who supported SB44.

Watching that video I was surprised at how well that spear worked on that elk. Of course it was a hay-fed game farm elk, but still I'd have thought it would be harder to kill something that big with a spear.

Let me guess, they failed to get the crossbow written into the legislation? Idiots.

[This message has been edited by Buck Showalter (1/18/2011)]

They didn't kill mammoths with love and sparkley ponies Levi...

I have it on reasonable authority that US Army Captain Oliver Harmon Jones approves of this legislation.

Atlatl hunting is exactly what they are talking about. It went on in Montana for thousands of years. In those days, the dropout age was zero. Speaking as a liberal Democrat, I would like to thank the Montana legislature for doing everything it can to reinforce my prejudices against conservative Republicans. They really do want to take us back to the stone age! And here I thought that was just a figure of speech.

Then again, there are points to be made for the other side. It would not hurt for people to gain an understanding of what life was like in the good old days, and hunting with an atlatl will do that for you. As for the dropout age, there may be some school superintendents who rejoice when a seventeen year old brute drops out, takes up his spear and begins his political career.

is there something wrong with the elimination of restrictions on personal freedom? as an avid elk hunter i would say that an elk harvested with an atlatl would be a trophy of a life time.

WHY CAN'T I HUNT WITH A CROSSBOW?!?

You can, Buck. During rifle season. Have fun!

I'll be damned, I was told repeatedly it was illegal, even for those with disabilities. Never trust ANYONE.

I guess felonies matter.

They didn't kill mammoths with love and sparkley ponies Levi...

I know, but in the Far Side cartoons there are always like 10 guys with spears to take down a mammoth and one of them is squashed on the bottom of it's foot. A 1-shot kill on a bull elk with a spear is pretty impressive to me at least.

Has anyone ever not been allowed to spear hunt?

[This message has been edited by Buck Showalter (1/18/2011)]

I am pleased to report that not only does the Cold Steel company have a full line of hunting spears, they also have a 20 minute video of a fat man stabbing pieces of meat with them and demonstrating how to kill a foam rubber lion.

http://www.coldsteel.com/spear.html