Big Game Hunting by Remote Control
The concept of online or remote-control hunting was developed in Texas by John Lockwood. In 2003, he was looking at a deer through a webcam, when he got the idea. Two years later he developed the concept into a short-lived reality. The way the system worked, a hunter could control a camera and a rifle from their computer. The rifle and a webcam were set up in a blind on Lockwood's Texas ranch. As game entered the view of the webcam, the hunter could aim the rifle and make their kill with a click of a mouse. An on-site assistant at the ranch would have the ability to override any unsafe shots, as well as finish the kill if the shot missed its mark and left the animal wounded.
In a demonstration run, and with the help of a friend, Lockwood set up a computer 45 miles from his ranch and remained on site while his friend shot a wild pig when it grazed into view of the webcam. Witnesses to the demonstration reported that the pig was wounded by the shooter, but killed by Lockwood at the scene.
The first actual hunt was scheduled for April 9, 2005, and had several interested parties. However, opponents such as Safari Club International, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Humane Society of the United States, successfully voiced their concerns, and the Texas Legislature put a halt to the hunt and subsequently banned online hunting altogether.
Mr. Lockwood and his supporters argued that remote-control hunting wasn't just a gimmick for the lazy, but was intended primarily for disabled hunters and for soldiers overseas who could hunt and have the meat sent to their families at home. However, the National Rifle Association (NRA) already has a program for disabled hunters that gets them into the wilderness and allows them to actually participate in shooting events.
Other voiced arguments against the use of technology for hunting included: it's unethical because it requires no hunting skills; it's more like a video game that allows an animal to be brutally killed, but without the hunter having to experience the cries of a wounded animal; it eliminates the "fair chase" element of real hunting; it's nothing more than pay-per-view slaughter; it's another form of "canned hunting" for purposes of collecting trophies.
Currently, remote-control hunting has been banned in 25 states, and bills considering a ban are pending in several other states. However, the development of online sites are being considered for shooting live rounds at paper targets. For a fee "hunters" would be able to schedule a shooting session and then get the target they shot, as well as a DVD of their session.
Published by Sussy
I'm retired and living in the country where I enjoy my family and my many animals: horses, donkey, goats, cats, and dogs. I love the outdoors and reading and writing about serious matters. View profile
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8 Comments
Post a CommentI understand that the Israelis have surrounded Gaza with a similar system called Spot and Shoot. Maybe they could turn it into a money-making entrprise by allowing hunters to shoot Palestinian children for a fee.
Geesh, what was this guy thinking... He could make millions if he'd just take a vidoe of the slaughter house killing floor and sold it with each pound of beef/pork/chicken/turkey/etc. we buy each and every day. Raise your meat in a pen and let someone else kill it, so you can "feed your family", or shoot it yourself and have the rest the same? What is the big deal? Maybe he should have started off a bit smaller, remote camera's on the bolt gun used to stun/kill the beef we all eat, or something like that? The sheeple of the world unite once again to stop the few with individual idea's. What a moronic society we live in... pretty packages a must around all "choice cuts"... they all come from the dead, once living animal raised just to sooth your hunger pains.
I wonder if the site will let me select my weapon of choice. This way I can do sort of a 'try before you buy' the real thing at Wal Mart. I can't wait till deer season, so I can get me some yummy venison legally instead of that road kill I had to eat all summer.
This sounds like it could be fun. As a convicted child molestor and felon, I can't own my own gun. This would be great and legal way for me to start hunting..
I agree with others that have posted comments your article is well written, but I am outraged that in our so called free country people are actually doing this, canned hunting was bad enough when it was just farmed raised animals being released for slaughter these animals were unable to escape and killed senselessly, how anyone could think this is an actual sport is sickening to me, I am not against hunting in general as long as the animals are wild and free and not breed purely to be kill that is the worst form of cruelty, now they have remote control shooting??? give me a break if this can be done then Shan-Lyn Forsythe is right what stops terrorists from using this as a way of killing humans and not just animals, doesn't anyone think logically anymore, my question is what is our world coming to? who would think this is a wonderful and great idea, it is cruel plan and simple no other way around it and it should be banned altogether in every state! more and more animals become endange
This is a sick idea!
This is an interesting article.I don't think it would be something I could do though.I'd rather watch the animals instead of hunting them.
I find your article well-written, but this type of technology sickens me. We all know that animals are always the first to be tested, then humans....just a passing thought.