Last Saturday poachers killed 18-year-old Beau Arndt of Americus.
Arndt, a freshman at Emporia State, would have turned 19 years old on Tuesday, and he was buried Thursday.
He was shot by a rifle while lying in the snow and observing decoy geese he and two friends and deployed for their hunt.
The deadly shot was fired from a red-and-orange Ford pickup as it slowly drove by the field in which the hunters hid. According to reports, the decoys were apparently mistaken for real geese.
Reports say Arndt’s death is the first hunting fatality in Kansas since 2005.
Besides the obvious fact it is illegal to shoot game from a vehicle and on property with no permission, it is also illegal in Kansas to shoot waterfoul with a rifle.
And of course killing another person else is frowned upon as well in the legal and court systems.
However, the bigger issue is a life was lost for no reason. In a Wichita Eagle article a friend of Arndt’s said his dead friend was the kind of guy “any parent would be glad to have for a son.”
Arndt was well liked, and even though many people are outraged at what happened to him, his father is not angry.
In fact, he has been quoted as saying he wishes the shooter, who has yet to be named, no harm. He said he doesn’t want revenge, and he said he thinks the shooter will suffer worse than he will.
Unbelievable.
I wish I had such a kind heart, but I don’t. I would be incredibly upset, and I would probably be rallying the lynch mob to go administer a little justice.
See, I couldn’t stand having one of my children killed because some moron had a gun but no brain to properly and legally use it.
My rage would take over, and unlike Arndt’s father, I would want revenge. I would probably want the murder of my son to pay.
This entire incident does bring something else to the forefront of my mind, though. It makes me ponder the whole thought of hunting.
I realize hunting is a sport for most people, and I don’t have any problem with it. I don’t think it is immoral or mean to animals. I’m not a card-carrying member of hippie-organization PETA.
My younger brother, Troy, hunts, but I personally don’t see the appeal.
To me, the idea has always just seemed off because it involves getting up early and being cold while you wait and hope for an animal to walk by so you can kill it.
I’m not trying to make light of what happened to Arndt, but now, if besides being cold, a person could be killed, I doubt I will ever go hunting.
I understand what happened was an accident, and I appreciate hunters because I enjoy eating the results of their hobby. However, I worry about people I know that are hunters, especially my brother.
Granted, he sits in a tree stand and hunts deer, so it is unlikely he would get killed by a poacher. Then again, what were the chances Arndt would get killed while lying in a field?
Troy was going to get a golf club for Christmas, but now I guess I’ll get him a bullet-proof vest.
You don’t understand it because you probably have never tried it. And believe it or not, hunters are the only reason there are any wild lands and wild life left in this country. The money we spend on licenses and the taxes we pay on equipment go towards conservation, research and protection. Hunting is necessary to keep wildlife numbers heathly and in balance (either that or you need to have wolves, bears and mountain lions running wild in the suburbs). Every species of animals has increased in number since hunting became regulated by laws. Without hunting, deer eat everything in sight, causing starvation not only to themselves but also ruining the land so that it cannot support other species, there are increased fatalities from deer-vehicle collisions, and cases of lyme disease go way up. Hunters keep deer numbers in check so that small farmers – especially organic farmers – can actually harvest enough crops to stay in business, so even vegetarians need hunters in order to eat, or at least to eat without spending twice or three times as much as they do now.
Given all of that, you really need to thank hunters.
Don’t believe me? Read The Politically Incorrect Guide to Hunting – you’ll see all these facts & more listed there. And no, I don’t make a commision from it.
Oh, and I realize I may have been too overzelous with my comment, after re-reading your post. Tell your bro to stay safe and good luck to him…
Scrap5000,
Yeah, I don’t have a real problem with hunting. I don’t mind at all, but I do know it’s not for me and it is for my brother. The problem I have, as outlined in this post, is purely about poachers killing a person. I think if they are going to hunt, they should do it properly, and I think you probably agree with me from the “overzealous” first post. 😉
Thanks for reading and commenting!
–Todd Vogts
HaHa i hope the hunter burns in hell so when i get there i can deal with him!!!
you don’t get it.
Beau died doing what he loved. He was the most passionate person I have and will ever know. He was my love. Beau loved hunting more than anything on earth-and was ALWAYS safe about it – trust me I went with him. You never knew him – and your post in a way talked down to what he loves. He was hunting – the man who shot him was NOT – not even poaching because he is not a true hunter.
Don’t talk bad about hunting when this incident happened due to a non-hunting happening from the murderer’s side.
Yes, what the man who shot him did was wrong and it is hard to look at him when I have had to – nothing will make things better – but understand – God has a way with our life we will never know.
Love what your brother loves – if it makes him happy – it should make you happy.
Consider the small things
Sincerely,
someone true to Beau