The last few days have been an educational experience, to say the least. My ill-conceived inflammatory blog, as all of you now know, set off a firestorm that, I’m told, has never before been equaled. I’m not proud of that.
Let me say this at the outset. My words here are from the heart, and all mine. No one can censor me, and I answer to no one but myself. And I have no one to blame but myself. Outdoor Life, a magazine that I worked for full-time as Hunting Editor for almost 30 years, fired me yesterday. My TV show was cancelled yesterday. Many of my sponsors have issued statements on their website to sever all relationships. This may cause many of you to do backflips and dance in the streets, but, of course, I’m not laughing, nor am I looking for sympathy. I don’t want a pity party.
They say hindsight is golden. Looking back, I can’t believe I said the words “ban” and “terrorist” in the context that I did. I don’t know what I was thinking when I wrote that. I can explain this as sheer ignorance and an irresponsible use of words. What I’ve learned over the last few days has enlightened and amazed me. As a guy who hunts 200 days a year, does seminars on hunting, wrote for six hunting magazines, had a hunting TV show, and wrote 20 books on hunting, how could I have been so ignorant and out of touch with reality in the world of hunting and shooting?
But I was. I really can’t explain it, maybe because I just summarily dismissed the firearms in question in my mind when I saw them in magazines and catalogs. I saw one “black” firearm in a hunting camp in all my 50 years of hunting, and I shot one last year off a boat when fishing in Alaska. To tell the truth, it was fun and I enjoyed it immensely, but I never considered one for use in hunting. I have to tell you that I have had a revelation. I’m learning that many of my pals own AR-15’s and similar firearms and indeed use them for hunting. I was totally unaware that they were being used for legitimate hunting purposes. That is the absolute truth.
My biggest regret is not the financial impact of all this. I’m almost 67 and retirement is an option. The dreadful impact here is that I inadvertently struck a spear into the hearts of the people I love most…America’s gun owners. And, even though this huge cadre of dedicated people have succeeded in stripping me of my career, I hold no grudges. I will continue to stand as firm on pro hunting as I’ve ever done. But what’s different now is that I’ll do all I can to educate others who are, or were, as ignorant as I was about “black” rifles and the controversy that surrounds them. My promise to you is that I’ll learn all I can about these firearms, and by the time this week is out, I’ll order one. The NUGE has invited me to hunt with him using AR-15’s, and I’m eager to go, and learn. I’ll do all I can to spread the word.
I understand that many of you will not accept this apology, believing that the damage has been done and there’s no way to repair it. You have that right. But let me say this. I mentioned this above, and I’ll repeat it. I’m willing to seize this opportunity to educate hunters and shooters who shared my ignorance. If you’re willing to allow me to do that, we can indeed, in my mind, form a stronger bond within our ranks. Maybe in a roundabout way we can bring something good out of this.
Jim Zumbo
__________________ Commen Sense and Critical Thinking are an absolute joke in today's society. Yes I am talking to you!
Also on Nuge's site he addresses the discrepancy of whether he quit or was fired from OL. He claims he actually quit but only due to the fact he felt it was coming.
__________________ Commen Sense and Critical Thinking are an absolute joke in today's society. Yes I am talking to you!
The Washington Post has a news article on him today
Throughout, it refers to the fallout from his idiotic remarks as being strictly from assault weapon owners, and assault-weapon websites, not the average gun owner.
Pat Wray hasn't exactly covered himself with glory in this situation, either. Here's what he's quoted as saying in the article:
"This shows the zealousness of gun owners to the point of actual foolishness," said Pat Wray, a freelance outdoors writer in Corvallis, Ore., and author of "A Chukar Hunter's Companion."
Wray said that what happened to Zumbo is a case study in how the NRA has trained members to attack their perceived enemies without mercy.
"For so many years, Zumbo has been a voice for these people -- for hunting and for guns -- and they just turned on him in an instant," Wray said. "He apologized all over himself, and it didn't do any good."
Hello, Wray: I don't belong to the NRA, and they've never "trained" me. And it was Zumbo who turned on gun owners, not the other way around. All we did was defend ourselves.
Yeah I read that also Troy. I don't own an AR and I got what he meant right off the bat. Fact is he doesn't seem to get it; he's clueless and he will never get it no matter how much he goes out and hunts with Ted Nugent.
__________________ Commen Sense and Critical Thinking are an absolute joke in today's society. Yes I am talking to you!
Troy: Why are you not a member of the National Rifle Association? I thought you were going to join.
Heilung
The state started pulling a quarter of my paychecks for some back taxes they claim I owe, and I'm not only losing that, I'm paying a lawyer to fight them. I'll win eventually, but I'm a wee bit strapped for cash right now...
I think I can swing it this Friday, though. It's definitely on my list. I don't always like them, but with the Dems in power I think they're needed.
You got your priorities straight: Food, Family, Guns, other stuff. But sometimes I shift around a few things. I signed up for Life Membership on the Installment Plan. I missed several payments but caught up eventually. They didnt seem to mind much.
It got down to $200 I got a big paycheck, and I paid it off. No more dues notices, but still a lot of requests for contributions. I dont mind, I can donate or not. The NRA acts for the benefits to, and at the bidding of the Members, not the other way around. As a Member Insider I know what good the NRA really does. Heilung
Hey all, I'm usually a laid back private person that doesn't like to rock the boat so to speak but when something gets my irate I will voice my opinion. This is only MY opinion but I am very disappointed so many people are villifying Jim Zumbo's remarks concerning the use of assault rifles. I happen to agree with his comments. I AM AN AVID hunter, have been all my life but where is the sport in hunting with an assualt rifle. I'm looking at it from the point of view of the YOUNG hunter, what are they going to think, that it's ok to hunt with one? Do we really want the sport to move in that direction? I have enjoyed Zumbo's articles for years I have both been entertained and kept informed but think his being forced to resign is a sign that people can't voice an opinion if it's outside the main stream. I admire the courage and integrity Jim he has shown over the years and I know he only wants whats best for the sport as I think we all do. I have had people ask me why anyone would want to pummel any animal with round after round of ammunition, where is the sport in that. The multiple rounds these guns put out blow some animals apart. I know alot of comments I've seen have been about prairie dog hunting. I've done it just once and enjoyed it. The group I was with though didn't use the assualt rifle to blast the varmints!!! I know I'll get lots of negative responses back especially from those individuals that use the assualt rifle. Our YOUNG hunters are the future of this sport I hope they taught the way most of us were taught to have fun but at the same time respect for nature and what it has to offer.
Hey all, I'm usually a laid back private person that doesn't like to rock the boat so to speak but when something gets my irate I will voice my opinion. This is only MY opinion but I am very disappointed so many people are villifying Jim Zumbo's remarks concerning the use of assault rifles. I happen to agree with his comments. I AM AN AVID hunter, have been all my life but where is the sport in hunting with an assualt rifle. I'm looking at it from the point of view of the YOUNG hunter, what are they going to think, that it's ok to hunt with one? Do we really want the sport to move in that direction? I have enjoyed Zumbo's articles for years I have both been entertained and kept informed but think his being forced to resign is a sign that people can't voice an opinion if it's outside the main stream. I admire the courage and integrity Jim he has shown over the years and I know he only wants whats best for the sport as I think we all do. I have had people ask me why anyone would want to pummel any animal with round after round of ammunition, where is the sport in that. The multiple rounds these guns put out blow some animals apart. I know alot of comments I've seen have been about prairie dog hunting. I've done it just once and enjoyed it. The group I was with though didn't use the assualt rifle to blast the varmints!!! I know I'll get lots of negative responses back especially from those individuals that use the assualt rifle. Our YOUNG hunters are the future of this sport I hope they taught the way most of us were taught to have fun but at the same time respect for nature and what it has to offer.
Ok let me have it!!!!
Genuine assault rifles are fully automatic weapons used in the military, and they're not what Zumbo and the anti-gun nuts are calling assault and terrorist weapons.
The AR-15 is the civilian version of an M-16, and it shoots one bullet each time you pull the trigger, just like all the other civilian semi-automatic rifles that have been out there for generations. Unfortunately, it looks scary to ignoramuses.
I assure you that when someone sets up to shoot a prairie dog with an AR-15, he isn't using "spray 'n pray" tactics for a small target several hundred yards away, any more than you would use "spray 'n pray" on rabbits just because your .22 has a clip.
My only concern is for the future of the sport. I know about semi-automatic rifles I have one and use it depending on where I hunt. ALOT of people and I'm probably in that group myself think of assualt weapons as the AK-47 type rifle that shoots multiple rounds at once. US IGNORAMUSES as you call us probably need some clarification. Name calling won't cut it for me. If you're going to do that maybe you should look in the mirror first. Oh and as for being wrapped in the flag, I've spent the past 25 years defending that flag so IGNORAMUSES LIKE ME can state OUR OPINION, and I'm going to keep on stating it.
First off, no hunter no matter what type of weaon he is hunting with is going to "pummel an animal round after round". Just because the weapon is capable of shooting faster than your bolt action does NOT mean that when you hunt with an AR or similar rifle, you blow the animal to pieces. Hunting is about one shot, one kill with any weapon. And as far as the being wrapped in the flag, maybe you should pay a little more attention. That is his signature. It is posted at the end of any post he makes. You might have seen that if you would have carefully read the rest of the posts before yours before just jumping in and ptrying to protect your close-minded buddy zumbo
i'll give you some clarification, an ASSAULT RIFLE is a fully automatic or select fire weapon. an AR-15 is not one bit different than a browning bar, or remington 7400 except for the black plastic stocks. the fact that you think we are out hunting with fully automatic weapons doing spray and pray deer hunting blowing animals into little pieces is laughable. that thought process is exactly why zumbo is currently in the position he is in! i happen to shoot prarie dogs with an AR-15, and i will tell you that it is most definately not an assault rifle-#1 it weighs more than 10 pounds, #2 it is semi automatic, #3 it has a 24" bull barrel. i'll also make sure to mentoin this 1 more time, its not FULLY AUTOMATIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i guess ignorance is bliss!
I don't see an issue with hunting with a semi-automatic rifle whether and old military model or not. 10 rnds in a clip is more than enough and even a .30 can be enough to bring mid-size game down. The only real difference besides who made the rifle would be that mostly the military carbines aren't as acurate as true hunting rifles. That excludes sniper rifles, though. ALSO, mostly the rounds in those would have full metal jacket as opposed to hollow point or soft point. NOBODY NEEDS A MACHINEGUN/FULL AUTO ASSAULT RIFLE TO KILL ANIMALS.....unless you are in Austrailia hunting rabbits. They are everywhere .
No I'm not a gunning genius, but I do have enough understanding to know how to kill animals properly: one shot. one kill. AT the spot..... so I don't have to comb the countryside looking for it.
ALSO, mostly the rounds in those would have full metal jacket as opposed to hollow point or soft point. NOBODY NEEDS A MACHINEGUN/FULL AUTO ASSAULT RIFLE TO KILL ANIMALS.....unless you are in Austrailia hunting rabbits. They are everywhere
.
