Fair Chase

05 June 2011, 05:58

tin can

Fair Chase

"THROUGH THE BINOCULARS I see them: nine tiny men in bright jerseys running in formation across the vast short-grass prairie of eastern New Mexico. They're chasing a tawny pronghorn antelope through the crackling stalks of late summer's fading wild sunflowers. The buck weighs about 130 pounds, like the men racing after it, but that's about the only thing they have in common. The pronghorn is the second-fastest animal on earth, while the men are merely elite marathon runners who are trying to verify a theory about human evolution. Some scientists believe that our ancestors evolved into endurance athletes in order to hunt quadrupeds by running them to exhaustion. If the theory holds up, the antelope I'm watching will eventually tire and the men will catch it. Then they'll have to decide whether to kill it for food or let it go."

http://outsideonline.com/adven...idwcmdev_155715.html

05 June 2011, 08:20

Crazyhorseconsulting

One small detail you might want to consider.

The cheetah is the fastest animal on earth, but only for a relatively short distance.

Pronghorns can run at their top speed for miles.

When endurance/staying power is taken into consideration, the cheetah is the second fastest animal.

05 June 2011, 17:38

rcamuglia

Great story!

06 June 2011, 17:19

calgarychef1

Great experiment, that they took one of the fastest animals and almost got it speaks volumes to the possibilities. Additionally they chased 3 or 4 before really concentrating on one animal. If they had better tracking/hunting skills they could have used less energy from the beginning and probably caught it.

That it's possible and that it was a valid way of hunting I have no doubt whatsoever.

06 June 2011, 21:34

Antelope Sniper

Plains Indians used to walk down horses.

07 June 2011, 00:49

Geedubya

Would this fit the definition of fair chase?

GWB

07 June 2011, 02:11

Antelope Sniper

Wow, those guys are awsome.
No wonder they always win the Marathon.

07 June 2011, 07:20

tin can

quote:
Originally posted by Antelope Sniper:
Wow, those guys are awsome.
No wonder they always win the Marathon.

read a book some years back by the science editor from the New York Times that kind of trespassed into what are politically correct taboo subjects, that being black people and athletic ability- he noted that the best long distance runners come from a particular area in Africa, the best medium-distance runners from another, and the best short distance/dashers from yet another area in Africa.

Facts are facts.

07 June 2011, 09:45

rcamuglia

quote:
Originally posted by Geedubya:
Would this fit the definition of fair chase?

GWB

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.

Amazing.