Thursday, March 25, 2010

Davy Crockett's hat was not made from a raccoon

Every one knows it was made from the delicate skin of a guinea pig! Sheesh.

Alright, Virginia has its fair share of weirdos too.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm confused.

Why, specifically, is it "animal cruelty" to kill and skin a glorified rat?

Where do these people think the leather seats in their car came from? (obviously, not a rat, but some critter got killed and skinned for it)

It's perfectly humane for an industry to kill and skin animals to make textiles, but when an individual does it, it somehow becomes "cruelty?"

BS. The guy is guilty of nothing more than offending someone's sensibilities.

When I was growing up a friend and I used to run trap lines.

We'd get a $2 to $3 for a decent muskrat pelt, $10 to $25 for a coon skin (depending on size and fur density) and up to $30 for fox.

For a couple of pre-teen kids, it was good money.

But I guess in this day and age we'd be arrested for "cruelty" or something.

I despair for this generation.

Unknown said...

I agree. I only wish to have the land available to start trapping. Or hunt for that matter.

How many gold fish, hermit crabs, salamanders, garter snakes, and other little critters get flushed down the toilet every day in this country because little johnny didn't feed it? There is no cry for justice there.

My intent for branding the guy a weirdo was more for using a guinea pig to make a hat, vice going out and killing a raccoon. A rabbit would make a mighty fine hat too.

Anonymous said...

I understood your point, and I'd say his actions were a bit odd (though, I would go so far as to say nutty...guinea pigs do have pretty nice fur) as well, but cruelty? Not so much. Unless he tortured the poor thing to death.

I grew up on a farm where we raised virtually all of our own food and I mentioned the trapping already. Animals are a natural (renewable) resource, but if they're to be used in that way, it should be done as humanely and painlessly as possible.

BTW: The friend who I ran traps with (he still does a little trapping from time to time), used to raise domestic rabbits (with his dad) for food. Not only are they VERY tasty, but the pelts indeed make fine hats, stoles, slippers, etc. Very soft fur.

Anonymous said...

though, I would go so far as to say nutty

Oops, I meant "wouldn't go so far as to say nutty".

Stupid fingers.

Unknown said...

Come to think of it, is there enough fur on a guinea pig to make a hat? My noggin is pretty average, but I doubt I could cover it with just one.

I hear ya on raising all of your own food; I'm pretty tired of all the processed stuff. I'd love to have some fresh venison in the freezer, but as close as I get to killing a deer nowadays is with the hood of my truck on my way to work.

Anonymous said...

That's one reason I'd consider it "odd".

Although Guinea pig would probably make a right fine hat, I'm thinking it would take significantly more than just one.

Also odd just because "Guinea pig skin cap" is just not something that comes immediately to mind.

Not necessarily unreasonable, just unusual.