Kudos to our Icelandic visitors
Congratulations on your recent bison "hunting" trip to our neck of the woods. The fact that you managed to assassinate one of these majestic, iconic beasts without endangering life and limb is no small accomplishment. However, the necessity of five shots from your enormous handgun to put him out of his misery is a bit disconcerting.
Next time you might consider using a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG). One well-placed "double lung" shot should do the trick rather nicely.
Calling this "hunting" seems to be quite a stretch. Some would call this merely "shooting." On our farm we used to call it "butchering." Nearly every fall we sacrificed a steer or a hog. As I recall, we didn't pose for any pictures. Perhaps on another trip we can help to bag a Hereford or a Black Angus.
But actual bison hunting has a colorful tradition in America. Native Americans hunted them from horseback with great courage and skill. George Armstrong Custer, one of our less distinguished military figures, took a crack at mounted bison hunting while invading The Black Hills in the 1870s. Unfortunately, George got a bit carried away during the hot pursuit; and he shot his own horse in the back of the head. I think you should be aware of this pitfall in case you try this method in the future.
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Of course, this is really none of my business. But perhaps it would have worked better if the rancher had slaughtered the animal humanely and shipped you whatever parts you wanted to hang in your museum. Certainly this "trophy" does not reflect on your manhood. Neither does it attest to your skill with firearms. But it does prove you have the money to come over here and buy it. And that, as we say over here, is nothing to sneeze at.
Vern Thompson
Park Rapids
