You know, I was thinking about doing some hiking in Arkansas in late spring, maybe even get to observe a large black bear in the 400-pound range while out hiking on the trail, but then I see that this 5 year old sitting up in this stand ambushed the big 400-pound bear. Shot him.

So now this bear is dead and neither I nor anyone else will see him. He was a magnificent creature, not culled from the population because of sickness or age, but shot dead by a five year old simply because, well, he was an awesome creature who made the big mistake (while searching for food) of passing by the stand of a 5 year old who happened to be the great, great whatever of Davy Crockett (yeah, right, so's the half of Arkansas that can trace their lineage back to DC and one mom.)

The bear's dead. And I'm trying to figure out why I want to go hike in Arkansas.

I'm of Scandinavian descent. My great, great and more great whoever slew some bears and some Anglo-Saxons a while back. But this is 2008, and I'm asking, "So what?"

I was a hunter. Killed a squirrel when I was 14 with a gun. Agonized over it for a while and finally said I wouldn't do that again. Haven't. Just a different perspective on the hiking forum.

(Like the bear, I sure took this bait.)