James Woods Wants the ‘Licensed Hunting of Poachers’ After Blake Fischer Hunting Outrage

“Killing these glorious creatures is barbaric. Just stop it,” actor writes in response to story about Idaho fish and game commissioner

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Count James Woods among those outraged over Blake Fischer, the Idaho fish and game commissioner who reportedly shared a photo of “a family of baboons” that he killed during a hunting trip in Africa.

Actor and noted conservative Woods vented against the practice of trophy hunting on Monday, saying, among other things, “What I’d really like to see is the licensed hunting of poachers.”

Woods’ reflection on the subject began in reaction to a Fox News story about Fischer that noted Fischer had received requests to resign.

“Honestly some things are just obvious, so please stop selling this nonsense that killing innocent wildlife helps conserve the species,” Woods wrote. “It’s just bulls—. Killing these glorious creatures is barbaric. Just stop it.”

Woods wasn’t done there. He went on to call the killing of families of exotic animals for sport “vile,” and drew a distinction between that practice and hunting for sustenance.

“Deer hunters eat their animal harvest, like fishermen do. That is a completely different argument. Sport killing families of exotic creatures in regulated game parks is vile,” Woods wrote. He also managed to drag the Clintons into his diatribe: “The money paid for those hunts probably disappears into some Clinton fund. Let’s stop kidding ourselves.”

The actor added, “Hunting a giraffe, just standing there munching leaves, serves what purpose? If exotic species hunters are excited by the dangers and excitement, why not hunt each other? Seriously, they should pay to play paintball but with real weapons. Nothing like a level playing field.”

Woods concluded his thoughts on the topic by allowing that, as a carnivore, he has no standing to be “holier-than-thou” about hunting. He did, however, offer a modest proposal of sorts regarding poachers.

“Final word: I eat hamburgers. Somebody does the killing. I’m not going to get holier-than-thou about hunters,” Woods wrote. “If you’re a carnivore, then somebody has to do the killing. But killing for a ‘trophy’ is absurd. What I’d really like to see is the licensed hunting of poachers.”

According to the Idaho Statesman, Fischer shared photos — including the “family of baboons” photo — with friends and colleagues after his return from the trip last month, prompting former fish and game commissioner Fred Trevey to call for his resignation “to shield the commission as an institution and hunting as a legitimate tool of wildlife management from the harm that is sure to come.”

The Statesman reported that, after being called by an anonymous fellow commissioner who was upset about the photos, Fischer apologized for sending the photos unsolicited, but not for the hunt itself.

“I didn’t do anything illegal. I didn’t do anything unethical. I didn’t do anything immoral,” the Statesman quoted Fischer as saying. “… I look at the way Idaho’s Fish and Game statute says we’re supposed to manage all animals for Idaho, and any surplus of animals we have we manage through hunting, fishing and trapping. Africa does the same thing.”

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