If you could shoot/hunt WITH any President?

Which President Would You Like to Go Shooting/Hunting WITH

  • George Washington

    Votes: 13 7.0%

  • Abe Lincoln

    Votes: 8 4.3%

  • Theodore Roosevelt

    Votes: 97 51.9%

  • Andrew Jackson

    Votes: 8 4.3%

  • George H. Bush

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Ronald Reagan

    Votes: 13 7.0%

  • Dwight Eisenhower

    Votes: 6 3.2%

  • George W. Bush

    Votes: 11 5.9%

  • Charleton Heston (He was OUR President...Remember?)

    Votes: 7 3.7%

  • Write-In (Please List)

    Votes: 24 12.8%
  • Total voters
    187
  • Poll closed .
I believe Grant was the first with a national park = Yellowstone. Cleveland set aside a quite a few forest reserves. T Roosevelt set aside the lion's share of parks, wildlife preserves, forests and antiquities sites. And he did it in the face of strong opposition from the western states where he was roundly castigated as ignoring the Constitution, particularly as it related to private property protections and state's rights, (caused the Republicans to lose Colorado in '08.) As a latter day beneficiary of these "grabs," I have to admit I'm glad he did it.

On a hunt TR was a pretty good hand. He took on his share of the chores, pushed himself without complaint in the field and was entertaining around the campfire. He himself admitted he was only an average shot. But he could wear thin in large doses, being overbearing and judgemental as some who thought highly of his policies and abilities reported in their personal letters. Politically he was becoming increasingly in favor of socialistic and paternalistic policies. Mighta been good for the country that he died before the 1920 election campaign, which he was favored to win. Would his policies as president in the '20's have been as radical as his Bullmoose platform? Can't say, but his cousin FDR thought he was living up to TR's political legacy (despite TR-daughter-Alice's differing opinion).

For a hunting companion I chose Ike. A guy tougher and colder than his political image, but a good hand afield and able to hold up his end around the campfire.
 
I'd love to hang out and shoot with Jefferson, and then come back and drink some beers with that guy.
 
I'd love to have quail hunted with Ike. The NRA museum has his quail gun. It has his 5 stars inlayed into the stock.

Back in the 50's, the President didn't travel with a huge group of SS agents/etc. like now. They relied mainly on local police protection. My grandfather was a cop in the town of Thomasville, Ga. Ike used to go quail hunting there on a plantation owned by one of his cabinet members. My grandfather was frequently one of the cops that had to drive over to the nearest airport and escort him to the plantation. He loved bragging to his buddies that he was one of the ones picked for the protection detail.
 
TR - the only true outdoorsman and hunter and the one that had a real life outside of politics. He had a vast knowledge of plants and animals and corresponded with many of the top naturalists of his day. He had an almost unquenchable curiosity about the world and people. He authored numerous books, He was a voracious reader and read the classics as well as the latest scientific treatises. He personally led men into battle and seemed to judge his fellow men by their character rather than social status, standing, money, or formal education. He championed individual freedom and responsibility. He dealt with the grief of losing a beloved wife, child, and mother. He worked hard to overcome his own physical disabilities/limitations - poor eyesight and asthma. He was a Christian, who always in the end had a humble spirit - praising others for their achievements and acknowledging his failings.

One of my favorite stories about him is when having a "important meeting" with his cabinet it was interrupted by one of his children - who stated that he, TR, was tardy for his play time with the children. The child was reproved for having interrupted such an important meeting dealing with a national or international crisis. TR agreed and asked his child to leave - the child having left TR then stated that there were indeed important matters to attend to and that he was now remiss in his responsibilities to attend to them - whereupon he excused himself and was then seen outside on the lawn wrestling and playing with the children. The man had his priorities.

He finished a speech after having been shot, and received medical treatment later. He once took off on impromptu hike across an island with some of his children and family and lost the secret service agents assigned to him, they took a train and met him when he showed up later on the other side of the island. He routinely carried a pistol for protection and loved fine firearms. I also think he was the last president to have a pony in the Whitehouse - not at the Whitehouse - but "in" the Whitehouse. As police comissioner in New York he worked to clean up corruption and to improve the training and working conditions for his officers. He often walked the beats with his men. Bully.

Other great choices would be men like Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. As for Obama - met him briefly in Springfield Ill, when he was on his way to bigger things - and that was the impression I got, that he was just there until he moved on to bigger things - a smooth professional politician. Not trying to be political - just imho, professional politicians, whatever thier stripe, (conservative or liberal), are the bane of our country.
 
Well, I think TR was easily the biggest character that ever lived at the White House, but he was intensely ambitious, something that could be said for all of them. He expected a lot from his acquaintances, that is, he expected them to do what he wanted. He was a progressive, which seems to be an extinct species, and heaven help a progressive who doesn't get his way. That's why he changed so much in later years and went off on his own. That and the way Taft didn't do exactly what he wanted when Taft became president. I wouldn't call him humble.

I don't know if he was an outdoorsman but he was certainly a sportsman, who is a hunter or fisherman with a lot of money.

He believed in war and thought it an essential part of life. He modified his feelings a little when he lost a son, never quite realizing before what war means in human terms, as probably many of us don't either. But he also won the Nobel Peace Prize.

He could also be naive, judging from what he wrote in African Game Trails, which is still a fascinating book, though of no political value to read. But neither is the Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
 
Well, I think I would be too much in awe of Washington - the man who was essential to winning the revolutionary war - the man who could have been our first king - but instead walked us through the then untested waters of a constitutional republic and then retired from public office and politics.

Jefferson was a brilliant writer and a visionary, the Declaration of Independence is the spiritual cornerstone of our nation, who loved the finer things in life. I just can't envision him roughing it and enjoying hunting all that much. Though it would certainly be incredibly fascinating to talk to him or Washington.

Lincoln - well he was so defined by the Civil war - before that a lawyer and a semi-sucessful Illinois politician - who came from poor frontier roots. I guess I just can't seperate him enough from the great tragedy of the civil war to see going off on a hunting trip with him. I always see those sad great eyes.

TR - well flaws and all - a zest for life - if tempered in later years through personal loss and physical infirmity. And I tend to get along well with people that can be bull-headed and direct. One quibble with Bluetrain - perhaps a difference of definition - while TR may have at times fit the definition of a sportsman that you suggest - I think that his experience livng and hunting out west and his amazonian exploration go outside the confines of a comfortable "sportsman" experience. Also his obvious interest in the natural world and his museum collecting of species - while on safari - including bird species do not comport with the typical sportsman. Perhaps he was an ourdoorsman because it got him away from people that wouldn't do what he wanted them to do. :) And humility is taking time out to play with the kids.
 
TR

Yeah, it would be TR. I remember touring his home at Sagamore Hill a number of times as a kid. From Elephant tusks to Amazon mementos, the place sang of the outdoor life.
Good reads - "African Game Trails" by the man himself, Candice Millard's "The River of Doubt" about the Amazon expedition that ruined his health, and the multi volume biography by Edmund Morris.
Pete
 
Just a note for the Washington and Jackson voters. A lot of those old Southern guys hunted on horse back. So don't forget your padded britches and lineament.

Washington was called the greatest horseman of his age. Doesn't bode well for a ground pounder trying to keep up.
 
Hunting With Presidents

When I did hunt I preferred doing it by my self. And I cannot think of hunting any other way.
 
I think as a hunting partner TR would be my first choice. He harbored an appreciation for the outdoors and rifles. Plus he had a very good understanding of nature and the importance of it.

However, I would love to sit across the fire from Washington and Jefferson sipping untaxed Appalachian corn whiskey, asking questions and discussing their concept of what would eventually become America.
 
TR's intense love of the outdoors and his unprecedented conservation efforts make him my choice. Some of the shows about him and National Parks, his hunting episodes etc. have been great to watch and learn from.
 
I'd love to hunt with any or all of them, but since I had to choose one it's Jimmy Carter.
He's contemporary, the orginal "blue jean" President and he exudes humility from every one of his pores. In that respect I really don't think that he would mind it much if I tagged along with him while hunting. He gives and does so much for others to this very day and I would thoroughly trust him and his hunting judgement. I could envision hunting with him for rabbits, birds or hogs or any other game, maybe even with some dogs, and if as the host he wanted me to stand in a particular spot I'd be more than happy to knowing that doing so would be my best chance to make a kill.
Yesiree, I think that Jimmy would be a fine choice for a hunting partner and one who might actually enjoy my company.
It's not a choice involving his politics but rather one about his character and his down to earth and very humble personality. Both him and his wife Rosalynn are very warm people who I could just sit down with to chat and eat a meal and naturally get along with.
Plus they both lived in CT when Jimmy was stationed at the submarine base here so we would have a little something in common.
 
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Maybe Sam Houston, or Jefferson Davis.

(I was gonna say Ron Paul, but that might be too political and get the thread locked)
 
One of the mods linked to this thread in another one today and said "go post over there." I'm just the first one to follow the link.
 
Sorry zxcvbob, didn't see the other post till after I'd seen this. Sorry for accusing you of necromancy.

I'll repeat what I said earlier, a lot of people are picking the myths, the real guys might not be that pleasant.
 
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