Jim Zumbo screws up

[badbob]

I must be living in a vacuum. The guides on our hunt tell me that the use of AR and AK rifles have a rapidly growing following among hunters, especially prairie dog hunters. I had no clue. Only once in my life have I ever seen anyone using one of these firearms.

Sorry, folks, in my humble opinion, these things have no place in hunting. We don't need to be lumped into the group of people who terrorize the world with them, which is an obvious concern

Interesting. So the folks that use the AR are "terroriz(ing) the world". Sounds like a political statement to me.

badbob

[Tbag]

Zumbo should be terminated for just flat out lying. Saying that only once in his life has he ever seen one of these rifles used before, I say bull. Or is it possible that he has never been to a local gun range in his entire life. Look's as if I better cough up and buy me a terrorist rifle with a five round mag for my next hunt in woods. Talk about eating in the bathroom.

[Frenchy]

The NEW ATR-15...(American Terrorist Rifle)

[Anon]

The e-mail that I sent:

In a recent web post ( http://outdoorlife.blogs.com/zumbo/2...t_rifles_.html ), Jim Zumbo made some comments that bother me.

I know that this e-mail will be just one of several you receive on this subject. I urge you to rethink your sponsorship and, to re-word a phrase from his article, "Let's divorce ourselves from him. I say sponsors should ban him from their payrolls".

He does state that his comments are his opinions, however, I don't think that a person with those opinions should be supported by companies such as yours. If this guy wants to be a hunter, fine. Let him wander the woods and hunt. But please don't support him in his endeavors.

It's bad enough that so many outdoor sports are under attack by people on "the other side", I hate to see a guy "on our side" making a livelihood from your sponsorship, while at the same time making anti-gun, and anti-hunting comments.

I will no longer subscribe to Outdoor Life. I look forward to hearing how your company will be handling matters in regards to further support of Jim Zumbo.

Thanks for your time,

Don't forget to also post your message at the "Contact Us" section of The Outdoor Channel.
http://www.outdoorchannel.com/company.cfm?ss=16&site=1



It is funny, though. We're more infuriatied by this "traitor" than we are by the anti's who are actually out to take away our guns.

I imagine that more than one person has posted a comment, or e-mail, but has not written to their Congressman or Senators in years.

[UMP]

Okay lets talk some sense here guys! Yes this guy is very foolish for saying this, but Remington needs to be let out of this conversation. Just because they were with this guy does not hold them accountable for everything he says.
Remington is a great company. Their ammo plant is located here in Lonoke, AR. They have been a great help in all of the dealings I have done with them. Instead of being stupid and calling for a boycott, we need to overlook this very minor mistake and continue to support a great company that makes great products.

[Anon]

His apology is already up, and the server is bogged down!

http://outdoorlife.blogs.com/zumbo/2...wrong_big.html

[Csspecs]

It is their guy talking. They should have reviewed what he was writing.

[Bigfatts]

Check this out guys, he apologized! :barf: Too little, too late.

http://outdoorlife.blogs.com/zumbo/2...wrong_big.html

[Anon]

BigFatts, look up two posts above yours. Talk about "too late"!

My response to his apology:

I REALLY can't believe your REWARD for this piece is a hunt with Ted Nugent. There are thousands of us who would love to have an opportunity like that.

[Al Norris]

The blog spot was written Saturday, 17 Feb. 2007. Between that time and now, 2515 comments were made.

What few have observed, is that Jim wrote another blog entry today that has currently received 450+ comments.

I was wrong, BIG TIME

Someone once said that to err is human. I just erred, and made without question, the biggest blunder in my 42 years of writing hunting articles.

My blog inflamed legions of people I love most..... hunters and shooters. Obviously, when I wrote that blog, I activated my mouth before engaging my brain.

Let me explain the circumstances surrounding that blog. I was hunting coyotes, and after the hunt was over and being beat up by 60 mph winds all day, I was discussing hunting with one of the young guides. I was tired and exhausted, and I should have gone to bed early. When the guide told me that there was a "huge" following of hunters who use AR 15's and similar weapons to hunt prairies dogs, I was amazed. At that point I wrote the blog, and never thought it through.

Now then, you might not believe what I have to say, but I hope you do. How is it that Zumbo, who has been hunting for more than 50 years, is totally ignorant about these types of guns. I don't know. I shot one once at a target last year, and thought it was cool, but I never considered using one for hunting. I had absolutely no idea how vast the numbers of folks are who use them.

I never intended to be devisive, and I certainly believe in United we Stand, Divided we Fall. I've been an NRA member for 40 years, have attended 8 national NRA conventions in the last 10 years, and I'm an advisory board member for the United States Sportsmen's Alliance which actively fights anti-hunters and animal rights groups for hunter's rights.

What really bothers me are some of the unpatriotic comments leveled at me. I fly the flag 365 days a year in my front yard. Last year, through an essay contest, I hosted a soldier wounded in Iraq to a free hunt in Botswana. This year, through another essay contest, I'm taking two more soldiers on a free moose and elk hunt.

When I started blogging, I was told to write my thoughts, expressing my own opinion. The offensive blog I wrote was MY opinion, and no one else's. None of the companies that I deal with share that opinion, nor were they aware of what I had written until this firestorm started.

Believe it or not, I'm your best friend if you're a hunter or shooter, though it might not seem that way. I simply screwed up. And, to show that I'm sincere about this, I just talked to Ted Nugent, who everyone knows, and is a Board member of the NRA. Ted is extremely active with charities concerning our wounded military, and though he's known as a bowhunter, Ted has no problem with AR 15's and similar firearms. My sincerity stems from the fact that Ted and I are planning a hunt using AR 15's. I intend to learn all I can about them, and again, I'm sorry for inserting my foot in my mouth.

Emphasis mine.

What does he need to do for some of you? Hari Kari?

[Anon]

Antipitas, suicide is not in order. I would prefer to see all of his sponsors abandon him, in the same manner he suggested we all "divorce ourselves" from these "terrorist" weapons.

I want him to pay a huge financial price, and be removed from the industry in shame.

Sadly, this will actually be a defining moment in his career. More people have heard of him in this weekend, than in the rest of his career combined. He'll get good press out of apologizing. He'll come out of this OK, and that's sad.

[Mueller]

If someone here, wrote something about a product or system that their company or the one they worked for made, with out doing proper research before writing the report or blog entry, that could do serious damage to the company or product. what would the response of their employer be, when thousand of people read the blog and deluged the company with emails and letters threatening a boycott and probably hurting the financial bottom line.

Would the company execs accept I was tired and didn't know better....I don't think you would be employed very long.

So, Jim Zumbo, should be given a pass because he made a mistake due to being tired and uninformed, if he has been in the industry for years, then like a newspaper reporter, he is well aware of the power his words can have

Sorry, he committed Hari Kari, on line and should pay the price for it. With his one blog entry he has done millions of dollars worth of damage to the fight to keep our rights, the Brady campaign has already started running with this.

Sorry Jim, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[Anon]

Originally Posted by Mueller

.....With his one blog entry he has done millions of dollars worth of damage to the fight to keep our rights....

I'm all for this guy disappearing into retirement, but I am POSITIVE that you cannot back that statement up.

[RBK]

Anon, thanks for the reminder to post in their comments section.
Here is mine:

"The Jim Zumbo article gave me a really good reading on where you guys stand with respect to our 2nd amendment.
Hillary could not be more pleased, I'm sure.

Don't you people ready ANYTHING before it goes to print?

Well?

You are directly responsible for the content.
The content is absolutely damming to us as gun owners since, the Brady people are using it now.

Thanks a bunch,"

RBK

[seeker_two]

My response to Mr. Zumbo's apology....

I'm glad you took the time to re-evaluate your "terrorist rifle" stance, apologized to the owners of these rifles (which would include the entire US military and much of law enforcement), and scheduled some trigger time with a true defender of the Second Amendment. I look forward to reading your article written after that event and seeing how much you are enlightened by Mr. Nugent and the performance of these "terrorist rifles".

You might even like them enough to give up hunting with your high-powered sniper rifles and street-sweeping scatterguns....

[Mueller]

How much advertising will it take to refute the comments made by a "Major" player in the field of hunting articles?

Any apology, will be cast by the Anti's as pressure from the "Major" gun manufacturers/Lobby and so to the uninformed it screams cover up and back room deals.

So, do you have a dollar figure on what it will cost to try and overcome this blog mishap?

The Brady Campaign is already using it and to others out there who are uninformed and who look at black rifles with horror/fear and disdain, but look up to this writer as an informed authority on hunting, wow what a boost to the credibility of the Anti's.

So as far as my statement, I feel safe in saying millions.

[DonR101395]

Remington is a great company. Their ammo plant is located here in Lonoke, AR. They have been a great help in all of the dealings I have done with them. Instead of being stupid and calling for a boycott, we need to overlook this very minor mistake and continue to support a great company that makes great products.

I'm all for supporting Remington as long they aren't using the dollars I give them to support Zumbo. I'd rather they take my dollars and use them to repair the damage to the American shooters image. If he's on their payroll as a writer they they are responsible for what he writes in public.

[AK103K]

Don't you people ready ANYTHING before it goes to print?

Well?

Oh, I dont know.

[hpg]

He's busier trying to suckup and apologize than a cat trying to cover up" pooh" on a concrete floor............ ............hpg

[SamC]

A quote from dumbo "What really bothers me are some of the unpatriotic comments leveled at me. I fly the flag 365 days a year in my front yard. Last year, through an essay contest, I hosted a soldier wounded in Iraq to a free hunt in Botswana. This year, through another essay contest, I'm taking two more soldiers on a free moose and elk hunt."

Well, a**hole, I, as well as countless others, don't like being associated with terrorists because of my choice of firearms. These are your words to us and you're offended because someone said something "unpatriotic" about you? Go salute yourself you arrogant a$$.

[Phast12]

He has stated his opinion and what is called his apology is nothing of the sort. his apology was full of “I can prove I support gun rights because” lines. The truth of the matter is he showed that he only support gun rights when it’s to his lifestyle and view. He also never retracted his statements on calling for banning of the guns or correcting his classification of "Assault Weapons". I also believe that the clear concise manner in which he attacked showed his true intentions and that his later attempted totally calls into question his character.

[Dave Markowitz]

His apology is lame. He avoids the issue of calling AR-15 owners terrorists, and then tries the excuse of "I wuz tired when I wrote it."

[rem33]

Maybe I shouldn't say anything as it seems most would disagree but the guy apologized and I am sure will more as time moves along. He is going on the AR hunt and I betcha he will give rave reviews on AR's and their owners afterwords.

If this was ongoing problem that might be different but it seems to be a isolated incident in a 40 year career. I was upset at first but now am of the opinion to give him a break and see what the future brings.


As far as something being reviewed before print, reminds me of a huge billboard on the side of a Southern California freeway once. Along with a huge picture of a Holstein cow was the saying " All us cows do our best for Jersey Maid" It lasted about 3 weeks. How the picture of a Holstein on a jersey milk ad was able to reach the billboard past management has always amazed me but stuff happens.
I was born on a dairy but probably 95% of the folks passing didn't have a clue.

[RangerVA]

This guy should have used the ever frequent "I'm an alcoholic" excuse that seems to be popular as of late

[badbob]

How about if he calls Brady and explains that he was "tired" and didn't mean what he wrote, that ought to undo all the damage Zumbo has done to the 2nd. Amendment. Interesting that he said he must have been "living in a vacuum" as his comments sucked. I'll boycott anybody that advertises with any show or magazine featuring Zumbo.

badbob