media request - Lubbock area hog hunter

Got this in our THF general mail box.

Good morning,
Do you know anyone in the Lubbock, Texas area who hunts feral hogs and would let me follow them around with my notebook and camera for a couple hours?
It might be a chance for them to get some fun recognition.
Thank you,

Josie Musico
Regional/Agriculture Reporter
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
www.lubbockonline.com
Josephine.musico@lubbockonline.com
(806) 766-8796 office
(806) 559-4283 cell

Guess we gotta decide if we want a reporter on our tails being loud, or "smelling wrong".

http://lubbockonline.com/users/josie-musico

Already checked to confirm she's legit. Just not sure I want a reporter following me.
I'm honest to a fault (just ask my divorce lawyers), but even I wouldnt want to hunt with a game warden, and think I might prefer it to a reporter. Plus the AJ has become a liberal rag, and the last thing I want is some left leaning reporter screaming about how horrible hunters are, and telling a horror story about the screaming piglet I shot (bad shots do, and I am sad to say, have happened). Wonder what kind of story she's doing?

I agree with Nakraik. If it helps and promotes hunting, I would be ok with it, but you never know her true intentions and it could turn ugly real fast.

I sent her an e-mail asking what qualifies as Lubbock area and what type of story she wanted to do. Here's what I got back:

Our coverage area goes about an hour and a half in every direction, so an hour is no problem.

I want to write a feature story about landowners who have trouble with feral hogs, and hunters who like to catch them, so they form kind of a win-win trade. If I can’t find anyone in that situation, I will just write a general feature about feral hog hunting.

Is that something you’d be interested in?

I'm probably not going to be able to do a hunt till weekend after this one, and have to find out if it would even be allowed. So I am going to mull it over till then. Plus I have someone who can do some background checking for me and determine whether this is someone I'm going to want following me on a hunt or not.

Also gotta find out if she will keep me, and my hunting area private. I'm happy to show a reporter all the damage the pigs are doing, and if possible, give them a bit of an idea what it's like hunting for them, but not very willing to have anything about me publicized.

I would do it if it was closer to my place. She might come out scared to death of pigs but she would get a good close up of a group of them in day light.

I figure even if I'm not willing, maybe point her in the direction of someone who I think would show her what it's like with a responsible hunter.

We did it for our local paper and a certain neighborhood back in 2013.

Its about the issues that farmers, ranchers, even suburbs are facing with feral hogs.

www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2013/sep/02/feral_hogs_am_090313_217628

Did anyone else catch this....."I want to write a feature story about landowners who have trouble with feral hogs, and hunters who like to "CATCH" them..." Seems to me like she is expecting NOT to see any of them get shot. Better be sure to check on this.

I did notice that actually, and told her right off the bat I do NOT trap. She said oops. She wants a hunter, not a trapper it would seem now. In my case though, the land manager already blackballed a reporter doing a story about hunting out there.