Internet animal hunting begins

AN AMERICAN from Amurkka is experimenting with the idea of internet hunting where hunters can shoot at animals from the comfort of their computer desktops.

John Underwood, an estimator for a San Antonio, Texas car body shop, has invested $10,000 to build a platform for a rifle and camera that can be remotely aimed on his 133ha southwest Texas ranch by anyone on the internet.

He got the idea by watching a wildlife programme on a website on which cameras posted in the wild are used to snap photos of animals.

He said that the idea came to him while he was watching, a 'beautiful white-tail buck' wandered into the shot and a friend said to him 'If you just had a gun for that'.

He thinks that Internet hunting could be popular with disabled hunters or distant hunters who cannot afford a trip to Texas.

All that is stopping Underwood, 39, going mainstream is that he needs a fast internet connection to his remote ranch that will enable hunters to aim the rifle quickly at passing animals.

He will arrange for an attendant to retrieve shot animals for the shooters, who could have the heads preserved by a taxidermist or have the Meat processed and shipped home.