Quick - Somebody Call PETA

According to this story some US Marines have started hunting gazelles - with rocks.

US marines in Iraq are hunting gazelles with rocks and pistols - to avoid having to eat ready-made military rations.

The soldiers at a base outside Tikrit say they are enjoying eating the unusual meat from Saddam Hussein's personal hunting preserve.

Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 are venturing into the woods to hunt the animals before hauling them back as a welcome substitute for the pre-packaged Meals Ready to Eat rations.

"It was delicious. I don't know if it's because we have been eating MREs for two months, but everyone has enjoyed it a lot," said army cook Cpl Joshua Wicksell, 26.

Each of the squadron's platoons has been limited to killing one gazelle a day to make sure the herd is not depleted.

The soldiers have been allowed to use 9mm pistols to hunt after initially being forbidden to use firearms for fear that gunshots in the woods might be mistaken for enemy fire.

"We hunted them with rocks (at first), as Stone Age as that sounds," Wicksell said. "We gutted them and skinned them and pretty much carried them over our shoulders barbarian-style."

Interesting that these gazelles were on Saddams 'personal hunting preserve'. Why was PETA not taking a brave stand against the brutal imprisonment and slaughter of these poor defenseless gazelles at the hands of Saddam Hussein. Perhaps that would have convinced the leftys of the justification of removing Saddam Hussein from power. I know that childrens prisons was not justification in their eyes but perhaps the poor cuddly aminals will have been reason enough.

I think that it is telling that the Marines are limiting their hunting to "ensure that the herd is not depleted" sounds like the Marines are responsible sportsmen. I also love the fact that the Marines were able to fell Gazelles with ROCKS. Now that is old school.

I found this via Dave Barry's most excellent blog.