Ok, first this is nothing new. However I’d like to go a bit deeper into it:

1. Z used the word ‘forrest’ in his 408 cipher
2. Z knew how to use radians for navigation
3. Z used the rather uncommon term ‘killing wild game’ (hunter’s language)
4. Z had used dark clothes, however not some specific hunting outfit at LB
5. Z used a knife with a double blade, longer than 10” which should rather be used for ‘wild game cutting’ than anything else.

I’d say at least four of the points considered above indicate that Z indeed was a hunter in his ‘normal’ life. What I wanna say is that we are not only looking for e.g. a SF Chronicle employee or Sierra Club member or something like that, but actually do look for someone who DID hunt, possibly a lot, during his time.

Just wanted to keep this one in mind, e.g. in case there were e.g. hunting people in Vallejo, such as the two guys who had been at LHR.

QT

I am a longtime hunter, so I can add something to this.

1)Z used the word FORREST, but that may or may not mean anything.

2)RE: Radians, this has nothing to do with hunting

3)Killing "wild game"- Not so sure that a hunter really would use this term, that actually sounds like he read that someplace, or heard the term

4)Dark clothes, more of a prowler’s outfit, hunters use camouflage type clothes

5)There are a bunch of knives used by hunters, but they are on the smaller side, pocket knive, skinning knives, buck knives, etc, not long bladed knives.

While I think it’s possible Z was a hunter, I don’t think there is anything solid linking him to hunting, maybe only the Most Dangerous Game itself was his only connection to hunting

As mentioned in another thread it recently struck me that Z (according to BH’s description" was wearing bloused pants. This is a style often favored by outdoors types (also by military people, of course). That could go in the "pro hunter" column.

But on the whole I agree with morf. There is nothing which strongly indicates that he was a hunter, if by the latter we mean an expert hunter. The "wild game" phrase doesn’t indicate an experienced hunter to me – it sounds almost contrived or learned, as morf suggests. Could have gotten that from a book or a movie. Or a comic book…

Don’t get me wrong, if all of the different guns used by Zodiac were all guns he owned, then it’s likely he was an avid shooter, and a lot of hunters are also avid shooters.

I agree. I could see him being into guns and shooting, but not necessarily hunting. He was into handguns not rifles. The tenuous links to him being a hunter could simply be due to him trying to project that image.

Just out of curiosity, Morf, what do you like to hunt, besides bizzare serial killers that is?

I’m the opposite. I believe that his choice of a .22 at LHR shows a serious misunderstanding of weapons. I don’t think he knew anymore about hunting than he did getting his rocks off with a girl. JMO.

Buckwheat, I hate to be the one who says this, but it did the job.

Buckwheat, I hate to be the one who says this, but it did the job.

True, but still a poor choice. Probably why he switched to a niner.

I agree. I could see him being into guns and shooting, but not necessarily hunting. He was into handguns not rifles. The tenuous links to him being a hunter could simply be due to him trying to project that image.

Just out of curiosity, Morf, what do you like to hunt, besides bizzare serial killers that is?

He may have been into rifles too, it’s just much harder to carry them around, conceal them, etc. Plus, if a younger Z killed the Swindles in San Diego, or Domingos/Edwards in Santa Barbara, then he did use a rifle.

I hunt two things, Deer and Zodiac

I bet long-awaited justice would taste even better than venison.

Just to add to what morf said above regarding knives: I don’t do much hunting these days but I used to go hunting with my grandfather when he was still alive. I can’t recall a single knife we’d use for any hunting purpose that was as large as the one Z used at LB. Hunters normally use fairly short bladed knives, as morf says. Unless they’re hunting in a tropical forest and need a machete to hack their way through the wilderness.

He was at LB for the sole purpose of hunting people. He probably learned from Cheri Jo that a small knife required a lot of effort. That is, of course, if he killed her.

I don’t know much about hunting, I’m more into fishing, but I don’t think Z was a hunter in the traditional sense of the word.

So overall we may have come to the conclusion that Z was not acting as an avid hunter. Rather some guy who had focussed on shooting, e.g. on shooting ranges.

Reasons why Z may NOT have been a hunter:

– Wing Walker’s instead of real hunting boots
– No typical hunting clothes
– Pistols rather than rifles
– No ‘hat’ which might have been typical for a hunter
– Change in caliber size rather than using his favorised gun
– No pick-up truck (LHR) but a Sedan type car
– etc.

Still open is the question where the term ‘killing wild game’ would then come from.

QT

You could kill somebody with most hunting knives, but a long or bayonet style knife, would certainly penetrate deeper and cause more internal damage, which is why bayonets were fixed to rifles for hand to hand combat. The last knife I would use to kill somebody, or for self defense, is a pocket knife like that used in Cheri’s case. They are very small bladed, and hard to hold onto.

He could have used a razor knife for goodness sake if he just wanted to kill them. I often wonder why he felt the need to stab them instead of just cutting their throats. I should have paid more attention in those psychology classes.