It is petty, Geordie. In America, certain things are partisan issues, meaning if people feel like its an issue representative of their party, they’ll argue it to the grave. No matter how much or little sense it makes.
Hunting is not a religion, nor would it matter if it were. There are small religions that claim spirituality of doing drugs, but that doesn’t make them exempt from the law. Also, notice how Jewish conservatives act like you’re a big koifer if you don’t vote with the halachah on other issues, but with hunting it’s suddenly all “we can’t enforce the halachah on others.” It’s all just partisanship.