I can't understand why, if you were vice-president when there was a difficult war going on, you would elect to go quail-hunting in your spare time. It just seems very odd.

Most people try to do something relaxing that will take their mind off work: for example, if you were a life guard you'd probably go somewhere where there weren't people drowning every minute. Or if you were a waiter, you'd probably go someplace where people can get their own drinks. Etc.

Or at the very least, you would think that if you were vice-president of an administration that had got the country into a costly and difficult war, shooting someone in the face while on holiday would be something you would try very hard to avoid, knowing how people do talk. When your chums came by and suggested a drunken hunting expedition, you'd say: wait now. Sounds fun, but you know. Better safe than sorry. If only to deflect the sort of criticism that would come your way.