We seem to have two issues going here. So Senator Kerry went into a grocery store and asked if he could buy a hunting license there. (Valid, even though in most of the states I've lived, hardware stores are more likely to be a license outlet.) Presumably he already had his gun. This has nothing to do with licensing gun ownership.

So yeah. I can believe that it was a photo op. But as long as he didn't break down in tears at the bird(s) he killed, I would think that people would accept thathe has done it before, that he is a hunter. As he has said before.