Hardest Decision

[huntnfished1]

I am an avid hunter who has supported and defended
the sport for 20 years.It has been my greatest passion and most
cherished pursuit in life.I am also the father of two boys whom I have
exposed to the sport and have taught them about it.I have heard people
tell me "I used to hunt but was shot at" or "I used to hunt but there
is too many nuts out there".I used to think that they must not have
really loved it the way I do and could not fathom giving it up but now
I can't say that.I have recently been given a reality check by fellow
hunters.I used to think that the majority of hunters were conservation
and ethically minded people and was glad to call myself one of these
but now I see that this is not the case.It seems to me that there are
some hunters that are ethically minded and environmentally responsible
but it appears that they are a minority amongst hunters as a whole.I am
forced now to make a stand for what I beleive is right. I cannot defend
a sport whose majority seems bent on defending behavior that is
simply,indefencible.The practices of canned "hunting",internet
"hunting",baiting of game etc.,etc. are staunchly defended by so-called
hunters and sadly the meaning of the word hunting,and what it means to
be a hunter have been lost in translation.
As a result of this I have decided to put down my
gun and bow and pick up a camera because I still and will always love
going afield.I cannot however feel good about calling myself a hunter
after seeing the disregard for ethics and conservation that is
apparently rampant among the hunting crowd in this day and age.This is
to me like losing my best freind.I guess for me it is more important
that I stand for conservation and respect for the environment and it's
creatures than it is to continue supporting something that appears to
have lost those values that have kept it alive till now.Maybe there is
better ways of controlling animal populations and maybe I will just
have to settle for store bought food but with all of the money I'll
save in licence fee's,ammo and gear I will have more to buy food with
and more to give to True conservation efforts.

[cr422]

I'm going to call BS on this.

You're not kidding me. You are and always have been an anti-hunter. You are here solely to spread anti-hunting propaganda.

You are so transparent that I can see through you as though you aren't even there.

[BenGarrett]

Horse hockey. If you love something, you don't let the actions of others persuade you to give it up. What's your game here?

[huntnfished1]

Response's like these only confirm that I have definetly made the right decision.

ORIGINAL: cr422

I'm going to call BS on this.

You're not kidding me. You are and always have been an anti-hunter. You are here solely to spread anti-hunting propaganda.

You are so transparent that I can see through you as though you aren't even there.

bingo

I Don't know what offends me more, the fact he thinks we are this stupid to swallow this or what he is saying.

So nobody will jump up and down with you on high fensed hunting, you decided in one day to quit hunting? That doesn't even makes sense, and really I am glad to get you out of the woods. Anybody this silly, scares me with firearms.

[petasux]

BOOO HOOOO

CYA

[Red Lion]

ORIGINAL: huntnfished1

Response's like these only confirm that I have definetly made the right decision.

You are obviously an anti-hunting troll boy, so eat a load of .......

[falcon]

Sounds like a PETA type to me.

[huntnfished1]

I am now.

[Champlain Islander]

Let me chime in on this one. First there is nothing wrong with hunting with a camera if that is the way you chose to interact with wild game. Getting into position for a close shot with a camera is similar to harvesting one with a gun or bow.Kind of like a catch and release concept. Generally people who think of hunting perceive the end result of success to be a kill. To decide to change from gun to camera is a personal choice but shouldn't be made because of others actions. Hunting with a camera would be just as dangerous from a getting shot perspective because you would be out in the field with other hunters armed with weapons. Ethics in hunting can change and vary between geographic regions and past traditions. People hunt deer with dogs in the South but would be arrested for doing it up North. Ethics are a personal benchmark that falls within a legal definition and what is ethical for one person might not be for another. As sportsmen I believe we need to think more of our own actions and let others determine their own way. Do we have to sit idly by and condone canned hunting ...certainly not. Because we live in this great country we are allowed to form our own opinions on almost everything and express them. My freedom of speech allows me to say I am against canned hunting and further allows me to attempt to convert others to my way of thinking. My personal benchmark for hunting is fair chase only and to use the legal and accepted ways of taking game. I kill only something I plan to eat and won't shoot something like a chuck and leave it in the field. That is the way I handle myself and really could care less if someone else wants to shoot chucks, yotes or porkys because they are there and it is legal. So getting back to the topic if you chose to change to hunting with a camera it is your personal choice. To blame your decision on others lack of ethics doesn't wash with me. Dad always said to take care of myself and not worry about what the other guy is doing.