Hunting, were in trouble!!

[Charlie P]

I spent some time on non hunting boards after the shootings in Wisconsin and all I can say is wow, were in trouble.

A small percentage of posters were actually happy hunters were shot.

A very large percentage feel hunting has no place in today's society.Some of the reasons given.

1. Other methods can be used to control the deer population.
2.We don't really need to hunt for meat ,we just enjoy killing.
3.It's cruel.
4. We're just out there to kill a big racked deer and most of us will do anything to get one.
5.The only reason we care about wildlife is so ther are enough around to kill.
6. Canned hunts are taking over hunting.
7. We are growing deer to kill.
8. We're considered redneck bubba's.

A small percentage are non hunters who agree with hunting.

This is what I observed.

Now I come back to a hunting board and read thread's titled"rooting for the deer" "I feel dirty" etc and it's starting to really make me wonder how long our hunting hertiage will last.

[buckmine]

Education is the key.

Maybe the NRA should run commercials showing white collared hunters who voted for Kerry and believe in gun ownership. It could be a different view of the NRA and its beliefs

[Knightia]

In the yr 2064

Now I come back to a hunting board and read thread's titled"rooting for the deer" "I feel dirty" etc and it's starting to really make me wonder how long our hunting hertiage will last.

Dirty joe sixpack , with the red neck has to shave& put on a white shirt& tie? Public relations 101?

Yep me to Charlie seen some odd ones(posts) lately around-.

Even if im dead i have 8 plus grandkids- but get rid of hunting you get rid of a big reason to have firearms& be armed too. as some see it anyways.Millions come to yellowstone& none hunt - they could turn the whole state into one big zoo /park[:'(]

[kevin1]

Charlie ,
I think if you dig back a bit further on those boards you'll find the same misinformed libs making the same comments on any thread relating to hunting . They are products of the liberal agenda via the very liberal NEA .

Let's examine their POV point for point:

1. Other methods can be used to control the deer population.
Really ? And what method do you suggest professor dipsheit ? Hunting is the only cost effective humane way found so far to control animal populations now that we've WIPED OUT THE PREDATORS .
2.We don't really need to hunt for meat ,we just enjoy killing.
No , we don't "need" the meat , do you need those leather Birkenstocks ? Did you carve your last burger from the cow while it mooed in pain ?
3.It's cruel.
Compared to starvation or being eaten alive ? Somehow I don't think my quarry would agree .
4. We're just out there to kill a big racked deer and most of us will do anything to get one.
As a meat only hunter I resent this one . Besides , what does a non-hunter know about hunter motivations ? What motivates them to make idiotic statements like this one ?
5.The only reason we care about wildlife is so there are enough around to kill.
Gotta have things to hunt or you're just hiking . What have you done for the wildlife lately Ingrid ?
6. Canned hunts are taking over hunting.
Bwa ha ha ha ha !(My F&G dept's response)
7. We are growing deer to kill.
Nature has done the same for millions of years , your point is ?
8. We're considered redneck bubba's.
Beats being a head up your azz liberal bunny hugger , at least I eat healthy meat . Come to thnk of it , at least I eat meat , I don't graze like a cow and stupidly think that the cow has more rights than I do .

[Charlie P]

Kevin,I wasn't talking about PETA boards.

What motivates them to make idiotic statements like this one ?

Maybe because they see alot of the grow bigger bucks and hunting big racks etc. Then you have gam farms etc.

You know you can go and post the way you did here, you won't sway one mind.

[ButchA]

Charlie and Kevin made some excellent points..... [8D]

Here's my take on the whole thing: Back when I first got started (yeah, I know... I'm still kind of a newbie), about 3 years ago, I remember the ladies in my admin dept here at work commenting on my newfound "interest".

Comment #1: You? You're kidding... Why did you get into that - you don't seem like the type.

Excuse me... THE TYPE? WTF is "the type"? What - just because I'm a clean cut, white collared, computer programmer, I'm not supposed to hunt? [:@]

Comment #2: What does Margaret {my wife} think about you going out in the woods all camoflauged?

Margaret doesn't mind it one bit. It gets me out of her hair! She thinks its okay, but just doesn't hold the same interest that I do.

Comment #3: Hey you're alright though.... Perhaps it's one of those guy things or a mid-life crisis! ha ha ha.

Uh, no.... It's something I've always wanted to do but had nobody to really show me how as a kid (my dad, uncles, etc... hunted in the 50's and 60's - but when it became my turn, they had all given it up). It's not a "guy thing" - how ridiculous is that statement!!! I served in the Coast Guard, and once I retired, bought a house, got a steady job and settled down, I finally decided to get into hunting. I enjoy it and fully support it. Sheesh....

Butch A.

[turkeyhunter_15]

The Shooting Reallly had No Link To Hunting He Just Wanted To Kill.
Yes He Was Out Hunting. But He not only killed the 2 people there but more that came on four whellers. he in past threated wife with a gun to kill her...he just wants to kill.

[Charlie P]

TH15, I agree,not here to debate the killing. Just telling you what I personally observed on some Message boards, I visited over the last week.

[stork]

Some interesting points Charlie. We as hunters probly dont help ourselves by creating our own "language" while we talk to each other. I think that I can see where a non-hunter could get the wrong idea by listening to some of the terms, words and annaligys<sp> that we use. I could see someone taking the subject of this thread as a "us against them" type of thing.

I think it can be very interesting to find out what others really think about you. I also think I would almost never like what they think about me.

[CalHunter]

I have always found that when I explain why I hunt to people, they at least understand and for the most part, don't begrudge my continued hunting. Many are surprised at how I enjoy being out in the wilderness, climbing hills, seeing vistas and think it's a key point that I eat what I kill. Even some of the vegetarians understand that point. Perhaps the biggest point many pro-gun and pro-hunting groups are missing is that we are not condemning what that sicko Vang did as not being representative or hunting nor gun ownership. The anti's are spinning their BS and distorting this incident into what is typical of gunowners and hunters. In other words, they are lying as usual and putting out more BS for us to counter.

Some people on this BBS are expressing concerns over how the public will percieve us based on this unfortunate incident. That's a legitimate concern. However, we also have some people on this BBS who are not pro-gun nor are they pro-hunter. They are slowly being rooted out and will eventually be outed for who and what they really are--Antis.

Each of us has many opportunities in our lives to change people's perceptions of hunting. I remmber one christmas party my wife threw for several volunteers at work. I brought out my best scotch for the men and helped make the party a success for everyone. I also served some black bear day sausage (like salami) that I had from a BC hunting trip. Most people didn't want to try it when I told them it was bear sausage. When I told them they could spit it out in the sink if they didn't like it, everybody (including the wives) tried the bear sausage and loved it. They had never known that people would actually eat a bear and wanted to know why the meat tasted so good. I explained about the diet of the bears, what I had observed them eating (flowers and other sweet things in nature) and people found it interesting and okay that I hunted. None of these people will necessarily hunt as most were already retired but they now don't oppose hunting.

I have introduced people to elk, abalone, pheasant and other wild game that they absolutely loved. Once people find out that wild game tastes good and that hunters do hunt for the meat, they are far more understanding and supportive of hunting. At my wife's Christmas party, I had a spike elk rug hanging on the wall (no horns) and explained to people that I had some of the meat from that elk still in my freezer, how low it was in fat and cholesterol and that my wife loved elk meat. Everybody wanted to touch the elk rug and commented on how it was neat that I hunted and ate the meat.

It is an education process and you will not convert all of the antis but you do have the ability to persuade most of America that hunting is okay and legitimate. Terrible incidents like Wisconsin will happen but they are not the end of hunting nor firearms ownership. They provide us with opportunities and challenges to persuade people that hunters and gunowners are law abiding and legitimate and should be supported. Just my own humble opinion here but I have seen this work and know it can work across the country.