I've been lurking around this forum for a while now; gauging the temperment and, for lack of a better term, "campfire compatibility" of the group.
I wondered if you were a) nothing more than a loose collection of anti-government, self-proclaimed minutemen sporting tacky, discount European camouflage who buried excess MREs in the backyard and compared notes on the proper mechanics of interlocking fields of fire while praying for "the balloon to go up" or if you were b) part of a growing (and disturbing) group that actually nodded your heads in approval when Kerry bragged about crawling on his belly with a shotgun while deer hunting. In other words, I didn't know if I even wanted to get involved here.
Glad to see I was wrong, for the most part, on both accounts.
I have found, in my wanderings, a forum filled with good-hearted people concerned about their world. Their woods. Their birds, deer and fish. Their image. Their rights. And their future. Your passion is evident in the postings; your fears are evident in the words. At the risk of being verbally roasted in public (not unlike what's happening to me over on the upland birds forum) I'd like to make one comment. Not only regarding several of the more recent threads around here, but also the general sentiment I find among many of my fellow hunters.
Things aren't as bad as they seem.
Could they be better? Of course. Suburban creep is killing habitat and replacing it with housing developments ironically named for the very thing which they destroy (ie. Deer Trail Run, Quail Creek, Trout Hollow, etc). Some anti-hunting factions are actually drunk enough to seek funds from excise taxes placed on ammo and paid by hunters like you. And thanks to PS2 or GameCube, many teens would rather harvest virtual trophies than real ones.
Yeah, we have some issues to work on, but our tradition isn't on the brink of extinction as some would lead you to believe.
1. We have more friends than you think.
The anti-hunting/gun movement is considered a minority for a reason. They may be vocal, but they're still vastly outnumbered. 77% of Americans think firearms have a place in society. Over 87% believe shooting sports are acceptable. Read those two stats again. Three outta four people don't hate your guns or the fact that you use them to shop for groceries (according to a 2003 finding by the National Shooting Sports Foundation).
2. We aren't worth millions. More like billions.
The economic impact of hunting and shooting is well in excess of $30 billion a year. That's a "b" as in "boy, we can't afford to lose that money". Almost one million jobs are also a direct result of hunting. That doesn't even include the $37 billion and 1.2 million jobs that fishing brings to the table. The politicians in Washington listen a little more closely when you throw out statistics they (and, more importantly, their constituents) understand. Tradition is one thing; tradition that brings in $30 billion/year is something else. I'm fairly certain England's recently banned fox hunts didn't impact the British economy quite as much as the two "b's" just mentioned.
3. Access is an issue, but only if you make it one.
Back in '96, Kansas started a pilot program designed to provide public hunters access to private land. Known as Walk-In Hunting Areas (or WIHAs), anyone with a valid license can hunt on this private land leased by the state. This year? Over 1,000,000 free acres and counting (minus a few pheasants I took on that public land over Thanksgiving). Beyond that, there are still plenty of areas where a warm handshake and friendly smile is all that's needed to gain permission to hunt that field west of the farmer's house. You're shaking your head "no", but when was the last time you asked? If you complain you don't have a place to hunt this year or next, it's only because you didn't work hard enough to find one. They're out there. Sure, you may need to drive a little farther than you did, say, 20 years ago. But they're there. And they're cheaper than you think (if not free altogether).
4. Almost 6.5 million wild turkeys can't be wrong.
That's the result of the NWTF's efforts. Back in '73, there were a little over one million gobblers in the country. Thanks to people like you, the bird population has skyrocketed. Pheasants Forever has dropped $150 million and countless volunteer hours on habitat improvement as well. And DU, the grand ducky of them all? Over $1 billion (there's that "b" word again). Support for the NRA is key, but just imagine if every NRA member who hunts also joined QU, the Rockey Mountain Elk Foundation or another wildlife habitiat conservation association? You see, getting involved means more than slapping an NRA sticker on your bumper. No, you can't hunt without a gun but without the NWTF or Pheasants Forever, there would be nothing to hunt with that gun you fought so hard to keep. Which leads to...
5. Thank God there are more red states than blue ones.
I'v heard that our hunting heritage is under attack, but don't confuse insults with assaults. Sure, a vocal minority screams at us, but a silent majority doesn't mind us or what we represent. Actually, in farm country the silent majority needs us (and has stated as such) to thin out an ever-growing deer population that causes millions in crop damage. Politically, there's a reason why each state has two US senators. It's so this country doesn't allow California or New York alone to run America into the ground with their far-flung liberal tendancies faster than their own state budgets. Good people live where deer live and, for the most part, so do good politicians. Thank God there are more of us than them.
My point is this: we've done well as a community. Be proud of our accomplishments. Is the job done? Heck no. Can we do more? Of course. But the incessant "here come the gun grabbers" and "I can't believe they limit the prairie chicken season to two days which is just one more step towards more draconian regulations" is getting old.
Enough with the "sky is falling" mentality. Ever hear of a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Thanks for lending me the soap box. Let the roasting begin.
welcome Todd. i think you're just about right. i would guess you're a "the glass is half full" kinda guy. imo thats the attitude we need as sportsmen. we as sportsmen have a lot, sure some folks would like to take some, most or all of our privileges away. which of course is something we should not let happen. no matter how small a privilege it may be.
Is it POSSIBLE to bury too many MREs in the backyard? Ooops!
Just joking. I think you are right: things aren't perfect but they could be worse. I look forward to GW appointing some judges who cast a favorable eye on the second amendment. I also hope to make a point of personally talking to more people about my passion for hunting, what it means to me, and how I think about this endeavor, which I hope positively disposes these folks to our sport. I confess to keeping mum about this for fear of offending people, but realize it is better to speak out frankly but not stridently about my involvement in hunting.
I too agree that things aren't as bad (or as good) as they could be. We have gone a long way in fighting off the liberal, anti-hunting, anti-gun agenda, but there is more for us to do!!! You do make some good points Todd and welcome to the board!!
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I've been lurking around this forum for a while now; gauging the temperment and, for lack of a better term, "campfire compatibility" of the group.
I wondered if you were a) nothing more than a loose collection of anti-government, self-proclaimed minutemen sporting tacky, discount European camouflage who buried excess MREs in the backyard and compared notes on the proper mechanics of interlocking fields of fire while praying for "the balloon to go up" or if you were b) part of a growing (and disturbing) group that actually nodded your heads in approval when Kerry bragged about crawling on his belly with a shotgun while deer hunting. In other words, I didn't know if I even wanted to get involved here.
You must have previously hung out on some strange boards dude.[]
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My excess MRE's are NOT buried in the backyard...the excess MRE's are naturally stored in my fallout shelter! There are some tactically stationed throughout my land though!
Welcome to the board Todd. In Kansas most of the barking about how bad things are comes from the KBA anyway. The archers are PO'ed to have to choose management units for 2.5 months, and they still think it is OK to limit centerfire season to 11 days in December, or eliminate it all together! Some of our hunting "brethern" are some of our worst enemies. In Kansas the Bowhunter's want everyone out of deerhunting but themselves in. It is documented. They call the rifle hunters "the orange army" and bird hunters "dog-shocking-beer drinking-ditch jumping dog shooting idiots". NOw is this anyway to talk about fellow hunters????
Yeah, I've bumped into a few of the bow hunters you mentioned, Mark. Fairly nice guys until they notice the dog box in your truck, then the conversation seems to shut down quicker than a dropped pheasant at 20 yards. Several of my closest friends would rather pick up a Matthews than a Remington, but they understand their sport needs me worse than I need them.
The next time a local Kansas bowhunter complains about blaze-orange headgear, dog whistles hanging from the rear-view mirror or the number of brush pants seen walking into the local diner at 5:30am, quiety remind him that "dog-shocking, beer-drinking, ditch-jumping idiots" gave his state $55 million THIS PAST OPENING WEEKEND ALONE. That money went to his small-town motel owner, his locally owned gas stations and his state wildlife/parks agency. If they're as politically involved as they claim to be, they'll know exactly how important that is.
For the record, I'm from Kansas; spent the first 27 years of my life running around that state with either a fishing pole, old .308 Savage or beat-up 870 in hand. Somehow I managed to get lost on the way home from an extended hunting trip and ended up living in several places around the country before landing in North Texas. But I make it back home every chance I get, whether it's to pull a trigger or help the family pull in the harvest.
Heck, next time I might go back home just to set the record straight with my bow-hunting buddies...
I wondered if you were
a) nothing more than a loose collection of anti-government, self-proclaimed minutemen sporting tacky, discount European camouflage who buried excess MREs in the backyard and compared notes on the proper mechanics of interlocking fields of fire while praying for "the balloon to go up"
That about sums me up.
got my freeze dried chicken stew cans in the living room right next to my pup tent.
The State of My Union
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