ORIGINAL: RedAllison

This has been a sore spot with me for ALOOOOOONG time and I am about to get too the point where I might take on an endeavor to try and do something about it. What is the majority of you hunters view on the issue of dead deer being displayed in public?

I have ALWAYS thought it tasteless, un-necessary, rude and outright BARBARIC in the first place. Have I done it? In 20 years of deerhunting and haven taken over 200 deer, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have ever done it. But even then I was uneasy about it and got off the road ASAP.

I know for alot of hunters it's a pride thing. They want to show off their hard earned trophy, but too who? The anti-hunters in society only make up about 10-12% of the general public. Hunters ourselves make up only a slightly larger minority at appx 15%. That leaves the vast majority (some 75%) as being non-hunters which are neither pro nor anti hunting. They are just in the middle and don't favor with either side unless proded for one reason or another. Most are level headed and don't side with the far left "eco-nazi" animals rights activists and generally accept hunting. Many are familiar with hunting through friends/family but for whatever reason they choose not to participate in hunting. But I wouldn't say they are politically allied with us hunters either. It doesn't take much to push them one way or the other on the issue.

I am considering taking on the daunting task (or at least planting the political seeds) of getting legistlation passed in Tennessee that would outlaw the public display of any animals taken while hunting. It just urks me too no end when I see some REDNECK, backwoods, toothless, banjo pickin inbred rolling down the road in his jackedup 4x4 with a dead deer lying in the bed of the truck with the tailgate left down EXPRESSLY for the purpose of showing the world a bloodied and lifeless animal that was killed at the hands of this "hunter". It REALLY gets too me when I see the deer tied on the hood, atop the roof or strapped too a trailer or atop an ATC which is riding along behind the tow vehicle.

Duck and turkey hunters don't tie their take atop the roof of their SUVs, fishermen don't leave their gutted limits lying atop the decks of their boats for the trip home. So why should it be "acceptable" for deerhunters to do the same? I likewise think some "reasonableness" could be incorporated into the matter. If the hunter has a nice SUV or car then I wouldn't expect them to have the deer riding shotgun with them in the frontseat. I think a properly wrapped or otherwise contained animal would be totally acceptable and not out of line to ask for. There are commerical "big game bags" for just such purposes and I have several times wrapped my own deer up in a simple tarp for the trip home. I don't personally think the rack being visible would be all that bad, but at least the rest of the animal should be completely out of public sight. Many SUV and car hunters also use the various "hitch haulers" to haul their game on. I have seen many of them wrap the animals up like I mentioned so I know it's possible and others are thinking similarly too myself.

It just seems like the most stubborn and "REDNECKED" amongst our ranks have a few shortcomings in some other areas of their lives that can somehow be made up for by leaving a bloodtrail down mainstreet. Somehow in their childish little minds their dead forkhorn strapped atop their 4wheeler makes up for their obvious short manhood!!!

What is the general consensus among hunters at least?
RA