ORIGINAL: Pinwheel 12

Bowsmacker--

The only reason youth of today are not being taught true and ethical mannerisms is because their parents do not take the time to teach them like they used to, they would rather turn them loose onto the video games and other crap that is passed off as "educational entertainment". We have no-one to blame but ourselves on that one I'm sorry to say-- but two wrongs don't make a right, and continuing to add to the garbage will only serve to do us all more harm than good.

Do you think that will ever change? The Leave it to Beaver lifestyle is over man, and kids are in the generation of technology that doesnt go away. Everything has to learn to addapt to change. Everything. It doesnt matter who we blame for where we are today or why kids need to be entertained. Its true for most. Sure you may have raised your youngins differently but you are a minority, yet I will applaud you for that. I would say that divorce rates go hand in hand with the declining number of youth participants. Wouldnt you agree on that? Guess what? We arent going to go change or reverse the trend in divorces either...You have to adapt to change.

I think if anything, this whole WHA thinghas slapped everyone awaketo the fact that things are way out of line..I have never seen such an overwhelming majority against anything in all of my days---even when compounds first came onto the scene---The NRA numbers may indeed be correct at present, but turning ourhunting heritageinto a freakshow will not help to change this into a positive thing, either.No way.

Calling it a freakshow without ever seeing it is an assumption and your fear loaded opinion.

I do not think calling me selfish will help your position any either,because I am certainbly not a selfish individual--ask those who know me or my affiliated companies.If you want to speak of selfish, look hard at those who you are defending--again, they've made no bones aboutheavilythumbing their noses at the vast majority of true hunters who overwhelmingly agree (80+% average on all polls)that this is a VERY BAD idea on every level--- without regard,while they continue to try and burn our sport into the ground for money, glory, and fame. So please don't speak to me about selfish.[:'(]

OK, maybe you arent selfish. I dont know you so I wont pass judgment; however you made a very selfish statement. I wanted to clear that the number of hunting participants is important and NOT everyone believes that isnt important like you stated. People that dont want the sport to grow are being selfish. People that dont care if the sport declines in participants are being selfish.

Hunting is under attack from many angles, this is true. But again, numbers are relevant to the overall amount of habitat and animal populations that we hunt, and those are also being reduced. To say that we need X amount of hunters to sustain hunting itself is ludicrous, because I know I and my family and other familes who are ingrained in the tradition and lifestyle will enjoy it to the fullest for many generations to come,whether there are 5,000,000 or 500 enjoying it with us (So you dont care if anyone else enjoys those traditions just as long as nothing changes for your familiy?). We can only do so much while being attacked from so many angles--- being attacked from within our own ranks andturning our heritage into a circus is not going to help it any, I guarantee that. (Again calling anything a circus at this point --other than these chat rooms - is an assumption at this point.)

Bass fishing is supposed to be a relaxing sport to be enjoyed by families too, not some big flashy commercialized billboard with $40,000 boats and 1500 sponsors blazoned on shirts and guys running 5 million miles an hour on TV trying to catch the largest bass, or fill the livewell. That is not what fishing (or hunting!) is about.

That doesnt stop me from relaxing when I am fishing. I dont know one person that goes out fishing like BASS tournaments for recreation. Just because those guys have tournaments and make money and increase awareness doesnt mean people go out and try to race each other to the fishing hole - well except me and my brother once in a while, but thats a foot race in waders and its funny as hell)

If you don't get it, I guessyou never will, and that is sad. nice to see the majority still does however.