ChicagoTRS

Best advice is to try to educate them as to why hunting is absolutely necessary. Antis typically just have no clue how important hunting is to our society.

1) Natural predators are now gone...if the deer herd is allowed to grow unchecked you get things like chronic wasting, starvation, devastated forests, unhealthy herds.
2) Many people are injured/killed in auto accidents involving deer...just think how bad it would be if hunters did not thin the herd. The number one advocate for hunting in DC is the insurance industry.
3) Hunters are this countries true enviromentalists...more land is left undeveloped because of hunters...thus more land for deer/wildlife to thrive on. Hunters do more to support wildlife than all of the enviromental groups combined.
4) Hunters really only make a small dent in the populations...hunting is restricted to select short time periods during the year.
5) The meat is excellent...hormone free, lean, good for you. Every hunter I know enjoys the meat...it does not go to waste.
6) In most cases hunting is very much a sport...it is difficult. Deer are smart, they are born prey animals which have great senses and are good at avoiding predators/hunters.
7) Hunting is a great bonding experience for fathers and children- families - friends. It teaches respect of nature, responsibility, gun safety, etc...
8) Hunting licenses and tags fund states enviromental programs.
9) The deer population in this country is more than healthy...there are more deer now than in any time in history.

Generally once antis understand the big picture...they may still not like hunting but they begin to understand why it is necessary and have a little more respect for it.