Why sugar coat it? It is what it is. Is it wrong to kill an animal while hunting? NO, so there is no reason to hide it. I can view pornagraphy anywhere I want including cable, is hunting worse than porn?

Education is the key here, not making it mysterious. It just seems like we are trying to hide something like any other politician. Hunters should be taken at face value. Show and educate people that the kills are taken as humanely as possible and tell them the meat is saved and goes to good causes. We have nothing to hide!! If you still don't like it watch another channel.

OK - I think there are a number of considerations to make here. Not the least of which is man's general distaste of gore, natural or otherwise. When you go to the funeral home, the person is all laid out nice for visiting. "Geez, we know they're back there embalming him, why can't we just go back there, and see him that way?" I agree with kodiak, and some of the other guys - you know what it looks like - what are you learning by seeing that part? I do care what non-hunters think, and here's why. Some of them may be hunters themselves some day, or at least not have an opinion, one way or the other. Most of us hunters go on and on about "it's not the killing that is important" - it's the hunt, it's the stalk, it's being one with nature, it's the heritage, it's the camraderie... and so on. If we really believe that, that's what we want to show non-hunters, or new hunters. Hook them on that, and the killing, which is the most distasteful part after all, won't seem so bad. My opinion.

When you put something on television, you are putting it out for the whole world to see. If they want to show the kill shot on video thats ok because no one can stumble onto a kill shot on accadent when you went to the sporting goods department and picked up the hunting video and popped it into the vcr yourself.

Unless you order the channel on satalite you can't see much porno either.

Women giving birth is a different thing. We've all seen that at least once in our life...the beginning of it. It's hard to argue with something that is absolutly necessary. I can't see activists protesting child birth. Most parents and schools will talk to children about this at one time or another.

Not many people will turn against doctors for doing thier jobs. Alot of people will be turned off from hunting by seeing a deer run off with an arrow in thier side. Keep in mind most people think that when you shoot an animal it ought to drop right there, and if it ran it was obviously due to the laxity of the hunter.


"Hey ya'll, watch this"

kodiakhuntmaster
you make a good points in your replies
i was trying to get the point across that mat ward and er doctors was educational and entertainment for most reasons they could edit out alot of what you see but they dont
the hunting videos/shows are the same educational and entertaining i just fail to see where editing the shot by blurring the animal is of any use the antis are antis because they are uneducated in the reasons someone could be so passionate about killing a cute little furry animal that never done a thing to hurt them. the sport is contraversial and going to become more so as time goes on

some people will never share our passion for hunting. but i dont see how censoring it on TV is going to help. the "if you dont see it it dont happen" only works for a while then someone who works for PETA or another group is going to say "the sport is so violent they have to edit it for TV and your going to let your kids do that"

my point being if you give them an inch they are going to want two and when they get two they are going to want four etc...

we will never get everyone to agree censor or not to censor the shot but i am trying my best to keep it real

Edited by - jjt on 01/29/2003 22:46:23

just a quick thank you to all who have replied

You've got a point there.

I guess I'm ok with showing a kill shot so long as it's not derogatory to the animal or the sport. I've seen a few I couldn't believe they showed.

I'm all for showing the way the hunt happened. I've seen too many shows (especialy turkey hunting shows) where they go hunting like you or I do, then tape the guy shooting the animal, then after that they tape the guy doing all kinds of fancy calling and using the little feathery wind indicators and range finders. Then they edit it to look like he did all those calls and things first, then got the buck or tom using all that crazy stuff. Once they tape that animal on the ground they can add anything onto that they want.

"Hey ya'll, watch this"

I can't speak for everyone but I know in my area I cannot get the oudoor channel without ordering it. I do think you guys have some good points and I agree that it should be controlled.

I don't like the funeral home example because you are talking about something that has an extreme amount of emotion involved with the death of family and friends. You want to remeber them alive and seeing the cut up would be a horrible sight. Not the blood and guts but for the emotional level.

Bottom line is I think that there is nothing wrong with it however its not for everyone. I don't know if Mom would really order the outdoor channel and then sit down with her kids and say lets see whats on. But to your point KHM I do think there are shows done with poor taste and those should be thrown out. And I don't care what aspect we are talking about dishonesty is unacceptable to me so if producers are really adding parts to hunts that didn't happen or happened after the kill then I would no longer watch that show. I watch them for the thrill of the hunt and for education. My point is just that to me it is NOT wrong to show an ethical kill shot on television. Should there be limits and rules? I say yes.

Right - I agree the funeral home thing was a bad example. I was trying to illustrate latent gore. How about the making of sausages and hot dogs? <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle> We all know HOW they're made.. maybe we should put that picture on the wrapper - not a perfectly grilled weiner, nestled in a bun full of ketchup and relish....I was trying to counter the argument that &quot;it's part of the process - why hide it?&quot;

This is a god thread. I can see that both sides have merit. I'll offer this to think on. I was fortunate enough to grow up hunting. My father was passionate about it but he stressed clean kills. I remember once when I took a shot at a running squirrel with a 22lr. I dropped it right out of the tree. I was proud until it started squealing in pain from having a front leg shot off. I've never forgotten that sound because it made me understand why I should strive for a clean kill. I worry that because we don't show REAL death and dying that youngsters today grow up thinking it is like what they see in hollywood. My respect for game and for firearms stems from what I was taught but also from that one instance. I still love hunting but I pass up any shot I'm not sure of even on the best racks because I won't let that happen again if at all possible. This doesn't mean that I get one shot kills everytime but I strive to do so. Hunting isn't about killing, it's about a respect for game and a love of nature. I think you have to see the end to understand the importance of doing it right! JMHO

If I was a horse; they'd have shot me.

Eric

You bring up some good points Rambler.

Muskie I see what you're trying to say but after your second example I think you might want to rethink your point of view. I wouldn't want to see a hot dog being made because it simply is not appealing to me. It just doesn't interest me and I think most people buying one feel the same way. Much like the housewife who buys steaks, she knows it was killed but watching it doesn't interest her.

Hunting videos or shows are a different realm. The kill shot is part of the hunt, to not include it in the hunt is to directly hide it. If they did a documentary on hot dogs and included everything except how they were made, then I would say to myself 'what are they hiding?' The hunts interest me and the kill shot is part of the hunt. This is America and anyone who wishes not to see does not have to. I refuse to say ban hunting shows or even kill shots cause someone who doesn't want to see, might accidentally.

The issue to me appears to be 'is it appropriate to show the kill shot?' and my point of view is YES. Is it something the everyone wants to see, NO. But we as hunters have nothing to hide and to not show it I think would give the impression we don't want the world to know something. As far as the antis I think JJT is right on the money. They hate hunting period and will use anything against us. If leave it out they'll just say &quot;look they have something to hide.&quot; The best defense we have is to be ethical and honest becuase you can't change the fact that there is loss of life associated with hunting. The general public knows this and if we lose hunting we're going to lose it regardless of whether or not there are kill shots on TV. I know I respect any person and organization that says they have nothing to hide much more than ones that will only show me or tell me 'certain parts'.