bowsmacker

Again, you guys have got to contact Pepto Bismol....they are making sick money off this venture. Literally. Im about to throw up right now.


Hurry call them and stop the madness!!!!!!!

Pinwheel 12

Matt/PA-

Thanks Matt. Please askJohn for an official statement if you would, cause if we do not have an official public announcement anyone can backpedal if they choose. Not saying they or anyone else would, but if they issue a statement as others have here on the list, then it'sprettysecure. Ask hunting.netalso please, seeing as you are a moderator--- it would be nice to get an official stance from everyone associated with the hunting community if we can so we know who's who in the zoo. Appreciate it!

Windwalker7

Whoa!!!! I just got home from work.

There are some things I've read that I question. I asked a few questions as to why people were so opposed to WHA in my original post. here is what I gather.

1.Animalsmay be injured or even killed in all this.Ok, first off my bow only shoots about 240fps and some of the paintball guns shoot much faster than this. I've been hit by quite a few paintballs. I'm sure the bows that are used in this won't be shooting anywhere near 300fps. I'm also sure these arespecially designed arrows also.Secondly, I thought the vetenarians that will be present were their to appese the anti/nonhunters to assure the deer was alright and they were to be present to gather information on that paticular deer's health and age. I believe they do something like this on all kinds of animals to attach radio collars and study their health.

I think this animal injury thing had alot of spin put on it, on here.

2. The antismay get weird ideas of using this dart system as a way to give birth control to deer. Yeah they might. I'm sure there are many areas in this country that the deer population is totally out of control.This may be an idea in places where deer can't be hunted safely.

3. The nonhunting public will not like this. I feel when the nonhunting public sees that a majority of hunters oppose this, it will confirm their beliefs, that hunters are blood thirsty killers and just want to KILL animals.

4. "True" hunters do not want these slobs to endanger their sport buy paying big money to competitors in the WHA. Look at the money payed to the holders of world record animals, especially deer. Endorsements, replicasof racks, shows, etc... I see alot of money going to those guys and none of you guys complain about that.

5. This makes hunting look bad. Does it? I feel people opposing this because they'd rather kill the deer makes hunters look bad. Yes, killing is part of hunting.That, in itself is why anti/nonhunters don't like hunting. So how you would think darting an animal will make hunting look worse, to the public, I don't understand.

As far as threatening to kick people off for namecalling, maybe you shoul reread some of the posts calling me Bunnyhugger,a Plant, a Slob, yeah I can take it. I haven't called any names yet. I just wanted to know why everyone was so irate about WHA. I fully expected to get ripped up one side and down the other and that's OK too.

Its all part of debating. Each person has their own views and sees what they want.

HAZCON7

Windwalker, I think you bring up valid questions although I do not agree with some of your points because I think you have to look at this subject as a whole, and not as unconnected pieces.

Personally, my main objection to the WHA is that they are trying to cash in on the televised harassment of wildlife and are trying to promote to the general public that that is acceptable. It is not!

When I lay hands on a deer I have shot and killed, I know that I have just taken a life. I've taken the lifeof one of God's most beautiful creatures and it makes me a tiny bit sad. I do not look forward to killing. That sadness inside us is what keeps us responsible, respectful,and ethical.
When you take the sadness away and turnhunting into a screaming high-five festand reward that behavior with cash, prizes, and fame then you are taking responsibility, respectfulness, andethics out of hunting.

How long will it take for the new members of our hunting community to start imitating this behavior on their own?
Government loves control and this would be just another reason for them totake a weapon away from the rest of us law abiding citizens.
No Sir, to repeat what Rob/PA Bowyer has often said, NOTHING GOOD can come from this.

Windwalker7

I had a long winded responce but the site shut down as I posted it.

"High five festing", fist pumping, whooping, thumbs uping, it all goes on right now. So does the rewarding. Look at guys who've bagged record deer. They get endorsement contracts, royalities from the sell of paintings, tee shirts, rack replicas, etc.. ., that show their record book deer.

Haven't we all dreamed of bagging the next world record? Or our next state's record? WHY? For the fame? The endorsements? Why do hunters dream of that? I don't see much difference in what WHA is doing in that respect. Don't hunters get rewards for bagging the largest buck? Who here has never entered a buck pool? Who of us has?


So what are the weight limits on the bows used in this contest? What do the tranqulized arrows look like? Do they look like regular arrows? Where is the shot placement on the animals? ( I'd think maybe the hind quarter for the dart) Exactly how big of an enclosure are we talking about? How many deer inside?

DOES ANYONE KNOW?




[hr]

Windwalker7

Before I decide one way or the other, I'd like a little more info. I see a few things getting spun out of control, on here, that we don't have real answers to. You can go ahead and make your decision now, if you want, I just want to know more factsabout it.

Pinwheel 12

As of this afternoon, Mossy Oak's Randy Russell has announced thatMossy Oak does not sponsor, orplan to sponsor or support the WHA in any way.

NEW61375

Windwalker7, I agree. Why is everbody so irate?? Whoa, noone answer that, because it has been answered probably thousands of times already with tons of negative input. Now let me play the devils advocate here for a second. What could theWHA do to turn this around?? Could they change their format?? Lose the darts, fenced enclosures, what?? Could they set it up with hunters competing for big bucks and have like a big buck "Stanley Cup" with their name on it for that season? Competing for prizes like four wheelers, trucks, hunting equipment, trips, land, cash,bragging rights. Just for example, could you havelike Team Realtree vs Team Mossy Oak vs Team Buckmastervs Team Whoever? If they changed their format to something more along the lines of some of the other shows, dvd, hunting programs could they gain support? Lets be realistic, HUNTING IS ALREADY BEING COMMERCIALIZED! Just turn your T.V. to any of these "acceptable huntingprograms". They are not in fenced in enclosures but they are on "ranches" (where the hunting never seems to be like where I hunt) and they are definitely about Big Bucks (I mean deer but money too)and self promotion. It is very easy to rip something apart with criticism. It is not so easy to come up with constructive criticismor original ideas which might have the power to turn something negative into something positive. Let's try that.I have read over and over how happy everyone isabout banning together to destroy the WHA. Well lets all pat each other on the back, Great Job! Maybe we could ban together to come up with ideas on new hunter recruitment, take a kid hunting day, or anything to help our hunting future as a whole. Just a thought.

Dr Andy

The vets are on hand because they're using a controlled substance,i.e.the tranquilizer. These are potent veterinary anesthetics.

Davoh

There is a difference between commercialization within the industry to servethat specific audienceand perversion of a pastimeto reach an entirely different audience, who doesn't care anyways...

Its the american dream to make a living doing what you love to do... I wont argue that. What really sticks in my crawl though is the concept of drug and release of deer, for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. Add in the high-fence debate and you've got more than enough to argue against it.

It wouldalso helpif "Mr. Farbman" was at all involved in any conservation or hunting promotion prior to this endeavor. Having worked in the mortgage industrypreviously, I can tell you without hesitation that the type of person required to be sucessful in the commercial real estate business, is not the type of shark I want leading an organization of hunters. Thats not an assumption, and not an attack,thats an opinion based on my own past experience.

Had the WHA not decided to pander to the non-hunting/anti-hunting masses, and not gone with the "non-lethal" concept, I seriously doubt it would have caused a such a stirlike it has. But Farbman caved to political-correctness and decided to twist our beloved past-time into something its not. Which if you take that twisted, distorted version of hunting and present it to the public, they will think that the "unecessary" death of the animals is barbaric and should be outlawed. We as hunters are at the mercy of the non-hunting general public andpresenting to them of the fallable concept of darting being the more humane version of hunting, will ultimately lead to the inability of Joe A. Hunter to feed his family with venison. I'm already beginning to get the question asked of me bymy non-hunting in-laws... "why kill them, you could tranquelize them and still get the same thrill...." all because of this mess.

Why do the pro-WHA guys on here lack the foresight to see what's going to happen? I understand Farbman ignoring it, because all he stands to do is get rich, so who cares... but why are red-blooded american hunters actually supporting this scharade? Why would they sacrifice the future of hunting for "entertainment"?

Short and simple, the WHA is no good for hunters. It's good for farbman and his backers. Otherwise don't you think outdoor companies would be lining up to sponsor it?It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Walmart on the list of sponsors. They started selling America's soul long before the WHA was ever around, but that's another story for another time.