Have you ever judged a book by it's cover? Sure you have... I have. Same thing, for too long now people look at hunting as something that rednecks from the hills of Kentucky and West Virginia do. What they don't see is the wildlife management that myself and lots of other hunters do out here on a daily basis. Nor do they see the VERY LARGE amount of money that goes back into wildlife habitat that is generated by those of us that hunt and fish from purchasing our Lic, tags and equipment. Nor do they see or know that a lot of their family doctors that hunt, lawyers, co-workers, supervisors, managers etc...from all walks of life. I was at a little get together the other night when one guy said to the crowd, "Just like those uneducated truck drivers out there getting in my way, they are such rednecks!" And of course I spoke up, quickly and loudly, so I had the rooms attention. "Yeah, I'm an uneducated truck driver that has a bachelor's degree, that is home everyday, off on Saturdays and Sundays, I have time with friends and family, I hunt and fish, and I make $100,000+ a year!" "I guess your right Rick, if I only made $72,000 a year, I would be calling names and blaming people too." My point is this, we as ethical hunters, can only change that image one person at a time. Inever defend my actions and/or passions such as hunting, I throw it back at them to show them how idiodic that truely sounds and how they are the ones that sound like a fool for judging others without getting to know the person.

Here's at least one positive press article in National Geographic that shows hunters in a good light. There's a few swipes but it's mostly positive.
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2007-11/hunters/poole-text.html

Preach brother Preach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In my opinion, Hazcon7 and Davidmil, said it best. The competative nature of this "activity" is what has caused most of what we see today as anti-hunting. I'm not saying that a person shouldn't hunt for what they want but no one can argue that hunting for large antlers hasn't had a negative effect on this "activity".

The worst part of all this is that eventually on the rich will be able to hunt. It's almost that way already.

Tom

LOL well, the next time you are down here visiting Len, come on down to Sothern MD. As you know Saturday was the firearms opener and at noon, in theparking lot of a fast food joint right alongside 301,there was an ATV on a trailer behind a truck with a fork buck and a doe tied to it. Not quite a car top but just as high up. There was also an SUV with a little tow bar carrier (3ftx4ft) with a deer tied down. None of these deer were covered. There's more examples but you get the idea .

x2

VERY WELL SAID !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another thing that is happened to hunting. We have made it a contest. The who's is bigger, who's cost more. It used to be that Grandpa's, Uncles, Cousins, and Dad's would go out on Thanksgiving morning and try to kill a deer. Or maybe the man of the household would go out and simply kill for meat. Then about 20 years ago people started "trophy" hunting. Since then hunting has become a sport, and a contest. Sitting in a stand and waiting on a deer to walk by isn't a sport to me. Baseball is a sport. Hunting is a hobby or a passtime. Within the last few years hunting has become so commercialized that it is either viewed as good or bad. Those people who don't know what it is all about think it is bad. All they know is they happen to turn to OLN and see the Drury brothers stick an arrow in a monster and then high five each other. That is all they need to see to be turned away from hunting. Then there is the internet. Where you can come and post pics of your kill for all the world to see. You want to kill that monster so everyone will tell you how great you are. But it is doing nothing but making hunting a contest. I have posted pictures of my deer because I was proud of them, not because they were 130" or whatever. I just feel like as a whole, hunters have turned this hobby and passtime into a sport and a contest. To me that is what will be the end of hunting as we know it.

!

I don't know why anyone would not enjoy seeing a big buck alive or dead. We are part of the food chain, most of the time we are at the top. I kill deer for meat and also for the size of their antlers. I m not going to lie. I like shooting big whitetail bucks. I am in awe of their antler growth, that's why I have them hanging on my wall at 400$ a pop. I respect them enough to eat the meat and look at their faces and antlers everyday. It may sound creepy, but it is the truth. I understand what GregH is getting at with the whole sport thing, I still don't think it is a sport. Sport is defined by a game between competitors. Maybe it is a game between the deer and us?? You have to figure it out for yourself. When it becomes a school yard bickering contest of who has killed bigger deer, then it becomes sportlike.GregH is right, we don't need to kill any of them to survive, after looking at the dictionary for the word sport, it can be an activity in the outdoors or a game, such as Basketball, golf etc...I guess hunting can go under that as well. I am taking my foot out of my mouth now!!!Just my 2 cents.