Why are so many people affraid that we will lose our rights to hunt because of how we carry ourselves? I mean, I have read on here a lot lately about who is doing what for the "cause" and who ain't, and who is helping and who is hurting. etc.... I mean are we supposed to be walking on egg shells or something? Did I miss out on a new admendment trying ban hunting? Are people paranoid? I mean I just don't know what all the talk is about, people seem to be worrying about anti hunters lurking this site and others, but I don't really care if they do, so what. I realize that there are people that don't help because of lack of ethics/morals, but that's always been the case in everything in life. I mean we got trashy parents going to little leaguegames all the time and I don't think they are going to ban little league because of a few bad parents. I know that in some places it has become a problem, but if we just do our best and enjoy our passion and carry ourselves like we should anyway, they won't have a leg to stand on. I just don't see it in my area, I don't really even know but maybe one or two anti hunters. Are we in a fight for a cause? Or are we just paranoid?? I know Im not doing either, Im just enjoying what I always have and I "keep gettin up"......

Welcome to the age of political correctnes....God how I hate it.

All of that "anti" crap doesn't phase me in the slightest![:'(]And Imean that too.

I posted this in another thread but fits here as well!

I for one don't see the need to **** foot around with the anti people. I owe them no explanation for doing what I love to do. I also feel that we as hunters are only hurting ourselves when we cave to them and worry about what they think.

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Its not the anti's we have to worry about. Its the people who are undecided. We shouldn't have to walk on egg shells. We should be aware of our actions and what effect they have on the people who could eventually decide our fate.

well guys, well said... I just don't feel we should be affraid of them or worry about what may happen. I mean, I think we just need to do what we do and let the chips fall where they may, sort of.. I don't want to be completely oblivious to it, but i don't want to give in to the paranoia and the whole finger pointing saying/accusing someone of not being good for our cause or not doing enough for it... I mean, is there a "cause" ?? Or do we just make that up??

Exactly!

Now imagine this: An undecided person hears ahunter bashing (high fence, bait, fawn, giraffe, etc) hunting. They are going to get the impression that, well, if a hunter is bashing that type of legal hunting then it must be bad. Now this undecided person has become a decided person and you can bet they did not decide in favor of legal hunting.

We don't need to fear the anti's as much as the damage we cause to ourselves.

We don't need to walk on eggshells but we certainly need to be morwe supportive of each other's legal forms of hunting.

Bruce I can agree with that, but I also know that some non-hunters may view some styles of hunting and say "man, if that is how it's done, Im not going to be for it" , Im not getting in to what I think is right, wrong, or indifferent, Im saying that people in general may view high fence, giraffe shooting as cruel, or not much for sport.. Im NOT saying this, but there are people I teach with that do not hunt, have told me that they don't get it, they specifically said that shooting things like a fox or coyote or bob cat is not understandable or even necessary. I tried to explain to them why people did it, but I didn't make much ground. So if they see things such as high fence hunting or someone shooting a zebra it very well could turn them fromnon hunting to anti. IM NOT SAYING IT"S WRONG!!!!!! I just stating what non hunters may see......

But what if you, as a hunter, had said that you didn't think shooting things like fox or HF or etc. was good either. Instead of not making much ground we, as hunters, would have lost ground. That is what I am getting at. Sure, we may not make much ground by explaining game/wildlife management but we will lose ground by bashing legal hunting.

Just look in this forum lately. How many threads/posts are bashing legal hunting. Do you think those opinions are just expressed here and no where else? Hell, someone got upset because of an ad for HF hunting and others wished they would go bankrupt. Now imagine if those hunters were talking to the people you teach with and HF hunting came up. How strong do you think their defense of HF hunting would be? Do you think hunting would gain, maintain or lose ground?

I worry more about the message hunters send than the one anti's send. The negative impact on undecideds is much greater when delivered by a hunter because they are supposed to be an advocate of hunting.

very good point Bruce, I see what you are saying. I just don't know if defending any type of hunting is always good. I mean many of us have differing opinions about certain types of hunting, it is our right and we feel this way for a reason, we are convicted to feel this way by our consience, is that wrong? I mean that's like telling someone they are wrong for voting for a particular person, it's what they feel is best, though we may not believe it is, it is to them.