RE: Why aren't there more Black hunters?
 

well guys for the record i am alsoblack. And i agree with what alot of you are saying about most black people living in the cities so they dont have a chance to hunt. Im not from the city but i dont think anyone in my family hunts besides me, but on the other hand though i dont know anyone in my family ,including me, that doesnt love to fish. I just got into hunting here recently but i have always been interested in it. on sunday mournings when i was a little kid while getting ready forchurch i would always watch hunting shows on tv, and when we would be driving down the rural roads i would think to myself " geez i bet their are alot of deer in those woods." Whenever i have children though i do plan on teaching the sport of hunting. boy or girl. and i can only hope that they love it as much i do. :D

RE: Why aren't there more Black hunters?
 

yup i agree as well...there are just a small number of black/AA folks who live in the country and would be exposed to it. granted anyone who lives in a city can go outside the city to hunt but like these fellas have stated, most of the time they dont have a father or other close relative to get them started/interested. i have no problems with anyone hunting no matter what race they are. its a shame that some of them may love it and just dont get the chance. being 21 and seeing young people my age stray off in the wrong direction with drugs, and bad choices etc...i believe in the saying "Take your kids hunting, and you won't be hunting for your kids" Its true alot of times, but not ALWAYS true.

for a little humor, NONE the black boys id played football with in HS (suburb of Baltimore, MD about 7-8 miles from the city) would have gotten interested in hunting because they would tell you straight up "us black people don't like the cold!" They were some good guys to play ball with and always had us laughing.

RE: Why aren't there more Black hunters?
 

That's pretty s--tty that we get stereo typed as racist so folks won't go into the woods. If I said I won't goto downtown Baltimore because I'd get robbed I hear tons of crap. I've never heard of any minority getting shotwhile outhunting so I think your friends who won't hunt on Public land are full of crap-racist-A-holes.

By automatically thinking the hunters on public groundare racists and will make them the "hunted ones" is a loadof crap. People who make comments like that are as racist as they come. My pickup truck camo and rifle didnt come with a membership for the Clan.

Really pisses me off its ok for some to think of us that way but the people onthis siteare as respectful as they come to folks and are the same people hunting those public grounds his friends are scared of.

RE: Why aren't there more Black hunters?
 

i know where i come from they are not cold weather people! and deer season is usually cold weather, it might just be why? dunno

RE: Why aren't there more Black hunters?
 

It dosen't matter to me who hunts, white, black, mexican, etc., I'm just tired of hearing ......./american, or whatever. What I would like to hear is, I'm an American, period. Let's just get on with life and live and hunt, fish, together. As for as I'm concerned, and my friends know me, there are no African/Americans, Mexican/Americans, etc., we are all supposed to be Americans. Why some folks choose to hunt or fish, or not to do either, is their decision and business, don't have a thing to do with race.

dog1

RE: Why aren't there more Black hunters?
 

It doesn't matter much, but it sure would be nice to have more blacks hunt. More diversity can never hurt, ya know. I've been hunting since I was 12 but grew up around it. None of my black friends hunt, but none really grew up around it like I did. I think that's the biggest factor. I'm kinda a country boy. My uncles hunt and my poppop hunted and got me started. My dad did but quit a few years before I started. This makes my 10th year hunting. I think another thing that keeps people from getting into hunting is the stigma associated with it. A lot of people think of hunters as dumb, rednecks with missing front teeth and a 3rd grade education. I know that sure isn't me or any other hunter I know, but I think that's what many believe. Just my humble opinion.
-- B

RE: Why aren't there more Black hunters?
 

Ok, I have some experience with this and I notice none of the things Ive encountered have been mentioned so here it goes. I work in the suburbs of Baltimore and the work force is 60-40 predominatly black. Well all of my friends at work are black and one in particular is probably my best friend. I have offered to take him hunting and his main reply is "If you think Im going out in the woods in the dark you are crazy"! Keep in mind he is 6' 5" 330 lbs and he is deathly affraid of the dark, he grew up in Park Heights (really bad neighborhood) and can shoot a rifle as good as anyone but he hates the thought of the woods at dark. The other reason is as mentioned above the chance encounter of a run in with some people who dont particulaly care for blacks. I tell him that he is crazy and that I would have his back but his answer is "yeah but you are white and they probably wouldnt kill you". I think if I would slowly ween him into maybe an afternoon hunt that we would leave before dark he might enjoy it. Who knows maybe an afternoon squirrell hunting trip might be the answer.

RE: Why aren't there more Black hunters?
 

Bingo... That says it all, right there. That's why I do my part in the corporate world to get rid of the negative fallacy on hunters. You know what I'm talking about: Shirt, tie, dress pants, powerpoint presentations, meetings, endless drinking of coffee, etc... And the funny part is that my office knows that I dress up in camo on weekends andI go hunting. I have tried talking to a few black friends at work about going to hunter education and getting a license so they can join me, but they say "No thanks". They are afraid of meeting up with some good ol' boys who, for some reason might still be stuck back in the50's and early 60's segregation. [:'(] One of my best friends is black (I mean, we can talk about anything and notcause bad feelings). We joke about race and stuff, and have no problems. He did crack a joke saying stuff like, "A black man doesn't look good in camo". And, something hilarious like, "Does that Mossy Oak stuff come in leather and have a clock on the front, so I could look like Flavor Flav and go hunting too?" :D

You see what I am getting at? There is still that misconception about hunting/hunters, where 97% of hunters are white, listen to country music, and have a rebel flag somewhere on your jacked up pickup truck. :eek:

It doesn't bother me, if you are the color purple and have orange polka dots... You want to go hunting? Cool.... let's go.

Butch A.

RE: Why aren't there more Black hunters?
 

Well at my school here in alabama you're either a redneck...country boy *me*....black...or white guy who acts black...(annoying)....or you're just normal...lol

but anyways i know a few black hunters...but they are older..most them run dogs though


here lately round at our school the whites and blacks are at it again...if you hunt all off sudden you are considered racist....

all teh blacks make fun of us...and all the whites kinda take..until they start bringing family into and it turns into and all out fist fight...i ain't had nothin done to me exept by the white kids who think they are black...and i tell them to act there own color and f*** off....

lol

RE: Why aren't there more Black hunters?
 

Well, well quite an interesting topical conversation to say the least. I will make a brief comment to the topic at hand hopefully without becoming glib.

I’ve been hunting for 32 years as an African American, BlackHunter choose your poison of distinguishing my nationality. First and foremost I’m an American male who has served his country of my own free will and accord.

I thank the almighty for having an uncle who loved the outdoors, even though he was predominately a rabbit hunter. And as a city boy being raised in New York City he took it upon himself to introduce me to the second love of my life today. As I grew older I ventured further into the art of hunting and learning its various ways. I tell my wife each year there’s hunting, fishing then you and of course as the season changes so does the sport fishing, hunting then her. Well we are still together after 19 years go figure.:D

It wasn’t until 1990 when I had the opportunity to pick up a bow or even attempt to deer hunt. My neighbor Chris was shooting his bow one day and asked if I ever shot one, of course my response was no. I watched him for a few minutes after he asked if I wanted to attempt such, well I hit the target three out of four times in the kill zone he was ecstatic. I quickly had to get myself a bow and I thank Chris ever chance I get. There are always good people regardless of the stereotyping. I’ve hunted many places even being the only African American, Black Hunter etc at camp. The amazing thing is they all knew that but invited me every year for it’s an act of brotherhood on our part!


Today I hunt with quite a few from this site that has know me quite a while now and I never feel uncomfortable around them. And to the question of AA are not in the country is fallacious to say the least many were raised in the country to some extent and have moved on. Society has it’s way of dictating things I rather call it “Behavioral Modification” I’m not of the country but I love it’s way of life. I will do my part to introduce as many people possible regardless the complexion of their skin. What truly hurts the sport is that of ourselves, when we attempt to determine or justify what is ethical when it comes to how one may harvest his or her trophy. Just because one chooses their means runs dogs, verses that who still hunts make neither truly justified to those who don’t hunt keep that in mind.