Hunters need a new public image

[3855WIN]

Trophy hunter slammed for posing with bloody HEART from giraffe she shot

A TROPHY hunter posed with a bloody giraffe heart which was cut out of the beast she shot. Merelize Van Der Merwe, 32, infuriated campaigners by sharing the photo of her “perfect” Valen…

www.thesun.co.uk

Between the African trophy kills that always make the news, the smoke a pack a day rhetoric, the poaching, the camp litter, the deer heads tied to truck grills, the anti science rhetoric, etc. We need to rebrand!

Nope. We need to stand tall and proud. And feed our neighbors wild game meat.

 

[peterk1234]

You know what I do when a video (hunting or not) doesn't sit well with me? I turn it off. Novel concept in this cancel culture we live in.

I'm not interested in bending a knee to groups or individuals that will never move off of their position, let alone meet me half way.

Whoa whoa whoa.... It is this type of logical thinking that is the problem

I forget the exact saying but it is something like this.... "If a liberal does not like something they ban it, if a conservative does not like something they do not buy it". You can substitute political affiliations with something else if you want, but these discussions fall fairly solidly on political lines. I find it so frustrating that these are the words that we largely live by today. Certain groups have absolutely zero respect for the interests of others. It is their way or the highway. I dislike and disapprove of a lot of things in life but I respect the fact that it is enjoyed by others, and at the end of the day is not destructive or really have much if any impact on my life.

 

[JLS]

I now believe the masturbation thread is more intelligent than this one.

 

[Panda Bear]

How many times have you seen someone holding up a prizewinning backstrap? Viewed out of context, any picture of gutting and gilling could look bad to the general public. The reaction to this picture is people looking to be outraged in my opinion.

Exactly !

And the media always using one or all of these words in their headline

Hardcore Huntress
Slaughtered
Psychiatric Disorder
Brutal
Barbaric
Show Off
Insult to women worldwide
Disgusting

and the abuse, even death threats follow. I have received them.

Johanna Clermont ( not her real name--smart girl ) receives death threats constantly and was brutally chastised for putting the animals blood on her face after her successful hunt in Scotland. A tradition that goes back for centuries. Stacy Harris also received a bit of blow back for doing the same thing after her successful hunt and she was hunting in Alabama. Laryss Switlyk receives a LOT of negative publicity, but in my humble opinion she looks for it. Harvesting a Polar Bear up here is the easy part, surviving the "antis" after the hunt, is the hard part.

"Culling" is not new and it is important for the health of the wildlife and land. Providing meat to the villagers is also a blessing.

I congratulate Merelize on a job well done !

 

[OntarioHunter]

I now believe the masturbation post is more intelligent than this one.

And speaking of zero respect ... Yes, I'm sure that thread is more your speed.

 

[JLS]

And speaking of zero respect ... Yes, I'm sure that thread is more your speed.

Out for recess huh?

 

[rwc101]

My biggest takeaway from this thread is that some of you guys have the same number of posts on multiple forums. Makes me feel slightly better about the time I've wasted on here.

 

[kwyeewyk]

"If a liberal does not like something they ban it, if a conservative does not like something they do not buy it"

Yeah like drugs, abortion or gay marriage, so tolerant.

 

[88man]

Come on man
So we are worried about the 96% who don't hunt but they are targeted by the antihunters pushing the hate agenda of no hunting and anti guns. You are not gonna stop the anti crowd and they are well funded and organized. Don't let them dictate where you hunt or how you hunt because they hate hunting! No matter what you do it will be used against you.
Maybe some folks should just take a few less pictures. If someone doesn't like you they will use anything against you and it doesn't have to be hunting related. Just give them a little less and carry on.

 

[BucksnDucks]

Trophy hunter slammed for posing with bloody HEART from giraffe she shot

A TROPHY hunter posed with a bloody giraffe heart which was cut out of the beast she shot. Merelize Van Der Merwe, 32, infuriated campaigners by sharing the photo of her “perfect” Valen…

www.thesun.co.uk

Between the African trophy kills that always make the news, the smoke a pack a day rhetoric, the poaching, the camp litter, the deer heads tied to truck grills, the anti science rhetoric, etc. We need to rebrand!

I get what you're saying but I don't include myself in the "we" that poach, litter, or generally spew poor rhetoric. The bad optics of trophy hunting in Africa is far different from committing the crimes you mention. I believe the re branding should be supporting legal hunting that is sound conservation while calling out and separating from criminal activity or basic rude/@$$hole behavior

 

[Hydrophilic]

Come on man
So we are worried about the 96% who don't hunt but they are targeted by the antihunters pushing the hate agenda of no hunting and anti guns. You are not gonna stop the anti crowd and they are well funded and organized. Don't let them dictate where you hunt or how you hunt because they hate hunting! No matter what you do it will be used against you.
Maybe some folks should just take a few less pictures. If someone doesn't like you they will use anything against you and it doesn't have to be hunting related. Just give them a little less and carry on.

Anytime the "Anti-hunters" come up in a discussion on a hunting forum I usually stop reading the post. A false dilemma is a logical fallacy where the issue at hand is "either/or". Either this group likes the exact way hunters do something or they are clearly "anti-hunters". Nonsense.

Most people are not "anti-hunters". There are extreme groups who are but they are idiots and do not represent most Americans by a long shot.

This thread is about reaching out to 'most people' and working on our relationship with them. This matters because, like I previously mentioned, hunters are a small minority group in our general population. When public opinion on various issues change, minority groups without allies get steamrolled. It pays to have good relations with other groups and maintain good rapport with the public at large to stay in front of public opinion.

 

[88man]

Something doesn't smell right here. Were does your income come from?

 

[88man]

Anytime the "Anti-hunters" come up in a discussion on a hunting forum I usually stop reading the post. A false dilemma is a logical fallacy where the issue at hand is "either/or". Either this group likes the exact way hunters do something or they are clearly "anti-hunters". Nonsense.

Most people are not "anti-hunters". There are extreme groups who are but they are idiots and do not represent most Americans by a long shot.

This thread is about reaching out to 'most people' and working on our relationship with them. This matters because, like I previously mentioned, hunters are a small minority group in our general population. When public opinion on various issues change, minority groups without allies get steamrolled. It pays to have good relations with other groups and maintain good rapport with the public at large to stay in front of public opinion.

something doesn't smell right here. What do you do for a living?

 

[Hydrophilic]

Something doesn't smell right here. Were does your income come from?

Teeth

 

[Gr8bawana]

Anytime the "Anti-hunters" come up in a discussion on a hunting forum I usually stop reading the post.

Guess you should have stopped reading 50 posts ago.

 

[SAJ-99]

Exactly !

And the media always using one or all of these words in their headline

Hardcore Huntress
Slaughtered
Psychiatric Disorder
Brutal
Barbaric
Show Off
Insult to women worldwide
Disgusting

and the abuse, even death threats follow. I have received them.

Johanna Clermont ( not her real name--smart girl ) receives death threats constantly and was brutally chastised for putting the animals blood on her face after her successful hunt in Scotland. A tradition that goes back for centuries. Stacy Harris also received a bit of blow back for doing the same thing after her successful hunt and she was hunting in Alabama. Laryss Switlyk receives a LOT of negative publicity, but in my humble opinion she looks for it. Harvesting a Polar Bear up here is the easy part, surviving the "antis" after the hunt, is the hard part.

"Culling" is not new and it is important for the health of the wildlife and land. Providing meat to the villagers is also a blessing.

I congratulate Merelize on a job well done !

The other common thread in these stories is the phrase "posted pictures on the internet". Maybe stop doing that? Certainly they have the right to post whatever they want on their internet accounts, but you don't get to chose the response you receive. And I guarantee that there will be vile and vitriolic responses, because it is the internet. Not right at all, but it is going to happen. It is the world we have created.

 

[Panda Bear]

The other common thread in these stories is the phrase "posted pictures on the internet". Maybe stop doing that? Certainly they have the right to post whatever they want on their internet accounts, but you don't get to chose the response you receive. And I guarantee that there will be vile and vitriolic responses, because it is the internet. Not right at all, but it is going to happen. It is the world we have created.

And speaking only for myself . I agree with you 100% . I will not and do not. We also dont use the word "trophy" in any of our conversations. Without a doubt there would have been less press if she had not posted pictures, but I also believe statements like we were "culling" and "providing meat to villages" sells better, instead of the word "trophy ". However, if there had been no picture and they had used the words "culling" and "providing meat to villages" I doubt that it would have even made the news. But your point is well made

 

[Trial153]

Really?

Yes that place has gone off the rails with partisan insanity.

 

[4ohSick]

Yes that place has gone off the rails with partisan insanity.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Anytime the "Anti-hunters" come up in a discussion on a hunting forum I usually stop reading the post. A false dilemma is a logical fallacy where the issue at hand is "either/or". Either this group likes the exact way hunters do something or they are clearly "anti-hunters". Nonsense.

Most people are not "anti-hunters". There are extreme groups who are but they are idiots and do not represent most Americans by a long shot.

This thread is about reaching out to 'most people' and working on our relationship with them. This matters because, like I previously mentioned, hunters are a small minority group in our general population. When public opinion on various issues change, minority groups without allies get steamrolled. It pays to have good relations with other groups and maintain good rapport with the public at large to stay in front of public opinion.

Agree, I've never actually in person met someone who was "anti-hunting", lots of people had read all the 1 star reviews on yelp and thought it was probably not great, but when it came down to it they basically had zero knowledge of hunting, didn't know anyone that hunted and after a conversation were willing to try some wild game, or in the case various vegetarian and vegan friends, were glad that; "I at least am thoughtful and involved with the meat I eat."