rookhawk
AH ambassador
As I reflect on elitism I question whether we might need more of it and more peer pressure in hunting.
At a well heeled country club (they'd never let me in) peer pressure and propriety keep everyone in check. You dress or act inappropriately you get one letter. It happens again, you're asked to leave and you walk from a $150,000 membership in a blink.
Do we not ask for our own troubles as hunters when we tolerate what is irreverent cheeze-ball behavior from our own when we see stupid things and let them stand?
The photo de jour seems to be a woman smiling oddly lying next to her giraffe. A.) she looked like a redneck fool wearing camo and incorrect camo for her surroundings even if tradition be damned. B.) she was not pictured in a respectful and reverent manner with her trophy.
It all seems to me as asking for trouble. When you stop showing profound reverence for animal, the hunt and your gun you usually become easy fodder for public scrutiny.
Things that I wish we could ostracize and self-regulate would be things like:
A.) a buffoon straddling a trophy like they are going to ride it. Makes me sick.
B.) people in inappropriate attire in trophy shots like bedraggled camo, sneakers, fraternity or university shirts, etc. It makes the statement that they have no reverence for tradition nor propriety and that this is just a quickie killing excursion on their way to other sightseeing activities. It really augments the anti-hunter myth.
C.) fools (some pictured even on outfitter sites I found through AH) that have their guns pointed at their own heads crutched over their trophys. A wild trophy is a magnificent time of joy, honor and reverence for the habitat and animal, it is not a piece of flesh to be used as a piss-poor gun rack and it is not acceptable to have a gun aimed in an unsafe direction at any time.
D.) bad side out photos. I saw a pic on or linked from AH of a guy holding two jackals that were absolute hamburger. The entire front chest cavity was blown to bits and both shown proudly. So this guy A.) used an inappropriate gun and ammo for his quarry (he should be embarrassed/ashamed) and B.) decided to photograph the exit side of the animals which was the most gruesome view possible. C.) he showed sociopathic behavior in that he killed an animal that provided little utility, he clearly didn't kill them to eat them and he clearly didn't intend to mount them or tan the hides as there was nothing left, so he killed them for a fee just to kill them.
If we want to avoid the constant barrage of bad press from anti-hunters we have to win the hearts and minds of the uninformed moderate citizens of the world. We have to demand more integrity from our fellow sportsmen. We have to shame our own with peer pressure into better sporting behavior. When things aren't ideal for heaven's sake don't photo document the experience that is the exception from the rule!
In conclusion: we are not vigilant enough about our own demands for propriety and ethics and therefore we are easy targets for anti movements. When can we start ostracizing bad behavior on our own instead of solely blaming the anti's? Lest we forget, we give them the sensational photos and videos that allow them to harm us so who is really to blame? We hand a loaded gun to our enemies too often and then balk at the outcome.
Thoughts?
At a well heeled country club (they'd never let me in) peer pressure and propriety keep everyone in check. You dress or act inappropriately you get one letter. It happens again, you're asked to leave and you walk from a $150,000 membership in a blink.
Do we not ask for our own troubles as hunters when we tolerate what is irreverent cheeze-ball behavior from our own when we see stupid things and let them stand?
The photo de jour seems to be a woman smiling oddly lying next to her giraffe. A.) she looked like a redneck fool wearing camo and incorrect camo for her surroundings even if tradition be damned. B.) she was not pictured in a respectful and reverent manner with her trophy.
It all seems to me as asking for trouble. When you stop showing profound reverence for animal, the hunt and your gun you usually become easy fodder for public scrutiny.
Things that I wish we could ostracize and self-regulate would be things like:
A.) a buffoon straddling a trophy like they are going to ride it. Makes me sick.
B.) people in inappropriate attire in trophy shots like bedraggled camo, sneakers, fraternity or university shirts, etc. It makes the statement that they have no reverence for tradition nor propriety and that this is just a quickie killing excursion on their way to other sightseeing activities. It really augments the anti-hunter myth.
C.) fools (some pictured even on outfitter sites I found through AH) that have their guns pointed at their own heads crutched over their trophys. A wild trophy is a magnificent time of joy, honor and reverence for the habitat and animal, it is not a piece of flesh to be used as a piss-poor gun rack and it is not acceptable to have a gun aimed in an unsafe direction at any time.
D.) bad side out photos. I saw a pic on or linked from AH of a guy holding two jackals that were absolute hamburger. The entire front chest cavity was blown to bits and both shown proudly. So this guy A.) used an inappropriate gun and ammo for his quarry (he should be embarrassed/ashamed) and B.) decided to photograph the exit side of the animals which was the most gruesome view possible. C.) he showed sociopathic behavior in that he killed an animal that provided little utility, he clearly didn't kill them to eat them and he clearly didn't intend to mount them or tan the hides as there was nothing left, so he killed them for a fee just to kill them.
If we want to avoid the constant barrage of bad press from anti-hunters we have to win the hearts and minds of the uninformed moderate citizens of the world. We have to demand more integrity from our fellow sportsmen. We have to shame our own with peer pressure into better sporting behavior. When things aren't ideal for heaven's sake don't photo document the experience that is the exception from the rule!
In conclusion: we are not vigilant enough about our own demands for propriety and ethics and therefore we are easy targets for anti movements. When can we start ostracizing bad behavior on our own instead of solely blaming the anti's? Lest we forget, we give them the sensational photos and videos that allow them to harm us so who is really to blame? We hand a loaded gun to our enemies too often and then balk at the outcome.
Thoughts?
Last edited: