hossblur
Long Time Member
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Listened to a pod cast on Tom Greshams Gun Talk yesterday. He was talking to a biologist and writer from New Foundland about the future of hunting. If you get a chance its a good listen. There was a lot of discussion about where things used to be and where they are now.
A couple takeaways, and since its Sunday morning and I'm having bowhunter envy, I'll start a discussion to pass the time.
1. The antis: The greatest part of the North American wildlife Model is the public owns the wildlife. However that means ALL the public. THe non consuming public does as well, and their views on hunting need to be shaped by us. The view we need to put forward is why hunting is good not for us personally, but for the wildlife population as a whole. WE NEED TO PUSH CONSERVATION NOT CONSUMPTION OR SPORT.
2. The industry: In the spirit of changing the view of hunting from what it was to what it is to what it needs to be, there needs to be a real "come to Jesus" meeting. As hunters we accept death as part of our tradition. We know there will be blood, we know there will be guts. The vast majority of the population however are more and more urban, and further and further from the land, the animals, and the violence associated with it. We have become our own worst enemies in this case. We/the industry have pushed the sport from a traditional, necessary endeavor to celebrate time in the field and as a food gathering exercise, to a Loud, Obnoxious, in your face bloodsport. The shows are all about possees, screaming and yelling, catch phrases such as "whack em and stack em", "took the wind out of that one", etc. They glorify and advertise the aspect of hunting that is perhaps the least important, while downplaying the conservation, heritage, and food gathering aspect for which hunting has existed in this country since Teddy Roosevelt and the NAWM came to existance. Two issues here, if your not a hunter, and not close to the land, living in urban areas where wildlife is more a curiousity than a daily occuance, this is what you see. And the minority of hunters discussing conservation, etc, is LOUDLY drowned out by the INDUSTRY. This noise has to stop in order for us to make any case for the future of our sport. Also, the new generation and those to follow, loose there connection. They become the loud, obnoxious, in your face characters they see on TV and in advertising.
3. Perception: In short, we have to quit talking about how things were, how they used to be(I am pretty guilty here). Its not going back. Our kids can't visualize jumping on there bikes with a shotgun and riding across town to pheasant hunt. They can't imagine any of that. In fact we need to stop talking about how it is now. The focus needs to be on where is it tom. What do we want tom.?
Anyway, it was a good listen. Lot of stuff to chew on and think about. Still sitting here enying the bowhunters!!
"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun"
A couple takeaways, and since its Sunday morning and I'm having bowhunter envy, I'll start a discussion to pass the time.
1. The antis: The greatest part of the North American wildlife Model is the public owns the wildlife. However that means ALL the public. THe non consuming public does as well, and their views on hunting need to be shaped by us. The view we need to put forward is why hunting is good not for us personally, but for the wildlife population as a whole. WE NEED TO PUSH CONSERVATION NOT CONSUMPTION OR SPORT.
2. The industry: In the spirit of changing the view of hunting from what it was to what it is to what it needs to be, there needs to be a real "come to Jesus" meeting. As hunters we accept death as part of our tradition. We know there will be blood, we know there will be guts. The vast majority of the population however are more and more urban, and further and further from the land, the animals, and the violence associated with it. We have become our own worst enemies in this case. We/the industry have pushed the sport from a traditional, necessary endeavor to celebrate time in the field and as a food gathering exercise, to a Loud, Obnoxious, in your face bloodsport. The shows are all about possees, screaming and yelling, catch phrases such as "whack em and stack em", "took the wind out of that one", etc. They glorify and advertise the aspect of hunting that is perhaps the least important, while downplaying the conservation, heritage, and food gathering aspect for which hunting has existed in this country since Teddy Roosevelt and the NAWM came to existance. Two issues here, if your not a hunter, and not close to the land, living in urban areas where wildlife is more a curiousity than a daily occuance, this is what you see. And the minority of hunters discussing conservation, etc, is LOUDLY drowned out by the INDUSTRY. This noise has to stop in order for us to make any case for the future of our sport. Also, the new generation and those to follow, loose there connection. They become the loud, obnoxious, in your face characters they see on TV and in advertising.
3. Perception: In short, we have to quit talking about how things were, how they used to be(I am pretty guilty here). Its not going back. Our kids can't visualize jumping on there bikes with a shotgun and riding across town to pheasant hunt. They can't imagine any of that. In fact we need to stop talking about how it is now. The focus needs to be on where is it tom. What do we want tom.?
Anyway, it was a good listen. Lot of stuff to chew on and think about. Still sitting here enying the bowhunters!!
"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun"
