AWHOLELOTTABULL
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 4,357
With all of the competetiveness in the hunting world these days all of the assumptions that go along with killing trophy animals are really unfortunate. However, people like Kurt Darner and "others" have made it hard for the general public not to scrutinize these successes because it seems that they frequently have some sort of illegal twist to their stories somewhere down the road. It's unfortunate that we as a public feel the need assume that when someone posts a photo of a trophy animal that something is not quite right. It's really unfortunate and unfair to the proud hunter who, more likely than not, worked hard for that animal.
I remember, as I'm sure some of you do, those days when you had a trophy buck hanging from your basketball pole in the driveway and friends and family came over to see it and shoot the bull for hours. Maybe my memory isn't what it used to be (no maybes) but I don't think I ever remember anybody letting rumors fly that those people took those bucks illegally or with special circumstances like being able to hunt private ground, etc.
Last year my daughter and I shared a mule deer hunt in Wyoming with a couple of friends. We both shot bucks. Not big bucks by any means but bucks that I am as proud of today as I am for any of my other kills. I posted pictures of our hunt and had the usual friends extend their congratulations which were much appreciated by both myself and my daughter. Then came the PM's that said we must have been hunting private ground, and that because I was an outfitter I should have known better than to shoot that small buck. One even went as far as telling me that I should be ashamed of myself for letting my daughter shoot that little buck. It blew me away. I was extremely mad to say the least but most of all it broke my heart to think that there are people out there that like to hunt who can not enjoy a hunt without killing a monster. Not only can they not enjoy a hunt without killing a monster, but they tear down other peoples success. For that reason and that reason alone, I will never post another picture on a public forum of any animal I kill or any animal that my kids kill. I will send them out in an email to friends and family and that's it. I appreciate everything that Bryan does on this site and those that participate on an educational level. I enjoy reading your success stories and seeing your pictures. I have been hunting for over 25 years now and I continually pick up little things on this site that I have encorporated into my hunting skills. There are many on here that are truely sportsmen/women (I'm inlcuding you predator)and who hunt for the love of the sport and the enjoyment of being out there with their family. As the pictures start coming in from all of the successful hunters out there I would hope that we can all share a little excitement for them and congratulate them for the the hard work it took to take that animal.
It's always an adventure!!!
I remember, as I'm sure some of you do, those days when you had a trophy buck hanging from your basketball pole in the driveway and friends and family came over to see it and shoot the bull for hours. Maybe my memory isn't what it used to be (no maybes) but I don't think I ever remember anybody letting rumors fly that those people took those bucks illegally or with special circumstances like being able to hunt private ground, etc.
Last year my daughter and I shared a mule deer hunt in Wyoming with a couple of friends. We both shot bucks. Not big bucks by any means but bucks that I am as proud of today as I am for any of my other kills. I posted pictures of our hunt and had the usual friends extend their congratulations which were much appreciated by both myself and my daughter. Then came the PM's that said we must have been hunting private ground, and that because I was an outfitter I should have known better than to shoot that small buck. One even went as far as telling me that I should be ashamed of myself for letting my daughter shoot that little buck. It blew me away. I was extremely mad to say the least but most of all it broke my heart to think that there are people out there that like to hunt who can not enjoy a hunt without killing a monster. Not only can they not enjoy a hunt without killing a monster, but they tear down other peoples success. For that reason and that reason alone, I will never post another picture on a public forum of any animal I kill or any animal that my kids kill. I will send them out in an email to friends and family and that's it. I appreciate everything that Bryan does on this site and those that participate on an educational level. I enjoy reading your success stories and seeing your pictures. I have been hunting for over 25 years now and I continually pick up little things on this site that I have encorporated into my hunting skills. There are many on here that are truely sportsmen/women (I'm inlcuding you predator)and who hunt for the love of the sport and the enjoyment of being out there with their family. As the pictures start coming in from all of the successful hunters out there I would hope that we can all share a little excitement for them and congratulate them for the the hard work it took to take that animal.
It's always an adventure!!!