Fuzzyballs44

I'm new to these forums, but I'm not new to the woods/hunting culture by any means.

In my 25 years I have spent thousands of hours in the rockies....and thousands more wishing I was on the mountain.

What I don't understand is why members of my culture are turning on each other. When we criticize our family’s methods, all we are doing is giving our ultimate enemies who include the anti-hunters/extremist activists/pro-wolf/anti-gun ammunition to throw back at us and hurt us.

Instead of pointing the finger at each other, we need to understand that even though we personally would not want to perform certain practices, like baiting or hound hunting, we will stand behind our brothers and sisters that do because our passions are the same.

I do believe we should discuss things and opinions in our development and maintenance as a community....but I do not believe that we should attack one another with non-constructive verbal bashings. If we continue battles among ourselves with this non-constructive fighting, we can expect to get flanked and taken down in our weekend state by the extremists that want us shut down!

We are hunters because it is a way of our life. We live for the crisp autumn air slipping through our nostrils as we watch the first light creep over the mountain top which reveals a peaceful doe nibbling her way down to a turning and bubbling stream.

We are fighting the hardest battle sportsmen have ever encountered right now. The reason that the wolf got slipped in under our noses is because of the lack of education behind hunting and the lack of solid support from the entire hunting community.

I am ashamed and truly sorry that I attacked a family member when he expressed his ideas....I'm sorry for this Andrew (see the post about baiting bears) and I can assure you that I will stand behind you because you are a fellow hunter. However, I feel that you too should adjust your comments to form constructive conflict instead of accusing your brothers and sisters of being lazy or unethical in their practices.

We need to stand together and look our adversaries in the eyes....knowing full well that we will support each other as a community and family through everything we are fighting right now. I havea deep and richlove for and respect for the animals and the vast terrain I call my back yard. Because my passion and love for hunting is so strong; I also love my huge family of hunters that are scattered around this amazing country! We share the same culture and I am honored to be a part of so much experience and so many life changing stories from the hunting community. From forums, small town cafes, local sporting good stores to the shooting range; we all have something to respect and learn from each other. If you don't realize this, then you should be ashamed of yourself. If you attack another hunter, you should realize you are hurting our entire family.

We may be dysfunctional, but we need to stand arm in arm in the up and coming battles....or we will all have to turn to a life without something most of us can't see us living without!

121553

I do believe as sportsman we need to stick together and only in numbers our we going to be heard. I try to instill this in my Bowhunters Education Class here. We all make mistakes but sometimes things are best left unsaidin mixed company.
Only 10% of the populationare hunters and the other 10% are anti's. 80% of the population are actually undecided and sitting on top of the fence and your actions will reflect on this 80%.
I am pro hunting 120% and promote good ethics to people around me but that doesn't neccesarliy mean I agree with your way of hunting. I am allowed to have an opinion. I can find fault as in all other aspects of life and I don't like some things shoved down my throat making me accept it and I'm not going into High Fence hunting and Crossbowers calling themselves bowhunters, doghunting and the use of bait,ect. so I'll shut up.
Its just human nature, people are going to disagree and there is no harm in that as long as it constructively and not critically.

Bobby

Colorado Luckydog

Dude, thats some serious penmanship there buddy, you should right a book! LOL

Ya got a point though...

jones123

I appreciate what you say . . .but I have some knock-down drag-outs with my brothers. Nobody else better interfere, though, because we're family.

This forum does get a little personal now and then, but it's just typing on computers. If we argue in here we learn more about our own opinions and that makes us stronger.

I think the guys that bust each others' nuts in here would be a pretty tight bunch if we met in person and maybe happened in front of a PETA demonstration.

Fuzzyballs44

I actually agree with Jones and 121.....I know people are going to butt heads...but do it constructively and if someone steps in from the outside...turn on them not each other.

My best friend is my brother who is 13 months older than I am (25 and 26)....we can fight with the best of them, but it always comes back to solving some other issue, and it is not done in front of our enemies.

clint802

We should definitely stick together.

tsoc

Well said!

dayna0306

I was told if you don't have something nice to say ,don't say anything.Some people were never taught this when they were young.Then there are people that have no respect for anyone.

AJ52

I'm gonna pin this one to the Top for awhile.

This topic should be a #1 priority among all Hunters,Fisherman.In addition it should be a priority in all HuntingNet forums where methods can be so Hotly contested among members to the point it gets extremely Ugly to put it mildly.

Take a look sometime at the Users/Members online vs the "Guests".Often thousands of Guests lurk in these forums.Who do you think they might be - All Hunters - NOT.I'm confident many watch us here trash each other as fellow Hunters,Fisherman,Outdoorsman.

We can Often be our Own Worst Enemy.

I don't want to get on the Zumbo kick as its been Beat to Death - but - look at the Zumbo fiasco.He made some big time negative comment about certain weapons.With his national exposure in print and media it hurt gun owners and hunters alike.Same holds true here just on a smaller scale.
In his case it cost him his job(s).

My .02 for the day

smlemk5

with the current state of affairs within our own ranks of sporting arms industry,,,,,,,,,,,the more we shoot our mouths off in public without thinking carefully about what we want or should say is going to cost us,,,,,,,,,,,a sports writer,,,,,,,,,,should be open to new ideas all the time,,,,,,tradition is a wonderful thing,,,,,,,,,,but we do not live in a perfect world,,,,,,,,,,,peoples choice is the Norm,,,,,,,,,,whatever you hunt,target practice or whatever is their own choices,let the people choose...........