A few days ago, I was at the grocery store and was wearing a tee shirt from the Howard Hill Classic. A lady asked what it meant. It had a picture of Howard Hill with an elephant in the background. I explained that I am a traditional archer and got the shirt at an archery event.
She was unfamiliar with Hughes, so I told her a little about him, including the fact that he killed an elephant with a long bow. Then she told me I should not wear such a shirt and that she is opposed to trophy hunting due to the waste. When I told her that on African trips, much of the meat goes to the local population rather than being wasted, I am not sure she totally believed me.
Actually, the interchange was a calm exchange of differing views and never involved an argument or sharp words. She did say that I seemed to be a nice guy, but I should get a different shirt. I smiled and told her I think I will keep my shirt and continue to hunt with my bow.
Do these non archers understand at all how important our major event tee shirts are?
Good job Sam on having a civil conversation and sharing our view point. Sometimes that not at all possible when the other side refuses to interact, and it bad when its our side that response that way.
Sam, we all know only what we know ( or THINK we know) everything else is odd at its best and maybe even dangerous or threatening.
Nope, they don't understand and most have no basis to even begin to understand, but that is the way it is with many things in life.
The biggest issue comes when a person with no real experience feels the need to push their agenda past all others, including those that actually have experience. This is actually no different than in nearly any facet of life we face, most notably regarding race, sexual anything, and religion ( ok, add politics).
Nope, she doesn't understand, but I think I heard that she saw one such fellow who wasn't a bad guy once she got to actually meet him. That is a major step ! Good job !
ChuckC
I think you should have slapped the taste out of her mouth after telling her she seemed to be a nice lady! :laughing: You represented us well Sam.
Scout :eek: :scared: watch your mouth while in public or your off the Frog Team that's an Order!
Supreme Leader out...
I'd rather be an animal in the wild hunted for a trophy (even if the meat is wasted, which they do not do to my knowledge) than an animal that woman buys to eat that has been raised and treated like complete garbage in a slaughter farm.......
Part of the problem is that we grew up and live in too much of a sterile environment so on occasion you might have to deal with people like this lady....or even worse a vegetarian or vegan.
Sir yes sir!
Most folks are totally unaware of what goes on in the real world :notworthy:
She does not sound like an anti hunter, just someone who is against trophy hunting. I know many people who feel the same way and even have property that I have permission to hunt that will not let me shoot any racked bucks for this reason.
I think a lot of people don't understand is and never will. There's a wildness in our souls and a connection to the land that, sadly, most people will never understand. I think you represented us well and maybe that person will have second thoughts about how they view us.
I would have to say that I am also against trophy hunting where most of the animal is wasted. The problem is that many people assume that if you hunt a trophy animal then the animal will be wasted. I believe that they are mistaken about the vast majority of trophy hunts, regardless of the hunting method used. You did well to simply correct the point where she was misinformed rather than to get defensive and try to argue. Maybe she'll believe you and maybe not. But at least you planted a seed of the truth in her mind.
QuoteOriginally posted by Sam McMichael:
A few days ago, I was at the grocery store and was wearing a tee shirt from the Howard Hill Classic. A lady asked what it meant. It had a picture of Howard Hill with an elephant in the background. I explained that I am a traditional archer and got the shirt at an archery event.
She was unfamiliar with Hughes, so I told her a little about him, including the fact that he killed an elephant with a long bow. Then she told me I should not wear such a shirt and that she is opposed to trophy hunting due to the waste. When I told her that on African trips, much of the meat goes to the local population rather than being wasted, I am not sure she totally believed me.
Actually, the interchange was a calm exchange of differing views and never involved an argument or sharp words. She did say that I seemed to be a nice guy, but I should get a different shirt. I smiled and told her I think I will keep my shirt and continue to hunt with my bow.
Do these non archers understand at all how important our major event tee shirts are?
Who is Hughes????
I think you represented us well. It's an unfortunate side effect that the last 50 years of progress have regressed us back to helpless, dependent children that don't even realize where meat comes from (the meat factory?) and can't even build a fire without a lighter and 'fire-starter' logs. Thank God for the Boy Scouts, anyway!
QuoteOriginally posted by SELFBOW19953:
[/qb]
Who is Hughes???? [/QB][/QUOTE]
Pretty sure he meant to say "Hill", but...Howard Hill, Howard Hughes...you know :archer2:
QuoteOriginally posted by Captain*Kirk:
QuoteOriginally posted by SELFBOW19953:
[/b]
Who is Hughes???? [/QB]
Pretty sure he meant to say "Hill", but...Howard Hill, Howard Hughes...you know :archer2: [/QB][/QUOTE]
I was at a church function and started a conversation with a teenage boy about bowhunting. He was into hunting big time. Realizing that there were others listening in, I purposely started talking to him about our responsibilities as hunters.
At one point I began to turn the conversation to how much money hunters provide for animal habitat and what role the hunters play in the well-being of all animals. I mentioned that people that love animals should thank hunters, because without us, there wouldn't be many around.
A lady that had been listening in on our conversation then spoke up. She thanked me for explaining that as she had planned to join PETA.
People need to be educated.
You did good.
QuoteOriginally posted by Captain*Kirk:
QuoteOriginally posted by Captain*Kirk:
QuoteOriginally posted by SELFBOW19953:
[/b]
Who is Hughes???? [/b]
Pretty sure he meant to say "Hill", but...Howard Hill, Howard Hughes...you know :archer2: [/QB]
[/QB][/QUOTE]
No, I don't know. Howard Hill was an archer, Howard Hughes, I don't know.
OOPS, Selfbow19953. I had two thought processes going on simultaneously. Hughes should also have been Hill in the post as Captain*Kirk stated. Or I could say it was just a test to see if you were reading closely. Sorry 'bout dat.
Howard HUGHES is, of course, the owner of the Spruce Goose...
And how many know what the Spruce Goose was?
I have never been confronted by an anti but would love to have the opportunity to give voice to my position. So many of them are just misinformed. I wear my hunting oriented shirts all the time. Have had a couple of questions as to their significance but that's as far as it has gone.
From what I know, Im not certain I would consider the lady an active anti. I run into a lot of people like her, that are balancing on the fence, and can be pulled either way. I find, that in well educated conversations, that uses facts instead of fiction, their thought processes can at least be changed to be more open minded about hunting. People dont know what to believe, especially if they have no experience in being around a true hunter. Its our responsibility, to smartly and tactfully educate people like this. A true anti, will not even give you an opportunity to expose the truth, and are not interested in anything you have to say.
You handled it well.
I would point out the silliness of telling someone what they should or shouldn't wear.. it's a free country and if she doesn't like it she can move to Syria or any one of those countries where women can't even wear tshirts & I'm a woman.. and they will tell her what she can and can't wear.
Most people in bigger cities (mine being mpls) are far out of touch with nature & the outdoors and don't understand hunting for food- even if it's in another country. Some of those areas have too many animals and so the herd has to be culled- sort of like deer control here.. folks like her should get facts about hunting in other countries before making a judgement -
My take on this thread is..
1. You are a hunter and a nice man, we all should strive to present our selves as great people. Clean, articulate, polite, good toppers, "please, thank you, have a nice day"
2. She at least now as Hurd our side of the story, meat not wasted. Conservation. Etc...
Good job.
Joe
My take on this thread is..
1. You are a hunter and a nice man, we all should strive to present our selves as great people. Clean, articulate, polite, good toppers, "please, thank you, have a nice day"
2. She at least now as Hurd our side of the story, meat not wasted. Conservation. Etc...
Good job.
Joe
Not to mention deers are causing more death to humans than hunters to deers where I'm located.
The deer population is out of control in New Jersey and I personally know of 1 person that got injured and their car wrecked from a deer being on the road.
I've heard of many incidents of young and old people alike being killed from slamming into deer on the road side.
Hunters help preserve the land and help save lives as well.
Not to mention I try to stay away from the grocery store meat as much as possible, that stuff is very low quality.
Someone should make a shirt that shows a bowhunter taking out a deer before it runs onto a road with someone driving a vehicle on it and have it say at the top "I hunt, I save lives.".
I'd buy it.
The amount of ignorance, misinformation, and old wives tales that anti-hunters and non-hunters have is astounding. I have spoken with several non hunters and a couple anti's. The anti's were aggressive and demeaning and unwilling to listen. Had their minds made up that they knew it all. The non hunters were usually pleasant to talk to and would ask questions and have a conversation. Anti's are extremists and are difficult to deal with. I always ask them how many needy families have they donated meat to recently.
Well handled sir! Difference of opinion is ok, very good on your behalf, not agreeing doesn't mean we should be rude or stand offish...and the Spruce Goose was an airplane I believe... :) :)
It's funny you bring this encounter up. I have been reading Gene Wensel's "Come November". Gene has an entire chapter devoted to talking about how hunters are viewed by the non-hunting community. It is a very eye opening chapter and Gene does a great job of expressing how Hunter's should carry themselves so that we can sway the public's view in our favor and continue our hunting heritage for many years.
Id love to comment but here it's preaching to the choir...
Good job Sam! The cooler head always prevails. As most of you are saying, they just need to be educated. Most people will listen if we conduct ourselves calmly and have our facts straight. If we get angry and shout them down, it will hurt their view of us even more.
In today's society we have imprisoned ourselves in concrete jungles, too far removed from the lands of our ancestors. Our ancient kin found wonders in the sky and on the land. Today we seem to find only self wonder in comments and replies to social posts on various online platforms that lie no farther than our desk away. To take the life of an animal to sustain our own is the most sacred of exchanges, to which most will never understand.
Good job Sam!!
QuoteOriginally posted by Doc Nock:
Id love to comment but here it's preaching to the choir...
We'd still like to hear it.
And yes, the Spruce Goose was the largest aircraft of it's time, and probably the only one to never 'officially' fly before being mothballed.
And Howard Hughes was one of the richest millionaires in the world at the time. Nuts, but rich.
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8100/28941568634_d0ba8b54c6_z.jpg)
Those who eat in the comfort of their own home food that which they did not themselves procure will never understand the mind of the Hunter. It is easier still to point and wag a finger at another for something they disagree with, than attempt to fully understand their point of view.
I think you're right about that being a rather calm interaction for sure! Well handled, sir. Agree to disagree. After all, it's tough bein at the top of the food chain! :thumbsup:
-Nockbroke
This nice lady clearly shows "you don't know what you don't know until you know"
Nice job Sam! Stay calm and educate em!
I had a little interaction with an nice English accented lady in Wallyworld once myself.
Cool heads will prevail. The picture of Howard kneeling next to the elephant will elicit comments from others.
QuoteOriginally posted by Hud:
Cool heads will prevail. The picture of Howard kneeling next to the elephant will elicit comments from others.
Howard Hughes??? :laughing: