Trad Gang

Ok, there is a post about what gives hunters a bad name and it's been interesting.

How about telling us what sort of things you think make a GOOD impression on the general public.  I don't mean being PC and hiding the fact that you hunt.  I mean honest public interactions that help non hunters walk away thinking maybe we're not as bad as they thought.

I'll post my own thoughts later.

When a hunter donates his harvest to the food for the hungry. I always try to donate a deer a year to this cause.

Or when you take some time and help the landowner bail hay or fix a fence.

Mike

I always offer to pick up and remove garbage found in the woods or along the road. I typically do it anyway, but it makes people smile.

I offer venison to anyone wanting to try it. I never "sneak" venison on those who dont.

Even the funniest comedian has all his jokes fall flat with the wrong audience.

This will be an interesting topic.

I have found that being willing to help with yard work, or whatever a landowner needs; is helpful. So much so, that they will help you with 'scouting reports' and even sheds that you missed.

In general, just being a mannered and respectful listener; is cause for them to hear you/us out.

Garbage hunting with the blunts and packing out your "game" .

Teaching kids archery at school and in your neighborhood.

Asking permision to hunt and getting along with anyone else that also hunts the same land.  Sending a Thank you card for someone letting you hunt.

Home-baked Christmas cookies and candy to the land-owner who lets me hunt their land + plus the afore mentioned trash pick-up......the cookies are usually a big hit!!

Ben

Using gates and not climbing over fences.  Not using bad language.  Not wearing shirts that say drinkin beers and shootin deers.  Not going in anywhere with blood on your hands or clothes.  Teaching kids the correct way to hunt.  Pretty much anything you can do to help a kid. Not driving around with a dead bloody deer on your taligate.  Have a good defense for what you do already in your head ready to go in case someone says why do you hunt.

i have found that just being me helps. i grew up with a family that would throw a skillet at you if you were dissrespectfull, so i try to just mind my manners and i never get angry at anyone who dissagrees. most people's problem with hunters is that they think we are all two-toothed rednecks that have no respect for anything.

I talk to my landowners a lot.  They're also neighbors (1st and foremost).  I'm the 1st person they call (mostly elderly) when they need something (cattle are out; need some weed-eating done; etc...) and I'm glad for it.

My landowners are some of the biggest animal lovers you'll ever meet.  So I show a LOT of respect as to how I retrieve downed game.  I "sell" my pursuits as "you'll probably never know I was there" (unless I'm making a reuested improvement)....and I try to make sure of that.

Seems to be working.

I don't get mad. I don't take it as an insult when non-hunters are initially unsure (threatened) by my appearing out of the woods onto a trail. I take the time to be friendly and reassure them. Thats the part they will remember.

I've seen hunters spill out of the nearest post-hunt bar or diner at night in full camo and cursing a blue streak. Every other word an F-bomb. Trust me, it does us no good. These are exceptions, but it is what people will remember.
So carry yourself with thoughtfulness and dignity while "on display".  It is what people will remember.

Joshua

I think not dismissing all anti's as senseless trouble causers.  When meeting someone who is against hunting to listen to their concerns and answer honestly and truthfully about how you feel about things.

I used to be a vegan for 12 years.  I even went further when i studied ethics and moral philosophy at university and became a fruitarian - didn't even eat plants either.  I was quite far out there, but for me it was about living a philosophical debate within my own head that i had to work through for myself about where my food comes from and how it is treated.  I wanted to be sure in my mind that as i went forward in life i took the right course in where my food came from.

What i discovered eventually was that intensive farming was the most awful and sickening treatment of animals there is.  So i try as much as possible to steer clear of that.

When i talk to anti's now i am fully equiped for any debate they want to have because i've done the whole trip, even adding university courses on ethics and moral philosophy to back it up.  When i lived in London i had a quarter acre allotment where i grew my own fruit and veg and now that i've moved to the countryside i'm starting to get into hunting, fishing and gathering wild food.  I've yet to have an anti walk away disgusted with me when i've explained my full views on food and what i've learned over the years.

A lot of it is our attitude, and how we're perceived.  Be polite and be respectful of other's views even if they don't always agree with how we get our food.  Listen to their concerns and try to understand what they've been exposed to that has given them those concerns.  A lot of anti's are only that way because they've been exposed to some awful stuff that would sicken even the hardened ethical hunter.  To show that you agree with them on some of their concerns is at least a step in the right direction and hopefully you may find them agreeing with some of your views as well.

To round it off, i know i go on sometimes... what brings me to wild food is that the wild food is conceived and born of nature, it wasn't conceived from a syringe against the animals wishes, or put in a rape rack as pig farmers use to force sows to mate with boars that they wouldn't mate with if left to their own devices.  Wild food is weaned naturally until the young are independent, unlike intensive farmed cattle that are taken from their mothers far too early so that the mother's milk can be used to make profit for the corporations that own most of the farms these days, leaving the young weak and needing anti-biotics to fend off disease because they never got weaned properly.  I take fish with one rod, i don't rape the seas with giant drift nets that kill birds and sea mammals just to put food in corporate food markets to make excessive profits at the expense of the Natural balance of the oceans.  I'm learning to gather wild veggies that grow without the need for fertilisers and pesticides so that i don't have to rely on intensive farmed vegetables that are grown polluting the very Earth that we were blessed to be guardians over.  The list goes on, but i think you'll get the point.

I will finish with saying this.  That since coming to this forum i have met with some incredibly thoughtful, considerate and helpful people.  This is by far the most polite and friendly forum i've ever been to on the internet.  If we show the same attitude to others outside of here as we do to each other while we're here then we can't help but change people's attitudes for the better.

The future is what we all make it.

respect property!!!

When you are talking to someone about hunting and have an excitement in your voice. A genuine love of the sport and the animals.  It shows and mostly is appreciated.
Using terms like "I SMOOOOKED THE PIIIIG" to describe a killing a deer has the opposite effect.


BigArcher

Money seems to work in Texas  :)

rusty

Leave property as if I was never there, except for the can or bottle that I found and carried out.  Every time I speak with propery owner I ask if there is anything I can do to help out around the farm.  Even though he normally answers NO.  I keep asking, hopefully one day he will say YES.

Topics like these are necessary but they always make me sad.  It's a shame we have to censor ourselves so much.  I don't try to rub things in people's faces, but I hate feeling like I should hide what I love just so that I don't offend someone.  What's wrong with transporting a deer that you killed on your vehicle?  What's wrong with getting excited about hunting/killing?  Sorry, those are rhetorical question..

I think telling people we respect the animals we take has a good impact.
Sometimes I do get puzzled looks from people when I say that because they don't understand how we can have respect for the animals we kill(or "harvest" if we're being PC.)
I explain that I recognize the animal gave it's life up for food and it's a beautiful creature to watch year round, but the need to keep the population balanced along with filling up the freezer or someone elses with meat if they need it, are reasons why hunting is needed. Also the health benefits from eating meat that wasn't fed steroids.
Talking about taking surplus doe instead of trophy hunting tends to go over better IMO.

QuoteTopics like these are necessary but they always make me sad. It's a shame we have to censor ourselves so much. I don't try to rub things in people's faces, but I hate feeling like I should hide what I love just so that I don't offend someone. What's wrong with transporting a deer that you killed on your vehicle? What's wrong with getting excited about hunting/killing? Sorry, those are rhetorical question..  

It's called "tact".

There's nothing wrong with my wife and I making love.  But I'm sure not gonna tell our son I'm "nailing" his mother.

Thanks for clearing that up, Jeff.  I see it so much more clearly now.  Letting people know that we hunt is the same as demeaning our spouses in the eyes of our children.  How silly of me.

The point was....demeaning = demeaning.

I wouldn't drag a downed deer across my landowner's property (in plain sight)....out of respect for their feelings.

I simply see it (and my analogy) as a respect issuue.

Sorry if the analogy offended you.  But it's spot-on(IMO).

When I started 45+ years ago my first lesson from Dad was respect. Respect for the rights of others, respect for the land, respect for the game we pursued. Later I learned to show appreciation to the land owners on whose property we hunted. I've put up hay, repaired fences, picked up trash and always said thank you. Dad would always buy a Christmas ham for the land owners, over the years we delivered  a LOT of hams! I've learned many things but perhaps the most important is my actions speak vastly louder than my words. One can pontificate on ethics, laws and consevation but a single can carelessly tossed, camp fire left burning or ill adviced shot selction will be the image you will be remembered by.  

John

"what sort of things you think make a GOOD impression on the general public."...The GENERAL PUBLIC...not landowners or to do with where you hunt...I would say hunting for food and not for trophies...I don't worry about what the "general public" thinks though...I hunt for food and theres nothing wrong with that I mean how else do I get wild meat without killing it?...I love animals(And not just because the meat tastes good)...If someday hunting was outlawed then another revolution would be needed.

I think John said it well, respect is all important.  Respect yourself, your neighbor, the land and the animals that live there.  Hunting is not a competition nor a means to prove oneself to others.  Solitude as well as the companionship of sharing the wonders of the wild are the rewards we receive because of our choice to participate in nature.  I hold these values closely to my heart and respect the person who cannot tolerate my choices, not a battle worth fighting.

I was a Vegan for a spell too.
It gives me a huge advantage because I know how the anti's think and what motivates them.

I have converted many a vegetarian/anti to omnivor/pro with a heartfelt conversation and a really good roast.

Respect, humility, reverence. Simple, really.

QuoteOriginally posted by trashwood:
Money seems to work in Texas   :)  

rusty

HaHa, Spot on.....
I find the fact we are having this conversation sad.......was this an issue 30 years ago?
I know the numbers of hunters have exploded,as have the animal rights activists. what I think is all hunters should be given the benefit of the doubt untill they screw up. My generation is on a slippery slope and will most likely cause the hunter downfall. IMO
Larry

Honesty...

Take respectful photos of game taken.  Show the animal in the best light.  Pictures with the tounge hanging out and blood everywhere are not that great for hunter image.  Make the photos classy.  I will be the first to admit that I do not always do this.  I am aware of it and I am making a consious effort to plan photos that are respectful to the animal and the image.

Stealth in the woods and not to be seen. Even though what we do is legal and worthy not all and dare I say most see it as barbaric and inhumane. In other words don't show off as it is self absorbed and silly. Hunt well and quietly is my motto for a good image.

Okay, so far some great answers.  I said in the first post that I'd come back with my own ideas.  Many of yours echo my own thoughts in one way or another.

In it's simplest form, it can all be boiled down to a single word which has already been mentioned many times:  RESPECT.  A secondary heading would be RESPONSIBILITY.

But this word "RESPECT" has many, many sides to it and these sides are supported by and dependent upon responsibility.  

There is of course respect for the animal that prompts us to do our best to make a clean kill.  This respect is tied to the responsibility that we practice with our equipment, limit our shots to those within our actual ability and don't sacrifice good judgment to greed.

There is the respect for those who help us with all aspects of the hunt from land owners to shop owners, guides, fellow hunters and our wives.  All the things mentioned by others about helping land owners, sending Christmas cards, or just being there to help in a time of need even for things that are not hunting related do not go unnoticed or more importantly, unappreciated.  To the farmer, we have the responsibility to treat his property at least as well as he does himself and close his gates, report trespassers, and simply not do anything stupid.  To our wife and family, we have a responsibility to not neglect our responsibilities as husband or father.  At least not so much that it becomes an issue...       :rolleyes:      

There is respect for the opinions of those who do not hunt.  On this one however, I feel there is a level of unreasonable behavior that does not have to be tolerated.  An anti group purposely disrupting a hunt is a good example and has been ruled unlawful in most states.  A fanatic with no real experience or facts who simply repeats himself only louder is often a lost cause.  Think of the old saying about arguing with an idiot... There is a time to just walk away, there is a time to stand your ground.  To stand up for your beliefs while respecting the average persons opinion and presenting our own well thought out argument can not only get your point across but will exhibit a level of responsibility that, even if you still disagree in the end, might place a seed of tolerance in their mind for the future.  With this group of folks we also have the responsibility of basic courtesy.  I'm talking about things like bloody deer on the hitch hauler paraded around town and such.  Years ago, I remember seeing guys with tailgates down and a buck in the back going up and down the main drag in a small town to show their deer.  They were proud of it and most folks not only didn't mind but enjoyed seeing it and hearing the story.  Nowadays that's not the case in most towns.  I even have been turned off myself a few times.  One was when a guy came through town with a home made box trailer and had a deer hanging off every side of it by the feet and the heads swinging around and almost dragging the ground.  Tongues out, blood dripping.  Wasn't pretty.  I figure it's kinda like beef.  We all like it, we all eat it.  It's legal for consumption and sold in stores even, but I wouldn't want to see a flatbed truck with dead cows on it driving down main street on the way to the grocery store butcher shop.  Just basic common sense.

Tied to respect for others is an even more important respect for yourself.  It's sad to see hunters cowed down and meek or trying to hide what we do.  Where is our self respect?  I understand that some parts of the country are far different than others and here in the midwest things are less radical but we are doing nothing illegal.  On the thread about what makes hunters look bad, I mentioned going into stores in my camo.  Often with my kids also in camo.  I smile and nod to people I pass and most smile back.  They think it's cute that Daddy has his kids dressed up to go hunting.  If I'm at the door or in an aisle and people are kinda jammed up, a polite "excuse me" or stepping aside to let someone else pass is appreciated.  I'm proud that I hunt but I don't think of it as either a pro or a con of my personality so much as just a part of who I am.  But strangers who I meet while dressed to hunt only see me as "a hunter".  I have a responsibility to set a good example.  Being positive and respectful are very important.  I've stopped to help stranded motorists many times when returning home after a hunt and all were glad I did.  If you are uncomfortable about what the general public might think of yourself and hunting, how can you project a positive image?  With self respect though comes the responsibility not to take it to egotistical levels.  I mean anything from I hunt with "X" equipment so I'm better than you to general bragging about kill numbers, animal size, hits, misses or whatever.  We all like to tell stories of our hunts and I can get as crude as the next guy when I'm yucking it up with my buddies but never around strangers.  Nobody likes to hear somebody who is full of themselves and talks down at them.  

There is respect for the institution of, or "way of life" of hunting itself.  Here is a gray area for many people.  Not because we don't love hunting, but because we have trouble getting our point across to others.  I can sit here with time to think as I type and make a bit of sense but I can't usually do it spur of the moment in conversation.  I'm SO glad that the Wensel's and Mitten's made the movie Primal Dreams.  If I meet someone who is undecided about but open minded to hunting, I whip out the DVD and say, take this home and watch it.  There is something that comes across in it that makes sense even to people who don't hunt.  I think it's simply the beauty of the out doors and animals in nature but the scenery coupled with the undeniable respect (there's that word again...) for the hunt have helped me turn many people favorably towards hunting.

There is still so much more but I'm getting "wordy" and still feel I can't get my point across like I want.

Bottom line is this, be a good person first, last and always.  Then let people know that you hunt.  For most logical people, two plus two still makes four.... some of them will figure out on their own that we're not all bad.        ;)

Well written Dave...  :thumbsup:  

Hope all is well with you and the family Amigo.

I can only add...Thank you all for reminding us plus I really want to second what Dragonheart had to say, even on this site I will once in awhile notice a picture and think "Man!" I wish they had cleaned that up before posting it. I might keep a picture right after the kill for myself but any I know I want to share I'm careful with what's showing. My daughter(age 20) is bad about just wanting to get the picture out there for her friends to see and doesn't always show(IMO) the respect that animal deserves plus I wish she wouldn't post them on Facebook. I believe she so wants to show the "good-ole boys" that a girl doesn't mean having to be a priss. No excuse in my book.
Sorry for ranting.
Thanks for reading and thanks again for the reminders.
God bless,Mudd
OK I'm done

Vegans, vegetarians, antis, fruitarians, fruits, hunters, categories, categories, we got too many categories!

Ummmm, what's a fruitarian?  sounds like someone who doctors sick fruit....

I think the preservastion of land and the establishment of habitats for animals to abound in and multiply in is the most noteworthy thing that hunters have done that should give them a good name.Hunters have been some of the most ardent conservastionists and preservationists of land and wetlands.Just think about some of the things that have been done by Ducks unlimited,Pheasants forever and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation as well as other organizations that have alot of hunters as members.I think that should contribute to the good will toward hunters when used as an example of what hunters have accomplished that have benefitted ecosystyms,the animals that inhabit them and the poeple,not just hunters that enjoy these paradises.

i think that really needs to be pointed out clearly to people who may not know.That may contribute to more good will and understanding of how important hunters have been and will continue to be in the future in conservation and preservation of land and wildlife populations.

putting out corn even after season is over to feed the animals when the winter is very harsh on them..  just buying a hunting license knowing that the money goes back into the conservation of game and thier surroundings.. Not one dime of moey raised from p.e.t.a goes to the conservation of animals and stocking of fish!!!!  THATS WHAT GIVES US A GOOD NAME..

I don't think the stickers of Calvin peeing on ANTIHUNTERS is much help

My hunting buddies and I have a big catfish feed once a year for our families and land owners in the area.

QuoteOriginally posted by Dave Bulla:
Ummmm, what's a fruitarian?  sounds like someone who doctors sick fruit....

As an ex-fruitarian...

One who only eats seeds or fruits, fruits being the flesh of the seeds.

Plants produce fruit intentionally for animals to take the fruit away spilling seeds along the way thus spreading the next generation over a wider area.  Some seeds need to actually pass through an animal before they can germinate.

At first glance most people are like, what the hell do you eat then?  But when you consider that all the cereals are seeds, beans, lentils, rice, all fruit, most spices, etc..

I'm a fully qualified chef, have studied nutrition and all that, so i know what i'm talking about and was able to live quite happily on that alone.

What changed my perception was when i got some land to grow stuff on.  Then i had to think about pests and pest control, fertilisers, etc..

Once i got down to the nitty gritty of actually having to grow and produce my own fruit, instead of getting it from a supermarket, i started to realise that it was not possible to produce even a fruitarian diet without the necessity of killing things like pests, or using animal products or chemicals for fertilisers.

At the same time a great tv series started in the UK, called River Cottage, where an ex-chef from a top London restaurant moved down to Devon, where i now live, and started up a small holding and started to show people in television land exactly where their food comes from and what has to suffer to make it.  If you can get any of the River Cottage stuff over in the US then have a watch - especially the early stuff.

All in all it started me thinking more about what i was eating and what actually did happen to bring that to my plate and at the end i decided the only ethical course left was to move out of the city to the country get into wild food.

Donating to St. Judes:

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