responsible hunter

[mullet]

 All hunters need to support and stick together. I've hunted with slingshots, compounds, 22's, whatever I can hunt with. If you do it for meat or for the horns, it's a personnel preference. I know guy's that hunt Traditional for horns only. But the deer is cleaned and the meat given away.

 I've noticed on a lot of sites is it is almost foolish to let people know how you like to hunt. There will always be somebody to complain about your hunting style or YOUR PERSONNEL HUNTING ETHICS. I hunt for meat. But like others have said, if big horns walk by, I'm shooting.

 Also with my work schedule now, I'm thinking about saving my money for a once in a lifetime hunt. I do not think anybody has a right to judge another person on their hunting habits or lifestyle. JMO, if everybody is going to the woods for the right reasons, it's a Personnel thing.

 

[Tsalagi]

Well, here in Flagstaff near opening day, liquor stores hang orange banners with various beer company logos on them that say "Welcome Hunters!" on them. To me, this is pretty disgusting and does nothing for the image of hunters. This feeds the stereotype of "Drunk hunters out there shooting at everything that moves..." that many people who are against hunting use. I've found there are three kinds of anti-hunters. The first is a utopianist who thinks we should all be vegans and never kill any living being and that's where the politically-active ones come from. The second is opposed the idea of killing animals because we have meat in the store and these are some of the people who vote against hunting. The third is against hunting because of some negative experience with hunters or having personally witnessed something disturbing. This third group also includes people who lost a loved one in a preventable hunting accident. All three of these people see these banners and see total confirmation that their stereotypes are correct. And we've had two people here shot and killed by high power rifles during elk season from people shooting at movement. They died hard, terrible deaths---totally preventable deaths. One was shot by a family member who'll have to live with that for the rest of his life. And liquor stores hang banners to welcome hunters...

About the banner, what do we teach kids about firearms safety, or bow safety for that matter? Never shoot while drinking. So what message do those banners tell kids we're trying to teach the right way? Do as we say, not as we do? That doesn't work. Anyone who snuck out dad or mom's cigarettes or booze knows that. And what do those banners tell the public? That what we say and what we do (and live) are two different things. And there are people that support those banners saying it supports hunting. Well....no. I support ethical hunting, not all hunting. If someone is shooting game from a helicopter, I say that's wrong. I don't care if it's legal where they are, it's still wrong. What's legal isn't always ethical and what's ethical isn't always legal. If someone does something I'm ethically opposed to, I don't support them. I don't like trophy hunting. Never have, never will. I'm very strict on reasons I take life and I don't take life flippantly or for personal aggrandizement. Am I asking everyone to do as I do? No. I live a life that's very an eclectic, so to speak. It's unfair if I ask others to do that. But, quid pro quo, I'm not going to gulp air to keep my lunch down and support trophy hunters just because they're "hunters".  When I say "trophy hunting", I'm talking about people that kill animals solely to put a head on the wall and inflate their egos.

Just my own opinions...

[profsaffel]

Well, here in Flagstaff near opening day, liquor stores hang orange banners with various beer company logos on them that say "Welcome Hunters!" on them. To me, this is pretty disgusting and does nothing for the image of hunters. This feeds the stereotype of "Drunk hunters out there shooting at everything that moves..."

Hmmm. Reminds me of taking the "Winston" out of NASCAR...

Maybe the owners think that if the hunters are liquored up, they'll spend more on huntin' supplies.  Heck, the last time I was shopping in [insert name of overpriced glorified hunting apparel and gear store here] I felt like downing a few drinks. 

[kinkfeather]

did some soul searching.went out an shot my recurve bows found out that i was a better shot with them.i made some longbows this year an swore to hunt with them.one thing that bothers me is not making a good shot.i believe i owe to the game i hunt the best shot i can make.i think alot of bow hunters struggle with this decision.i an not ready to hunt with my longbows yet.go with what best works for me.made some wooden arrows this year but they do not shoot as good as my carbons.so i will use carbons to hunt with.now for compounds no reason to hunt with some thing that does not feel comfortable with.no sights the same reason,releace no for the same reason.now the stablizer does quieten my bow down an add stability.now i do make my own strings it is cheaper.i am a meat hunter not a traditional yet.kink

[kinkfeather]

thanks alot scott.kink

[sonny]

I'll bet it has more to do with the number of compound hunters versus the number of primitive or traditional hunters.
There are quite a few compound hunters and x% of them are unethical. I'd say it's likely the
same percentage of primitive or traditional hunters who are unethical as well..........
simply speculation on my part, but something to consider.
 

[Pappy]

I happen to work for a beer company and I am looking at one of our signs hung in my office.It says
No matter what game you are after  [HUNT RESPONSIBLY] It's our sport protect it. Coors Light.
I see nothing wrong with that.  I am a meat hunter also but I don't have a problem with the horn hunters,I have several friends that do that and are very ethical hunters, [compound guys]they usually give me the meat and I like that part of it.
   Pappy

[Kegan]

Alot of good stuff on this thread. And I think that's what makes this site just that little bit better. Put this somewhere else, and you'll either get a bandwagon of self righteous folks you'd never actually share a camp with if given the choice, or a bunch of people jumping down your throat for just tying to get some of your own ideas sorted out!

I've personally seen more than a few traditionally equipped folks hunting when they had no business doing so. Folks who couldn't hit a pie plate more than half the time at ten yards are saying they'll "keep it to 25 yards this year". It's easy to lump compounders into some evil crowd but the truth is there are alot of good hunters out there. Some one mentioned it just being a numbers thing, and I believe that's it. Has nothing to do with what you use, but who you are. Even with a .30-30 rifle my brother won't shoot past 35 yards or so. Likewise, this year I've helped several people start building but so far they're all sticking with their wheels this season because they don't want wounding. This spirit is growing and I think this thread shows that- ehtics is ethics. Man I love this place for that

One thing about trophy hunting. There are two types. The first is the type you see on those horn-porn shows. All about showing off. The other is personal trophy hunting. Adding the limitation on yourself of not shooting anything below a given size parameter. I know a few folks who hunt this way and for them it's the same as if someone else was switching from a compound to a recurve. Just a limitation on yourself and your shots. They don't really brag about it, or do anything over the top to bring down a deer with antlers so big it takes two guys to carry them. Just a personal limit. It's like just not wanting to shoot does. Reasons not to shoot, challenges one places on themself. I see nothing wrong with that, given the site we're on

[JW_Halverson]

It's all good, Kink.  Hunt with your effinglass abomination this year, practice up good and hard and then hunt next year with one of the even better bows I know you are going to build! 

I am proud to share this community with you because you took the prey animal's point of view into consideration and put your ego aside to make this hard decision.  I've seen you struggling to turn out a bow that was of good quality and I enjoyed seeing your efforts pay off.  By next year you'll have the chops to hunt with a bow of your own hands.  Luck, pard!

[kinkfeather]

thanks alot jw.i love making bows as much as hunting now.i feel i can make a better bow some day.i do have trouble with set.because i know i can do better.i get in too big of a hurry.i need to slow down.i have a problem.i want to make a bow now an go hunting now.saturday is deer season i want to go hunting but i also want to make a bow.for me to get the deer meat i need.i need to hunt hard for the next few months.i enjoy every minute i am in the woods.deer meat is a bonus for my family an a need.our ancestors know what i am talking about.when i was working i hunted every minute i could now i am retired i can hunt all the time legally that is.i would rather be in the woods in the fall than any other time of the year.jw you have a great day i sure enjoy your company.kink

[huntertrapper]

Respect is key in the hunting world and to help keep hunting good. Ive been taught respect since i was first taken into the woods when i was an infant. Ive always learned to never give up when tracking and ive been taught to read sign the best i can in order to make sure the game is not lost and to push yourself(not the game) to track an animal. Right on to everyone on here who knows deep respect for animals and the wild world.

[mullet]

 Kegan and Hunter;

 I have to say you two young men are growing up to be some very, respectable, role models for young and old. I wish a lot of people had ya'lls attitude about hunting. Thank you guy's, it is refreshing.

[Pappy]

Dido's  Eddie
   Pappy

[Kegan]

Kegan and Hunter;

 I have to say you two young men are growing up to be some very, respectable, role models for young and old. I wish a lot of people had ya'lls attitude about hunting. Thank you guy's, it is refreshing.

Thanks Eddie and Pappy, means alot coming from you guys !

[Tsalagi]

Pappy, I have no problem with the signs you have. But the ones here just say "Welcome Hunters!" with two big beer logos on either side and they hang in front of every lquor store and quick-beer stop in town. I used to work at a place with a sizeable number of anti-hunter co-workers. Those signs were always brought up in conversations with them. I never defended those signs. I said those signs are embarrassing.  The point is, we have to remember what the non-hunting public sees. They outnumber us and can write letters and vote.

On trophy hunting, that's just my opinion. I'm not saying others should live by it, but I won't defend trophy hunting publicly or privately. My only caveat is, as I said, we have to remember what the non-hunting public sees and perceives. In my conversations with anti-hunters---and I worked alongside these people for ten years---about 60% of them could understand the concept of hunting for meat. Some might be vegetarians, but some of them actually respected the fact I took personal responsibility for killing my own meat. Because many of them used the argument regarding eating meat that, "Well, you wouldn't eat meat if you had to kill it yourself!" Ummmm....I do. And...your next point? But the idea all of them opposed, was the idea of some guy killing an animal just to hang it's head up on his wall. That garners the most vehement arguments against hunting out of them all. Hunters can say, "Well, to heck with them!" But again, the non-hunting public outnumber us. Personally, I don't want to lose my ability to go out and make some rabbit meat just because some guy wants to bring home a bunch of heads to put on his wall. Again, just my opinions.