Why Hunters and the Hunting Industry Should Worry

[pianoman9701]

I agree with the poster who said that this has been the case for years, maybe decades. The new part here is the massive money involved. It's the same with the anti-gun lobby. The amount of money they have to forward their agendas is staggering. And we know that what you can't get with pure politics, you can buy. We fought hard on the anti-594 campaign and got our hind ends handed to us. A massive misinformation campaign in an off election year was all that was needed. Bloomberg's a master of political strategy and he really pulled this off well. There was very little division in the pro-2A ranks. Imagine if we'd been splintered up like hunting groups tend to be.

I'm unsure there's a solution even if we find a way to ban together. I feel strongly that the 1% is firmly on the side of bigger government and smaller liberty for their own future benefit. But, until such a time as it becomes useless to try, we do seriously need to find a way to accept each other's hunting methods and preferences, and stand together as hunters so that we can try to secure the future for our outdoor passions.

[CarbonHunter]

We spend our money and time on hunting equipment and trips.

They spend theirs on banning hunting.

Nobody devotes all spare time and money to supporting hunting... They hunt instead.

[Special T]

http://www.nssf.org/PDF/HuntingLicTrends-NatlRpt.pdf

Interesting read

[BOWHUNTER45]

We all know we have issues to deal with in the future ..It as been getting worse every year ..Glad I am a bowhunter ..if they want to come and try to find me when the time comes then good luck to them 

[Bob33]

The belief that all hunters will agree on every hunting related topic is a fantasy. The premise that all hunters should agree on every hunting related topic is condescending.

Hunters can have disagreements on topics like wolves or baiting, and still fight together for common causes.

When someone discredits another hunter who doesn't agree with every one of his beliefs and positions, the divisiveness hurts all hunters.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I agree Bob ..since this is a New Year coming maybe We All should consider trying to get along and leave all these negative things at the bottom of the pond  If everything is legal what hunters are doing then do not make negative comments that will infringe on hunting in general  this may be my best comment in a while 

[idahohuntr]

The belief that all hunters will agree on every hunting related topic is a fantasy. The premise that all hunters should agree on every hunting related topic is condescending.

Hunters can have disagreements on topics like wolves or baiting, and still fight together for common causes.

When someone discredits another hunter who doesn't agree with every one of his beliefs and positions, the divisiveness hurts all hunters.

Extraordinarily insightful post.  This should be pasted to the forum rules/sign-up section. 

[csaaphill]

you know the trusth is we will agree here but still disagree else where and that's the whole point of this thread is for us to take a long hard look and ourselves.
oh and ty Bearpaw great thread and read.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

There are far worse problems for the hunting community than anti-hunters who are a small minority. As long as non hunters can justify or accept hunting the anti hunters will never win. For one, the radical anti hunters do too many things that piss non hunters off, like throwing blood on people who wear fur or other acts of vandalism. They also do stuff like this.... http://dreadpundit.blogspot.com/2005/11/petas-message-to-your-kids-mommy-and.html and it doesn't win them any converts. They are whack jobs for the most part and most people understand that.

But what is really killing hunting are things like cost, access, and shrinking habitat. 1. Cost (besides a gun and knife, things like tags, drawings, the price of gas the past 10 years, and now the new biggy, paying for access. If you want to recruit youngsters, first you have to make it affordable for them.),  2. Access(more and more land is locked up as the suburbs expand and city people move to the country for their piece of paradise and bring city sensibilities with them like no hunting and no trespassing. Then there are farmers who can make money leasing their property out to hunters instead of allowing their neighbors to hunt like was done in the past. And also farmers who are tired of their property getting trashed and gates left open and who can blame them? Again, with timber companies leasing out hunting areas and putting a cap on how many people are allowed in, it makes things that much harder for new hunters to get started.) 3. shrinking habitat (if you haven't seen that going on, you aren't paying attention)

These issues are what should have hunters worried, anti hunters are just a distraction.

[csaaphill]

There are far worse problems for the hunting community than anti-hunters who are a small minority. As long as non hunters can justify or accept hunting the anti hunters will never win. For one, the radical anti hunters do too many things that piss non hunters off, like throwing blood on people who wear fur or other acts of vandalism. They also do stuff like this.... http://dreadpundit.blogspot.com/2005/11/petas-message-to-your-kids-mommy-and.html and it doesn't win them any converts. They are whack jobs for the most part and most people understand that.

But what is really killing hunting are things like cost, access, and shrinking habitat. 1. Cost (besides a gun and knife, things like tags, drawings, the price of gas the past 10 years, and now the new biggy, paying for access. If you want to recruit youngsters, first you have to make it affordable for them.),  2. Access(more and more land is locked up as the suburbs expand and city people move to the country for their piece of paradise and bring city sensibilities with them like no hunting and no trespassing. Then there are farmers who can make money leasing their property out to hunters instead of allowing their neighbors to hunt like was done in the past. And also farmers who are tired of their property getting trashed and gates left open and who can blame them? Again, with timber companies leasing out hunting areas and putting a cap on how many people are allowed in, it makes things that much harder for new hunters to get started.) 3. shrinking habitat (if you haven't seen that going on, you aren't paying attention)

These issues are what should have hunters worried, anti hunters are just a distraction.

some but no not really they make up wierd lawsuits and because they have the money they can get us divided on certain issues then we lose.
Look at how the hound thing or dog hunting ban came about. Lots of hunters supported this ban because they didnt do it or didn't think it was ethical. I read tons of articles on this after that, and lots of pro hunters did sign on.
And FYI the none hunting comuntiy isn't that much on our side I've heard tons of them say they don't really like hunters and or hunting. have had friends critisize me for killing deer, and other things even though they eat meat. I've asked stor clerks that work for a hunting store what their take on hunting was and they easily told me where to go. So just because we put income back into the community don't mean they care.
Why do you think antis side iwth greenies so much, or FYI Antis do side with Greenies! Its because they know if they can rule on side issues that don't necessarily connect directly to hunting, they can gian the upper hand when it does.
Or as you slated access I wonder sometimes just how many anti hunters do own land up in the mountains or outer edges of town and post no tresspassing? I've seen land go over the last decade because people baught land and put a house there now it's posted, so wondering how many of them are anti hunters?
I've cheked essayer sites before, and some weird owners own it by some coop or something. Or bank which if you research that bank they donate to all kinds of Socialist progressive issues.
So ya no antis are a lot of hassle especially when they surround you on all sides and we can't defend it all.

[bearpaw]

The belief that all hunters will agree on every hunting related topic is a fantasy. The premise that all hunters should agree on every hunting related topic is condescending.

Hunters can have disagreements on topics like wolves or baiting, and still fight together for common causes.

When someone discredits another hunter who doesn't agree with every one of his beliefs and positions, the divisiveness hurts all hunters.

Extraordinarily insightful post.  This should be pasted to the forum rules/sign-up section.

Bob made some good points that I agree with emphatically. Another big problem is the way some hunters will continually try to discredit other hunters regarding anything they may say on certain topics.

[csaaphill]

The belief that all hunters will agree on every hunting related topic is a fantasy. The premise that all hunters should agree on every hunting related topic is condescending.

Hunters can have disagreements on topics like wolves or baiting, and still fight together for common causes.

When someone discredits another hunter who doesn't agree with every one of his beliefs and positions, the divisiveness hurts all hunters.

Extraordinarily insightful post.  This should be pasted to the forum rules/sign-up section.

Bob made some good points that I agree with emphatically. Another big problem is the way some hunters will continually try to discredit other hunters regarding anything they may say on certain topics.

Ya not arguing hunters need to agree all the time but seems the diviseness is where we lose.

[CAMPMEAT]

I don't know about some of you guys on here, but, I do not watch, go to movies or support any Hollywood lefty, who is anti-anything I love to do. Ben Affleck is a start, what a liberal puke. It might not be much, but that's how I try and stop their idiotic power................you can't vote 'em out, so don't give them money, from their movies, to try and dictate what we love to do, when they most likely do it themselves. Liberal elites of any sort, have no say or business in my house, ever.

[csaaphill]

I don't know about some of you guys on here, but, I do not watch, go to movies or support any Hollywood lefty, who is anti-anything I love to do. Ben Affleck is a start, what a liberal puke. It might not be much, but that's how I try and stop their idiotic power................you can't vote 'em out, so don't give them money, from their movies, to try and dictate what we love to do, when they most likely do it themselves. Liberal elites of any sort, have no say or business in my house, ever.

[Romeo 2-6]

The 'anti's' take a long view on most of these causes.  They just hammer it until the public adopts the narrative...as long as it takes.  That is propaganda 101.  Just look at the evolving norms of our culture for other examples.  And given the total liberal control of the media, it reminds me of a lesson I had in college, "The media IS the message."  In our hero-worship culture of today, if you can get a popular actor on your side, so much the better.  Say the message often enough to enough people and the unthinkable become thinkable. 

So I think we all have to stay focused on the fight for hunting and not eat ourselves.  And it is a fight, but that does not mean scorched earth is the best way.  Keep the ball in sight.  We need to mute or at least try to constructively direct those among us, well-intentioned but who walk into the 'buzz-saw' of using their words and actions in ways that work against us all, when they are then in-turn branded as "typical hunters" with a not so veiled "nut-job" reference somewhere in the same sentence. We also need to loudly proclaim against what is clearly bad behavior, and hold our brother and sister hunters accountable when they do really dumb stuff that hurts us all.  When I was a kid we drove around with a bull elk head on the truck grill for a few days after harvest.  Though you don't see it as much, that really doesn't fly very well in many areas anymore. And that is a minor example.

I hate to think that hunting might go the way of other good things in life that we have lost and likely will never see return.  And then get set to pay even more to manage wildlife through government agents, rather than using hunting as the management tool it is...one that actually brings government money, not costing it (in other words, costing us).   And when the Pittman-Robertson money goes away when guns, ammo, and hunting are no more, where will wildlife management funding come from then?  You'll need a license to watch birds, because that will be all that is left.