Trophy Hunting?

morning, peoples ur arguing with portapotty waste. these r nancy's
and chuck's off spring, aborted wasted. justme gbot tum
 
Some of my non-hunting friends have told me that the hunting that I do is fine, but that trophy hunting is wrong. When asked what they mean by trophy hunting they usually say killing an animal for only the antlers or hide and not making use of as much of the animal as possible; they misunderstand that it isn't just those trophies when they don't see more than that emphasized. I think we need to be able to communicate that there is much more than just a set of antlers to mount on a wall and brag about, and I think we need to remember that non-hunters, who don't understand hunting the way we do, are out there watching.

I haven't watched many hunting shows, mostly because I would prefer to be out hunting myself than watching someone else seemingly always be more successful than me, so I don't have a lot of experience to base this on. I have seen some hunting shows that I really enjoyed, and others that, even as a hunter, have left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak. I much prefer the shows where you get to see more of the camaraderie that develops in a hunting camp, the days afield where game is sighted but not necessarily taken, where there is discussion of conservation and animal biology, and some discussion of what happens to the animal after it is down. I really dislike the shows where they have just put together a long series of kill shots; these, based on discussions with non-hunters, seem to be the prevailing stereotype of hunters. If that seems to be the stereotype, I can see why people wouldn't appreciate "trophy hunting". The big question for me is not whether or not trophy hunting is good or bad, but how do we educate non-hunters and change that stereotype? I think one way to start is to try to show as much as we can of the whole experience.
 
Most people these days have little to no knowledge the things it took to settle this country just a short while back. The hardships the settlers faced day in and day would destroy these little snowflakes. We are a very young country that is on a fast downward spiral.
 
YES! I am a trophy hunter when the opportunity exists. Generally, the trophy class animal represents the smartest, most difficult, and challenging of the species to hunt, with an attractive appearance. The meat is consumed by myself, or someone that has great appreciation for the sustenance it provides. I will mount the trophy as a momento of the experience. I must say that "trophy" may not always fit the classic definition. My greatest trophy was my first young whitetail buck with a small basket rack that at the age of 16, was scouted and successfully shot at 30 yards with a 50 cal round ball muzzloader made from a kit. The crude plaque/antlers still hangs on the wall of my den.....I was floating on air for weeks and will never forget the hunt. In terms of the preservation of wildlife, I have likely contributed substantially more in efforts and money during my lifetime then any 1000+ anti-hunters will, assuring the precious resource for future generations. ALL wildlife dies by either violence and/or starvation. The hunter has always been a "natural" predator that provides an honorable and merciful climax. I'll willingly offer the time to explain my views to the youth, and those "genuinely" interested in understanding why or how I hunt....and with great distain, ignore the rest. This country and its laws and views on hunting has changed quite a bit since my early hunting days, and not necessarily for the better. It is quite possible that "popular ignorance" may present a real threat to future hunters just as it can to so many of the founding principals that have made this country unique. This situation has always existed, but common sense and intelligence has so far prevailed. Yet, by maintaining a basic philosophical position, and adapting to a changing world, to this day I have personally been able to achieve the same level of satisfaction, interest, and challenge with my hunting today as I did in the 1960's. This "confirms" that my belief system, which I'm sure is held by many, is valid. I will remain steadfast on this position till they stick me in the ground.
 
I myself have not ran into to many people that wanted or felt warranted to spout off about my hunting....first question i ask is "what have you contributed to any wild animal"....usually they come back with a " I feed them animals"....and I cut into them right there....in many states it is completely illegal to feed any wild animal..including a bird feeder.....
Feeding animals(blacktailed deer in southern Oregon near medford many years ago) led to many cases of of herd poisoning...F&G tried to reason this out with rural and city dwellers..but the only answers the feeders gave were "the hunters are killing these poor defenseless animals"....
Trophy hunting is a figment of society...some consider the trophy the animal itself..some the skull or antlers.....i prefer the meat to eat..but I also strive to take an animal that has some age to it..so there is some meat to eat....i haven't a problem with kids taking younger animals but they also have to learn that life begins with breeding.....kill too many young and the older bucks can't carry on the work to breed all the does...same with killing the does and no population to breed..........
 
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Maybe this is out of place but I have always felt a trophy is different to everyone. For me it is away to extend my season. You have to pass the young ones up to get to the bigger ones. For me I don't care if I harvest a animal or not it's just a bonus. I feel like at that time of year that is where I am supposed to be and I want to be there as long as possible. The wife likes it better that way. Lol probably out of place just my two cents. Have a great day
 
I thought I'd add another thing to this thread. The internet and social networking were designed to play upon drama and elements of human addiction. In the trophy hunting area, the internet will ALWAYS cause a stink. The earlier suggestion of all hunters ethically addressing what we do, in clear terms, is the only way to counter this stink.

I gotta say, it doesn't help that we have TV shows like the predator hunting show I saw, where wounded warriors were taken by helicopter to dispatch as many hogs and coyotes as they could. Flying like bats out of hell, I don't see how this kind of "hunting" helped these soldiers with their PTSD. It certainly doesn't help with pressures that already exist against hunting.
 
First of all any animal I harvest is a bonus, appreciated, utilized, and a trophy to me. Most of them come pretty hard. Maybe it's the way I hunt but it seems like it usually takes a couple days to pack them out. And in all reality I enjoy every minute of it. Now I am not saying that I wouldn't like to get that 300 plus class bull, but so far he has eluded me.

Do you ever wonder if some of these TV shows that make hunting or hunters look bad are actually sponsored by the anti hunting groups? It seems to that now days people will go to any lengths to get their way. As usual I am probably wrong.
 
I am a trophy hunter. I only want to kill trophy, for me, and nothing else. I will est the meat and use whatever I can on the animal, but I'm not a meat hunter. I have friends that kill everything that moves. That doesn't seem right to me. I guess they are making up for me not ,"thinning the heard".
 
I am ambivalent towards trophy hunting.
If the country wants the hunting, if the species is not endangered, and if the hunter wants to pay for the hunt with money that will help the local community? I can not protest. "It is mean, violent, and sad that a hunter would kill an animal!"
Dying of "natural causes" in nature usually means a much, much more painful and savage demise, and one that is just as meaningless to the animal either way.
 
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