Perceptions - Bunnyman is exactly correct!

I do agree with you about presenting a positive image. However, hiding it will not change the minds of anti's.

I wish some of these people realized that chicken does not come from a grocery store.:noidea:

 

Agreed...but I always change my clothes before going into town so they won't stank when I put them back on. Traveling around the small town where my lease is with a deer in plain sight wouldn't be a problem. It is a hunting town and everbody makes their living from the hunters...but if you are going to be driving a long distance with a deer in the back, just take the time and put it out of sight if at all possible.

 

where I'm from its alittle different. though the blood thing is a giving as for over all high gene.but hunters are top dogs where I hunt and grow up. everyone hunts from gas attendants to bankers. You would be considered a flat lander if I did all that. As far as changing hunting clothes. I do it for a different reason that I dont want all that added scent on my clothes. It all depends on where you are from and whats a expected thing. I know walking around the town with camo and blood on my hands where I live would get a "Get the hell out my store". Unless you were at a Gander Mountain or other sporting goods stote. But, A given determination about anti-hunters is based on how your area perceives hunting. I'm not starting an arguement but not all states have the same reaction to the anti-hunters. I know they wouldnt last long up where I'm from and hunt. Thats a given. just food for thought...

 

To be honest, I look forward to the day when an anti driving a Hundyai stops me at the gas station to ridicule me for my doe strapped to my 4 wheeler.:fencing:

 

Hunting is accepted and not a big deal here where I live also. I agree with Pinwheel that there are different perceptions in different areas of the country. I don't agree with people hauling around their deer in the open with tongues hangin out and blood drippin everywhere, but I also don't agree with hiding our heritage and trying to act like it we don't kill animals. We seem to be doing a lot of that in this country nowadays with a lot of topics. We don't want to offend those that come from other ways of life so instead we hide our customs, our heritage, and our way of life. In turn, America is losing its identity.

I don't walk around covered in blood and I don't strap my deer to the hood. But I'm not ashamed that I hunt and I won't act like I don't.eace:

 

Its a matter of common courtesy really.

You wouldn't want to pull up to a gas pump after seeing a mechanic with grease dripping off his hands put it back and leave crap all over it.

You don't want little johnny who just watched Bambi for the 100th time to see you with him in the back of your truck. Nothing will upset a parent more then having to explain how bambi isn't real and that isn't bambi's mom in the truck.

We are on the losing side about 99% of the time and our fellow "hunters" are typically the reason, giving them another excuse like propping up a deer on a 4 wheeler is just saying "yup we are the sterotype, go tell your local representative"

 

I totally agree with the above statement. Hiding the fact that were hunting is not going to change the mindset or the ruthless attacks of the Anti hunting community. They are not going to say well it's ok as long as I don't see it. I believe that we should observe common and decent behavior in the field and in the community but if folks don't like that I am a hunter they have the right to feel that way. And I have the right to think that there nuts. That folks is what makes America great.eace:

 

I'm not going to "hide" it either but this is how it goes for me 98% of the time.

Kill the deer, tag it, drag it back to my truck and throw it in the back and close the camper shell hatch.

Drive to the check-in station, open the back to let the person see the deer. close hatch, show the person who checked the deer how to fill out the tag and where to sign.

Drive to my friends house, who is a butcher and hang and skin it. Come back 5 days later and butcher and wrap it and put it in the back of the truck,drive to my house and put it in the freezer.

So it's me, the guy who checked it, and my butcher friend who even know that I shot the deer and actually see it, until the tag gets to the Fish and Game.

Blood-- of course I wash it off immediately because it gets all over everything and it's sticky and it stains. I always have UNSCENTED baby wipes in my truck and my back pack. They work great.

Hide it!! It peeves me that it comes to this. The next time I go the grocery store I'll get a whole body fryer chicken, a slab of ribs, maybe a big ol' butter ball turkey and strap it to the hood of my truck for the ride home. Ha!

Have you ever seen a socker mom go to the meat case in the store and pick up a bagged chicken pinched between her thumb and first finger with her pinky finger sticking out with the "this is gross" look on her face. Yet in the cart it goes dripping blood all over the floor. You can follow it like a blood trail. Cracks me up. Then she puts it on the check-out counter and gets blood all over that too.---But that's OK huh:doh:

 

Perception is important….

Perception is important….

People have a fear of the unknown. With the hunter population declining 10% every year is a major concern and you are seeing the effects of it. (Read it somewhere and not sure how accurate this number is) While the hunter population is decreasing, the amount of bad press stays the same or may increase from year to year (i.e. arrows in hawks and geese), people’s perception is only from what media tells them. If majority Non-hunters truly understood what most hunters are truly like and less ignorant to the hunting lifestyle, Non-hunters perception would be better for us.

You don’t have to be ashamed of your lifestyle or how you choose to live your life, but you don’t have to flaunt it at each other. Anti-hunters are the minority in all this and we shouldn't put Anti-hunters with Non-hunters. We need to focus more on the Non-hunters to educate them about the hunter-lifestyle, to overcome their fear of the unknown.

 

Fellars anti's that we need ta be concerned about they always gonna be huggin' trees.
It's tha other 90% of tha public that we are tryin' to win to our side . If it ever comes to a vote and I believe someday it will
these are tha ones we must show our courstey toward.
Like if ya are shaven keep it off and not gonnin' in tha stores and resturants with 2days growth and I always change out of my camo when I go to eat somewhere. keep tha blood of my bumper and tha such. My $1.00 worth

 

this makes me happy i live in hoosierville.... none of this is a problem and if u drive around with a bick rack hangin outta ur truck ull attract a crowd of people to check it out

 

right on...:amen:

 

I'm not one to brag on what I've shot by driving around with it in the back of my truck but I'm not going to sugar coat the death of my supper either.

There's many more "horrible" things to see or try to explain to your kids or grandkids. The first thing that comes to mind for me is a "social" movement in this country nowadays:dizzy:

 

To each their own, I try to be courtious to evryone as best i can, I have been at a gas station with some blood on my pants ext, now im not coverd head to to in it and its not dripping all over and making a mess. I will never HIDE a cridder i have taken, but i dont stand it up in the truck and drive around town 25 times either, Around here most people are not botherd by seeing dead animals in trucks or strapped to the top of jeeps or cars ext... Im sure their are some, and they just need to igore it and go on with their bussiness, Just like what i do when i see something i dont like, tampon comercials, something i really dont care to see, 2 guys holding hands and kissing downtown, some drunk guy feeling up his lady freind at the racetrack infront of familys with kids... drunks passed out at the park at noon....on the roads, women who are putting on makeup, and fixing their hair while driving.... people on the phone while driving, reading while driving, drunk driving, people driving with no insurance..... Im I worried about my hunting rights?? sure i am, and i dont think i do anything thats goint to hurt them, but explaining to little Johny that the dead deer in the back of that truck is not bambies mother, is going to be less tramatic then explaining to him that their car was hit by a drunk driver and he will never see mommy and daddy again!! No matter what you do, where you do it, their will ALWAYS BE someone, who dissaproves.

 

It will get you a ticket here in my state. you can not drive around with a deer in sight of the public. I like to wash my hands as fast as I can so I dont get blood in my Copenhagen.:laugh:

 

So how do we sugarcoat hunting and make it appealing to the undecided uninformed masses? How do me make it not look like we are killing innocent beautiful woodland creatures with primitive weapons that cause pain and suffering? How do you make any of that sound all happy and rosy? How do you make them support hunting Bambi down and frying his backstraps?

You can't. Hunting is what it is. Now we can all go buy bed covers and camper shells and hide our prey so as not to offend anyone. But that really won't solve anything. If the Anti's are actively campaigning to convert these people and all we do is hide our hunting, the anti's will win. Our only chance is to actively promote hunting to the undecided people showing them how happy and rosy hunting is (see paragraph 1).

I don't like to talk religion on public forums but I see a resemblance here. Like it or not, this country was founded on Christian principles. For a long time now the Christians of this country have been silent to keep from upsetting those with other beliefs. Now religion is being forced right out of the entire countries culture.

If we do the same thing with hunting, it will have the same end result.

 

It boils down to stating your veiws intelligently to the uniformed masses...some will never come around and are bound for the "left" but some just need to be told both sides of the story not just the slanted media version...

In NY we have a large number of Anti's especially in my area and Bunnyman's also...They have been known to vandalize hunters vehicles and harrass hunters on their way into the woods...These are the folks that can't be talked to their mind is made up and we shouldn't even waste our time trying

But an overwhelming number of people are still on the fence, and most have an open mind to hunting they just don't want to see it in the parking lot of McD's...
what masses the don't realize is if the hunter numbers decrease too far and the populations get out of control...The state will just poison the herds, They have done it in suburban areas all over the state and will do what they need to to keep the herd in check...

At least hunters who practice ethical hunting and conservation, will benefit from the harvest, the economy will benefit from out of the area hunters, and the herd will benefit from QDM...

We just need to be aware of the image we portray...because sadly people judge books by their covers...