Cal and KMG:
First, you hit the nail on the head in that we all have a right to our opinions, as long as we're within legal and ethical bounds.
Conversely, when we see someone who calls himself a hunter engaging in activities that are clearly unethical or have the potential to damage hunting in the eyes of neutral observers, we have a responsibility to call out that behavior.
The only reason I bring up that second point is, I believe chip went a good bit beyond the former and was engaging in what he believes to be the latter.
The taxidermy is a fundamental part of the process, from which, in my opinion you cannot hide. If you Safari in Africa, anywhere in Africa and merely take a few snapshots and leave the rest there, you are devaluing the lives of these animals to a few megapixels on some SD card.
Is that who we really are as sportsmen? If this is representative of the demographic, perhaps the antis have a point.
If you go to Africa, take in the sights, the sounds and kill some stuff, take a few shots and walk away from the balance of your responsibility, you are in my opinion a killer only. Going on Safari, killing and walking away is no different than paying a woman for her services and throwing a few hundred bucks at her on your way out the door.
I find just thrill killing repugnant behavior. And that is exactly what you are describing.
Saying that others who don't get heads mounted are "devaluing the wildlife" and are "killers only" and "walking away from their responsibility" or are "thrill killers" engaging in "repugnant behavior" is doing a lot more than stating a personal ethic or opinion, it's telling others how to do it and denigrating them in the process.
And there are lots who don't agree. If we're really talking about how the antis see us as chip says, the future of hunting and what needs to be done to preserve it, I think those that disagree have not only the right to speak up, but the duty.
As an aside, some have noted the desire to do a safari, but limited means to pay for it all, including taxidermy. Does anyone really think that making a safari more expensive by including taxidermy in the price will help get more hunters to go on safari?
