Originally Posted by smokepole
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.

Originally Posted by Chipolopolo
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.


Originally Posted by Chipolopolo
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?


Good morning Smkepole.

If you were to take a quick look back, I qualify all my statements as my opinion. They might be looked at as extreme, but extreme measures are called for when we are fighting for our collective lives here (metaphorically).

If the eventual sunset on Africa occurs in my hunting lifetime, I will have had a life well lived. I am willing to put myself in harms way to advocate for our sport. As you say, isn't it our responsibility to call out behavior we see as unethical? I don't really call the pics or mounts topic as unethical but irresponsible to the way we are looked at by the rank and file American.

Years ago, there was a woman Lion advocate troll over on AR. I went head to head with her for months and months. We actually talked on the phone several times. At that time I was of the mentality, "dig your heels in, and fight, don't give an inch."

I wasn't on FB at the time. I subsequently did a mountain bike race across America called the Tour Divide, which is the longest race in the cycling world. I did it for a charity that is near and dear to my heart, Special Olympics. I started a FB page with the help of SO for fund raising.

After seeing how the dynamic of FB works and the global reach it has, I saw that social media has negatively affected our sport. Hell, quasi celebrity hunters like Tim Herald have had their pages taken down due to the content. If that isn't hostile waters, what is?

It made me re-think my position. My thoughts on it now is to take a page from the old Brad Pitt movie "Fight Club" The first rule of fight club…don't talk about fight club.

The point being, public opinion does and will matter now. The globe is smaller and we live in a digital world. That woman I speak of got her information off the pages of AR. She worked for Lionaid.

Remember how Donald Trumps kids got hammered on FB? or the owner of Go Daddy? or the 19 year old cheerleader? the list goes on and on.

Bottom line here is, I am willing to take the slings and arrows on behalf of hunting globally. If just one reader thinks about it and re-thinks his/her position I will feel it was worth it.