Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Another fish tale.....Big Game Pictures

Big Game pictures are important to us because it remind us of our experience and allows us to share or "show off" a hunt.

Does it turn you off when people who kill a big game animal then take a photo op use
the ole extended arm technique that fishermen use to make the animal look bigger than it is.

To me it cheapens the report because it puts a dishonest twist on the hunters story. The picture being part of that story.

It's cheesy and it makes the hunter look like a novice.

Many times the Outfitter/Guide who is taking the picture will tell his dude hunter to extend his arms so now the guide has a promotional picture he can use.

It cheapens the hunt report in my opinion.

Also, many times the hunters rifle will be laying across the animal pointing into his stomach or chest while the picture is being taken. Again, it makes him look like a novice greenhorn.

Look at the bottom photo in this Berger advertisement. This is what you DON'T do.
Makes me nervous just looking at it.
http://www.bergerbullets.com/Products/Hunting%20Bullets.html


What is a proper photo op for a trophy animal?

Trophy being subjective as it may not be the horn size but the quality of the hunt, ect.

I watched a tv show where they did a segment on how to take a proper picture.. (In other worlds, how to make an average buck look big to the unknowing person)

Rather pathetic, IMO.

Proper photo should try to show all points, with the person naturally holding the antlers, IMO.

Trophy Chicken..Still livin and ain't scared of chitt.

I like to keep it natural, I mean I have seen some pics that make a monster look like a dink, and other pics that make a dink look like a minster.

I hate looking at a friends pic and say wow that thing must be like a 150"er than they say no it was 115-120"s.....hate that.

I know this pic is of a bow (safety not worried about) but this is my most favorite pic of this deer.

In these pics I am directly behind the deer actually touching it with my legs.



This has to be my 2nd favorite pic.



Now heres a pic of the same deer and it looks like a dink.



Its all about the camera angle.

BTW...that buck scores 155 5/8"

Heres a pic of a friends buck that if it had the other side I swore would go 150"+......

he said if it went 120 he'd be lucky with the other side included.

Mines fatter..

Yep, thats one fatty.....

I kinda like the more candid shots along with the regular hero stuff...

Cool pics Ingwe. I got a few like that too. I didn't even realize he had taken this pic until later.

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It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.

I don't like it when there's an obvious attempt to make an animal look bigger than it is. Sometimes I don't think it's intentional so no big deal to me.

I would have to agree.

The only thing that I think is truly pathetic is the guys who have the stern "war face" look instead of a smile or just a natural expression.

All in all, I don't get worked up about it. If a guy wants to post a pic by all means post a pic.

Ive got a buddy that shot a black bear with his bow last fall and put pics of it on facebook. My first thought was that it was huge but then I realized how he took the picture. To me it looked like a 300lb+ bear but when i asked him, it turned out it was only about 125lbs or so.

Good pics just happen when you aren't trying to get anything other than just "a pic". Sometimes staying out of the picture altogether is the best way.






I think this would be a descent pic if it was not for my belt being all twisted up.


Holding your arms out is a little cheesy, but who really cares? It's their animal, and if they are obsessed with only antler size than so be it.

There can also be times when the animal falls in a bad spot (moose and elk especially) that you have to have that type of a pic if you want one that is not all bloody and dismembered. Been there a few times.

Agreed DH....

I just like the pictures...

I try take pictures that make the animal look good, i.e., tongue not hanging out, no messy exit wound and positioned to show something of the habitat it was taken in.

The extended arm thing bothers me much less than the back of the truck, laying in the driveway, strapped on the 4wheeler, open cavity with gut pile included, head cut off below the jaw tongue hanging out, type of trophy pictures.

This is one of my favorites

No size reference (not that pheasants would need one anyhow) and no ugly mugs to screw up a good pic. I guess the shotgun could be a reference, but who really knows if those are 26, 28, 30 inch or however long barrels?

Sometimes a size reference is needed, but as mentioned it can be manipulated easily. I still get in the pics of most of my kills, but I also set a rifle in there too and let that be somewhat of a reference.


There's much less doubt about the size of this bull, assuming you realize a guide gun is shorter than your average bolt gun. The pics I have of me with this bull show me behind him. Thats a few feet due to the size of the bull. In those pics he looks just as big as a huge Alaskan bull.

Dog Hunter, looks like you and I have the same idea when it comes to dog and pheasant pics...

Sometimes I forget, especially with birds so this is the pics I end up with. I guess I could have not been lazy and carried the birds across the street to the field and taken pics there.


Thanks Mike NZ. I always try to get the dogs in with bird kill pics. They're the ones who did the work. I just pulled the trigger.