Unfortunately hunting and fishing often seems to bring out the worst in people and stokes the ego. I see people do crazy things to get the big buck or trophy fish. The guy who shot this bear while legally, well where do you start? Not even the least bit sporting and I can't believe his blood lust overcame his reasoning that there would be an outcry over it and like it or not it the image of that guy with his foot on this bear affects us all. The public who is mourning that "poor old pet bear" doesn't give a rip about anything except that it is so cute and some mean "hunter" killed it. The people feeding bears just don't get it and are even more stupid IMO. Even after trying to educate them many still never get it. Bears are wild animals no matter how friendly they seem. Sadly many in society will perceive the guy feeding the bear as a saint and the guy shooting the bear as the devil. It's that whole stupid wild animals are so "cute and cuddly" mentality. The nonhunting public is just hypocritical because they are soft...ie plenty of food (killed, cleaned and provided by someone else) and a warm house with a roof over their heads. Just speculating but it would be interesting to see how quick their views would change if they were hungry and no cows are around and other people to do the dirty work of presenting them with a steak. Hunting and fishing does seem to attract people who are willing to break the law or show their ass at every opportunity and the public sees them all as "rednecks" where I live. Hard to change that image with people when they find out you hunt because all they remember is the dog chasing, road hunting, abrasive jerk in their jacked up truck waving guns everywhere on the side of the road or the poachers they read about in the paper. This image problem won't go away until either there is no hunting or fishing or sportsmen learn to police their own and use some discretion about the image they present to the public. I doubt this will happen in any effective way but if the problems go on too long the state, local or federal gov't will do something none of us wants...take it away or make it insanely expensive. The wildlife is" cute and cuddly and must never be harmed" issue won't go away as long as the nonhunting public continues to have a hypocritical double standard about animals and teaches their children the same.
What a Bear but I agree with he should of left it alone. A lot of people now a days think that there is not enough GOOD attention for them to live in so they have to go and do something stupid because the whole world lives on negativity! Look at the news and local papers! All you see is negativity. You will see some good things but most of them are all bad. Bad things get more attention from everyone. If you want your name in the news or headlines you need to do something wrong so you get noticed!
Still, it is all about the "score" and winning or being perceived as better hunters than other hunters/teams, which is my point.
The contest is for fun ... there are guys that get crazy with it tho .... It really doesn't matter who wins ... as long as it's TEAM #6!!!
"Still, it is all about the "score" and winning or being perceived as better hunters than other hunters/teams, which is my point. " I have never perceived the contest in that regards. I do it for fun and realize everyone has their own personal goals interwoven within the contest. And I could care less what type of deer people choose to kill, from fawns to 41.45 inch bucks. I just do not care.
It isn't just hunting gentlemen, it is all of mankind. Every sport, pass time, or hobby will have its 10%. All of humanity has its 10%. The average human is decent and honest, but those 10%ers can really make that hard to see. We can't expect people to believe what we believe or follow our own personal code of conduct. Every person has to develop their own and if they develop a moral code that differs from my own, then that does not necessarily make it wrong.
Jim... When the "other guy's" moral code is in direct conflict with the law, though.......well, that changes things. I see hunting having way more than its' 10%, too. Color me cynical. No argument...just an opinion.
x2 Brett!! I do get what Bruce Is saying here as I'm sure It's been done more then one realizes but how many times hasn't It been done when It could've? Last year our team placed 2nd In the buck contest. I had chances at 2 different bucks that would've put us In 1st place but they weren't bucks I wanted. It would've been kinda neat to win but I'm doing that on my terms.
