Hunters: How Do Others See You?

by: Bob Caskey
SEPTEMBER 1983

Leaders in the field of wildlife management feel that the hunter's bad image is the most serious threat that faces the future of sport hunting.... the recommendation which surfaces most frequently is increased education for both the hunter and nonhunter.

In an effort to address this problem in Colorado, the theme for the state's 1981 Hunter Education Instructor Workshops was hunter ethics. More than 400 instructors from across the state attended the 10-hour workshops held throughout Colorado....One of the main topics addressed was: "What activities turn the nonhunter against hunting? A nonhunter was defined as a person who does not hunt but is not necessarily against hunting. It's estimated that approximately 70 percent of the people in the United States belong to this group.

Bragging by hunters to nonhunters... Did you every think that some of the people...might not be interested in the gory details?... Many hunters try to promote the sport of hunting as a macho sport... It is interesting to note that there are thousands of women involved in the sport of hunting.

Displaying obnoxious slogans, T-shirts, and bumper stickers... One t-shirt... which offended me as a hunter proclaimed: "Happiness is a larger gut pile." Given today's public sentiment, there is no room for such disrespect in the noble sport of hunting.

Unnecessary display of game on vehicles... Have you ever wondered how many people out driving around did not appreciate the display of dead game on the vehicles...that the place to display our trophies is not on top of our cars, but in our trophy room or den...

Disrespect for private property and the landowner... This problem is apparent whenever you drive through the countryside and notice the number of no trespassing signs or no hunting signs posted on private property.

Nonhunters don't like to see hunters drinking while hunting... drinking in public places or coming out of liquor stores while dressed in hunting garb. While the hunters may not become intoxicated or be drinking while they are hunting, the nonhunting public does not distinguish between hunting and recreation time.

The appearance of the hunter, his vehicle, his game and his campsite... While a hunter with a 4-day growth of beard who hasn't taken a bath in four days and wears the same set of clothes the whole time he is hunting might be comfortable himself, he is offensive to the nonhunter. This is especially true when hunters sit down with nonhunters at a restaurant.. A neat and orderly campsite does not appear to be offensive to the nonhunter, but litter certainly is.

While some hunters may feel that the game he plays with the local game warden is just a game... The nonhunter associates the game laws with the protection of wildlife and wonders why a hunter would violate a law which protects his own sport. The nonhunter, therefore, finds poaching, party hunting, and illegal taking of game extremely distasteful.

The display of firearms in motor vehicles or on the hips of hunters when they are not hunting... It was felt that the nonhunter did not necessarily find the hunter offensive, but the display of the firearm in a nonhunting situation was offensive.

The crux of the discussion was that the failure of the hunter to display common sense and to show courtesy towards nonhunters is the main cause of the nonhunting public becoming dissatisfied with the hunter.

The same roundtable discussion groups also talked about the image they felt should portray the ideal hunter in the 1991...

This group of instructors described the ideal hunter as a true sportsperson who sets an example for others. He (or she) is also a person who enjoys the out-of-doors without feeling that the filling of bag limits is the major reason for his being there. He had a genuine concern for wildlife and its habitat and the future of all wildlife whether game or nongame. He respects the rights of hunters, nonhunters, and anti-hunters and does not belittle other people for their beliefs.

He encourages ethical behaviour in all hunters regardless of their age or their experience in hunting. He does not tolerate wildlife violations; in fact, he assists the local wildlife manager with the enforcement of game laws. If he does not agree with a law, he will work to change the law. He is constantly conscious of the image he projects and what the public thinks of him as a hunter. He is truly concerned about that image. He respects the property of others and public property. He knows his equipment, his firearm, his vehicle and his own limitations. He strives to be as unoffensive to the nonhunting public as possible. He limits his firepower and ammunition to the game he is hunting so that hunting is truly the hunter pitted against the animal. He take smaller bag limits regardless of the state limit. He is empathetic and is able to look at his sport through the eyes of the non-hunter and anti-hunter so that he may more readily understand their positions. Above all, he is truly concerned about the survival of hunting as a sport and works as a citizen and sportsman to ensure the future of hunting...