Are the Anti-Hunters Winning?

I’ve been blessed to get to know Kendall Jones, the famed huntress who was thrust into the spotlight for her hunts in Africa. She recently broke one million followers on Facebook. I’ve been able to help her with some media needs, including building a new website, photography, and videography. Through that relationship I’ve gotten to know her and realized she didn’t ask for this fame; It just happened. If you follow her on social media, you see the amount of hatred directed at her from anti–hunters. Not just mild dislike but full-blown death threats, wishes of bodily harm, and other sickening comments. Celebrities like Miley Cyrus and others have called her out by name bringing even more hate her direction. It honestly seems like our rights as hunters are being infringed upon daily. As a God-fearing hunter, it seems more and more like I’m in the minority in this country. So, how do we fight the good fight for our rights, conservation, and heritage?

Be Above Reproach

This is first and foremost. We are under a microscope more than ever and those who hate the idea of hunting are looking for anything to use against us. We must be conscious of how we portray our love for hunting. By doing this we can limit the ammunition of the other side.

Respect the Game

I saw a video a few months back of a young hunter riding on the back of a deer that he had spine shot and was still alive. Even in times of less scrutiny, this wouldn’t be remotely acceptable. We must depict hunting in a light that in no way gives anti-hunters a reason to speak against us; From videos, pictures, and speech.

Choose Your Words Wisely

This is tough for me (ask my wife).  It can be hard to bite your tongue, especially on social media where we can be like them and hide behind a keyboard. We must choose our words wisely because our end goal is to educate and inform. I appreciate this about Kendall.  Despite all the hatred, rarely if ever have I seen her lash out no matter how warranted it may have been. The high road is tough. It’s narrow and few today follow it, especially when those on the other side are spitting fury in our direction.

Educate

In reading anti-hunter comments and even some of the emails and messages we have gotten over the years through our TV show, Final Descent Outdoors, it’s been mind-blowing. We received one from a lady wanting to know why we didn’t just buy our meat from the store where they make it. As the poet Ted Nugent has said, “For every piece of meat you have eaten, somewhere along the way there was a gut pile”. I’ve realized that because I’ve grown up in a hunting culture, there are a lot of things I take for granted when it comes to understanding how this all works. We are not a bunch of blood-thirsty barbarians and have to do our best to tactfully educate those who didn’t grow up in and around the things we did. For instance, how does killing an animal help save the species? If you don’t understand where the money for tags go and how conservation groups work, then you might not be able to understand how killing an animal is actually saving it. We must take the high road and educate!

I realize it can be like beating your head against the wall but remember the best way to share our passion for the outdoors is not just through words but through actions. Let those we encounter in all areas of life see our passion and heritage for what it is; a God-given right that should not be taken away by those who don’t understand it.