Disdain for trophy hunting misguided

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I like trophy hunters. I'm a Spoon & Crockpot kinda fellow myself, they don't bother with 3 pointers...that's what I take down if things are right.
It's like chasing women in a bar. Some guys got to have one with a trophy rack, nothing else will do.
Myself; one in hand is worth two in the Bush, wait...that came out wrong...kinda...;)
Sure I'd take a monster... but I'm not passing a good meat buck to search for him.
 
patriot1 said:
Look, I'm not gonna argue with you cuz you know what you're doing and I don't. All I'm saying is I don't need or want a hide, mount or antlers. That means nothing to me.

Literally if I shot a buck that could be mounted or a black bear that I'd process to eat, I would give away the head and the hide. And some of the meat too.
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I'm ok with that. Not everyone wants to keep the antlers or hide but don't bash people because they have a different view on hunting that you do. From what I've read you seem pretty uneducated on the benefits of "trophy hunting" and the hunters that chose a more selective harvest than other hunters. There are bad apples in every group for sure but the vast majority of "trophy hunters" that I know of are ethical, law abiding hunters that show every bit of respect an animal deserves when it is harvested. They don't waste the meat of edible game and even if they are hunting an animal that isn't considered edible there are still far reaching benefits to the harvest in many different forms.

When my son wanted to shoot his first deer this fall he was super excited about the jerky and sausage we would be making out of it but he also wanted it to be a buck so that he could have a set of antlers mounted to remember the hunt, time spent having fun outdoors and the success after all the hard work. I myself only harvest mature deer for several reasons, including the additional challenge, the conservation benefits, and because I enjoy the beauty of the antlers as well as the meat.

I think you should maybe take some time to research the benefits of trophy hunting and get to know some people that do it before calling us sick and thinking you are a better human being than us. I know some of these people personally and they are some of the nicest people you could ever meet and certainly don't deserve the name calling or the disrespect of being thought of as lesser human beings because they have a different view than you do.
 
jbmauser said:
I'm ok with that. Not everyone wants to keep the antlers or hide but don't bash people because they have a different view on hunting that you do. From what I've read you seem pretty uneducated on the benefits of "trophy hunting" and the hunters that chose a more selective harvest than other hunters. There are bad apples in every group for sure but the vast majority of "trophy hunters" that I know of are ethical, law abiding hunters that show every bit of respect an animal deserves when it is harvested. They don't waste the meat of edible game and even if they are hunting an animal that isn't considered edible there are still far reaching benefits to the harvest in many different forms.

When my son wanted to shoot his first deer this fall he was super excited about the jerky and sausage we would be making out of it but he also wanted it to be a buck so that he could have a set of antlers mounted to remember the hunt, time spent having fun outdoors and the success after all the hard work. I myself only harvest mature deer for several reasons, including the additional challenge, the conservation benefits, and because I enjoy the beauty of the antlers as well as the meat.

I think you should maybe take some time to research the benefits of trophy hunting and get to know some people that do it before calling us sick and thinking you are a better human being than us. I know some of these people personally and they are some of the nicest people you could ever meet and certainly don't deserve the name calling or the disrespect of being thought of as lesser human beings because they have a different view than you do.
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You're absolutely right. I'm not being sarcastic.

I apologize for my comment. I have no valid reason.
 
Patriot1...... you have a lot to learn about the hunt, about the chase and about the methods and the philosophy....

That being said, you are in a pretty good place to learn those things if you approach it properly....

This isn’t a knock on you, but it sure sounds like someone sold you a bad bill of goods in regards to what hunting is all about and you sought a forum for more info.....

I encourage you to be less opinionated and more inquisitory..... I had way more experience than you when I joined this forum, and I sure have learned a lot...... this is a good place to be.....
 
patriot1 said:
You're absolutely right. I'm not being sarcastic.

I apologize for my comment. I have no valid reason.
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Apology accepted. I think I read that you plan on hunting in the future? I hope you do and I also hope you stick around here to learn. It's a great place with a lot of experienced people that are willing to help. The important thing is, no matter what method of hunting you prefer ,(as long as it's legal) we all stick together. The anti hunters won't stop at the so called "trophy hunting" and would ban all hunting if they had their way. It's a way of life for a lot of us, part of our heritage, healthy meat, time spent with friends and loved ones, and so many more things. I can't imagine a life without the ability to head out into the bush in pursuit of game.
 
Never given it much thought, but I guess I'm a trophy hunter. I live in a region where taking two does a year is legal and easily done. I choose to go after Blacktail bucks instead. Mainly cause I like to euormount them for the garage.
If you hunt and keep the antlers/ hide you're a trophy hunter imho
 
The term "trophy hunter" is simply a wonderful tool used by the anti crowd to divide and thereby weaken the hunting community. A subsistence hunter that I work with once asked me if I were a trophy hunter or a meat hunter, and I wasn't sure how to answer, so I said "Both; there are days that I go out to fill the freezer, but there are other times when I hold out for a big bull or buck and (usually) come home empty-handed". He indignantly stated that there was no middle ground, you had to be one or the other.

Bear in mind, this was a guy who has hunted for meat all his life and is no stranger to the taking of an animal's life...not just a wannabe or poser. If a guy like that can hold such strong inflexible beliefs, it isn't surprising that someone with zero experience might feel strongly one way or the other after long exposure to the strident wails of the antihunting crowd. In any case, the hunting community is the poorer for it.
 
Could be a spectrum. At one extreme I've heard of hunters who just pursue big antlers and give the meat away rather than consuming it themselves. Then there are those who pass up animals in the hopes of getting bigger antlers but consume the meat.

And some hunt just for the meat for themselves and family, and if an opportune animal has a large rack then that's a bonus. :d
 
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jjohnwm said:
The term "trophy hunter" is simply a wonderful tool used by the anti crowd to divide and thereby weaken the hunting community. A subsistence hunter that I work with once asked me if I were a trophy hunter or a meat hunter, and I wasn't sure how to answer, so I said "Both; there are days that I go out to fill the freezer, but there are other times when I hold out for a big bull or buck and (usually) come home empty-handed". He indignantly stated that there was no middle ground, you had to be one or the other.

Bear in mind, this was a guy who has hunted for meat all his life and is no stranger to the taking of an animal's life...not just a wannabe or poser. If a guy like that can hold such strong inflexible beliefs, it isn't surprising that someone with zero experience might feel strongly one way or the other after long exposure to the strident wails of the antihunting crowd. In any case, the hunting community is the poorer for it.
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That makes perfect sense. Although I do try as much as possible to distance myself from anti-gunners and snowflakes that can't understand how much more inhumane a slaughterhouse is vs. a nice clean and fast kill.

I hope I can figure this out and get a deer next year. Looking at the Ihunter app I missed the boat in most WMU's by the looks of things. Maybe try again for grouse or whatever upland birds here next weekend since there hasn't really been enough snow to make snowboarding worth wile yet.
 
Slamfire said:
Could be a spectrum. At one extreme I've heard of hunters who just pursue big antlers and give the meat away rather than consuming it themselves. Then there are those who pass up animals in the hopes of getting bigger antlers but consume the meat.

And some hunt just for the meat for themselves and family, and if an opportune animal has a large rack then that's a bonus. :d
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As long as the meat is consumed then why would this be an issue?
 
patriot1 said:
That makes perfect sense. Although I do try as much as possible to distance myself from anti-gunners and snowflakes that can't understand how much more inhumane a slaughterhouse is vs. a nice clean and fast kill.

I hope I can figure this out and get a deer next year. Looking at the Ihunter app I missed the boat in most WMU's by the looks of things. Maybe try again for grouse or whatever upland birds here next weekend since there hasn't really been enough snow to make snowboarding worth wile yet.
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Considering you are judging people and their motives while at the same time knowing nothing about the subject in question, I fail to see the difference between you and these so called “snowflakes” you speak of..... good luck with “ihunter”.....
 
patriot1 said:
Look, I'm not gonna argue with you cuz you know what you're doing and I don't. All I'm saying is I don't need or want a hide, mount or antlers. That means nothing to me.

Literally if I shot a buck that could be mounted or a black bear that I'd process to eat, I would give away the head and the hide. And some of the meat too.
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While you can do with those things whatever you want, theres also nothing wrong with saving the antlers if for no other reason then remembering the animal. My camp has dozens of sets of antlers, european skull mounts, and a couple taxidermy mounts. They provide a lot of memories of good times past, a lot of stories to tell, and a remembrance of the animal itself. Each and every single animal, from the smallest deer to the largest moose was respected from shot to dinner table. They're all trophies in the eyes of the hunters, as well as dinner fare.
 
jjohnwm said:
The term "trophy hunter" is simply a wonderful tool used by the anti crowd to divide and thereby weaken the hunting community. A subsistence hunter that I work with once asked me if I were a trophy hunter or a meat hunter, and I wasn't sure how to answer, so I said "Both; there are days that I go out to fill the freezer, but there are other times when I hold out for a big bull or buck and (usually) come home empty-handed". He indignantly stated that there was no middle ground, you had to be one or the other.

Bear in mind, this was a guy who has hunted for meat all his life and is no stranger to the taking of an animal's life...not just a wannabe or poser. If a guy like that can hold such strong inflexible beliefs, it isn't surprising that someone with zero experience might feel strongly one way or the other after long exposure to the strident wails of the antihunting crowd. In any case, the hunting community is the poorer for it.
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Slamfire said:
Could be a spectrum. At one extreme I've heard of hunters who just pursue big antlers and give the meat away rather than consuming it themselves. Then there are those who pass up animals in the hopes of getting bigger antlers but consume the meat.

And some hunt just for the meat for themselves and family, and if an opportune animal has a large rack then that's a bonus. :d
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Superbrad said:
As long as the meat is consumed then why would this be an issue?
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Just an observation as to whether the hunt is for the meat or the trophy.
 
Slamfire said:
Just an observation as to whether the hunt is for the meat or the trophy.
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Fair enough....

My point is, does it really matter?..... is it up to one person’s morals to dictate what is “right” for the rest of us?.....

I believe that game meat should be preserved and eaten..... the law backs me up on this.... other than that, it is none of my business as to other hunter’s motivation...... if they give the meat away or consume it themselves, well.... that’s up to them... as long as it gets put to good use....

I take several ducks and geese a year..... don’t care for them other than Jerky.... I give them to a guy that absolutely loves them and they all get eaten...
 
Failing to utilize the meat of an animal taken in the hunt would be tragic. To my mind, discarding those other remembrances of that hunt would be the same. The self-righteous babblings of non-hunters notwithstanding, self-gratification has nothing to do with the keeping of trophies...whether they be an impressive set of antlers in a taxidermied mount, a knife handle or a simple keychain fob or set of rattling horns. Some of my favourite "trophies" are the turkey spurs casually tossed into a small wooden box on the bookshelf.

If we are to be honest with ourselves, the hunt is its own justification. All the rest of it...the meat, the trophies...all of it...can be more easily and more cheaply purchased. The "organic" thing doesn't hold water here, either. Organic beef can be purchased easily; but organic venison? Sorry, but deer in farm country eat a lot of stuff that doesn't qualify as organic, so their meat doesn't qualify either. The only thing really and truly "special" about that game meat in your freezer is the fact that you hunted it yourself; the taste of that satisfaction is marvelous.
 
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