A decade or more ago, sportsman’s groups started reaching out and pleading with other sportsmen to curb some of the vulgar language used to describe their kills on social media and to not post the animal with bloody holes and tongues hanging out of the mouth. Less ‘grip and grins’ and more photos of the hunt, the live animal while stalking, or the backstrap on the grill, the steak on the plate.

There was a lot of backlash. “It’s my 1st amendment right” “I’m not going to cower to those snowflakes” “who cares if I offend them, they offend me”  “We’ll never change the minds of those crazy activists” etc.  Somewhat understandable, a little childish and quite short sighted.

It’s not about changing their minds. It was about not giving them more ammunition to portray us in a bad light to the 70+% general public that have no opinion about hunting. They, are the people we need to reach and teach. And we aren’t. We, as sportsmen, know that predator control and hunting game is part of conservation. We know it’s been a proven concept since the late 1800.

The activists call us murderers, serial killers in the making. They hijacked the term ‘trophy-hunting’, although they never really gave it a definition, just vilified any hunter who put a mount on the wall or rug on the floor insinuating the meat was left to rot. Most people used to assume that hunters ate the meat. But now, if you’ve mounted or made a rug, they assume the meat was wasted. They recently are now calling themselves conservationists, switching from environmentalists, since we and others did such a good job giving that word a ‘four-letter-word’ status.

 

Well, while many sportsmen have been rolling their eyes, shrugging their shoulders, assuming there’s nothing that can be done, shaking their heads and essentially putting their heads in the sand, the whining activists have been effective in changing the attitudes and acceptance of the general population.

A recent report by the Council to Advance Hunting and Shooting Sports has revealed that in fact acceptance is declining. Approval for many of the reasons why we do what we enjoy doing is even declining.

 

 

 

Fewer people approve of hunting for the benefits of being out in nature, or building bonds with family and friends. Even to protect humans from harm and wildlife management! To heck with humans and their farm animals, save the wild animals? Before you start name-calling under your breath, ask yourself what have you done to slow this down? Are you speaking to non-hunters and countering the messages in the media  or complaining and sharing the accomplishments of 100 years of legal regulated hunting with other hunters?

Here are some takeaways and graphs from the report. (link to full report below)

Only 62% of Americans approve of hunting for food.
51% for protecting the lives of humans or property (livestock)

Think about the last few years about the wolf reintroduction and the groups trying to keep them on the endangered species list. Remember also Cecil the lion and look at these stats.

By species hunted:

Mountain lions – 46% disapprove of hunting them
Wolf – 48% disapprove of hunting them
African Lion is at 71% and African Elephant 81% disapproval

 

Why care about what Americans think about hunting in Africa? It’s these people who are sending money to international organizations that try to protect these animals. How do you think the villagers who suffer from the effects of these animals not being managed, feel about people 10,000 of thousands miles away having an impact on their lives?

Sucks for them? Well, has it not been happening here? In your backyard?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shooting sports:

only 61% of Americans think shooting sports are a perfectly acceptable hobby. But, it better be practicing for self defense, professional competition or hunting. Doing it because it’s a challenge, fun, or a good way to spend time with the family not so much. If you are a gun store owner, take note for your marketing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another interesting tidbit, recently many state agencies in charge of wildlife have pushed a media campaign about Fair Chase. Great campaign, personally these campaigns make it look like this is a new idea, a recent concept that hunters has suddenly embraced in light of the ‘education’ the activists have given us. But fair chase is as old as the theory of wildlife conservation itself. Described and originated by the Boone and Crockett club in 1888.

 

 

READ FULL REPORT OF DECLINING TRENDS OF APPROVAL. 

 

(Author’s opinion may or may not represent the board or membership of APC)