Encounter with an Anti Hunter

[Graham Hunter]

Oh yeah. Lol

 

[CEO]

I believe I have told the story here before but a number of hunting and bowfishing pictures on my binder in high school got a discussion going with my peta member science teacher. She was very ill informed how hunting actually works. In the end she realized it was not the slaughter fest she'd been told.

 

[Divernhunter]

OP---Been there done that.
Also have had the rabid anti's that will never change and my way of handling them varies but for a few it is not at all polite.

 

[CAustin]

I believe I have told the story here before but a number of hunting and bowfishing pictures on my binder in high school got a discussion going with my peta member science teacher. She was very ill informed how hunting actually works. In the end she realized it was not the slaughter fest she'd been told.

I can imagine how your thoughts must have gone towards your grades and how a disagreement might have been held against you. Glad you "educated" the teacher.

 

[gillettehunter]

Good for you guys. I seem to be insulated from that. last trip to Africa I had folks on my first 2 flights aking about it. one was a young lady of perhaps 19-20. Thought that could go down a rat hole. Pleasantly for me all were somewhat supportive of hunting....
Bruce

 

[MAdcox]

Good job @CAustin, and good job to that young man too. I have had a few instances to have these discussions (sometimes hunting, sometimes rodeos) but my calm, cherub-like demeanor is lost on some purple haired, paid college protestor who just got bussed into the rodeo grounds to hold a sign and chant slogans. Glad to know there are some antis who have a brain and will actually have a discussion. That could lead to something.

 

[Ridgewalker]

You guys are so articulate! Me the only “shpeel” I know is to politely say if you don’t know both sides, how can you be so uninformed? Then smile and walk away.
I hate to have to explain my life.

Great job CAustin! Your a better man than me! I’m still older though!

 

[edward]

I feel so guilty I have harmed a lot of Clay Birds.

MEANY!!!

 

[Royal27]

What's amazing is that he actually listened to what you had to say and thought about it. Usually it's all slogans and those types are closed off to any other viewpoint.

This proves out why we should be polite with 100% of our interactions with the public. It's obvious this guy wasn't a hardcore anti or Charlie would have never gotten him to even begrudgingly admit that maybe hunting did some good.

Charlie made the guy think. He could have just as easily turned him into a hard core anti.

Great job @CAustin !

 

[cpr0312]

Nicely done for keeping a level head and for taking time to ask him to have a discussion about it!

 

[CAustin]

You guys are so articulate! Me the only “shpeel” I know is to politely say if you don’t know both sides, how can you be so uninformed? Then smile and walk away.
I hate to have to explain my life.

Great job CAustin! Your a better man than me! I’m still older though!

I wouldn't say that sir maybe a little more practiced dealing with difficult people.
You and Edward give me hope for what I can do 20 years from now,

 

[CAustin]

This proves out why we should be polite with 100% of our interactions with the public. It's obvious this guy wasn't a hardcore anti or Charlie would have never gotten him to even begrudgingly admit that maybe hunting did some good.

Charlie made the guy think. He could have just as easily turned him into a hard core anti.

Great job @CAustin !

Thank you Royal. I think if we lower ourselves we confirm in the antis mind that we are blood thirsty people instead of reasoned hunters and conservationists.

 

[CAustin]

Nicely done for keeping a level head and for taking time to ask him to have a discussion about it!

Even a blind squirrel can find a nut every now and then. Fats often disarm the uninformed individual especially when you come at them rather quickly.

 

[Velo Dog]

This proves out why we should be polite with 100% of our interactions with the public. It's obvious this guy wasn't a hardcore anti or Charlie would have never gotten him to even begrudgingly admit that maybe hunting did some good.

Charlie made the guy think. He could have just as easily turned him into a hard core anti.

Great job @CAustin !

+1

 

[K-man]

Thanks for the post. Anytime we can keep our cool and relay facts without raw emotions we will be shown as winners even if we don't convince anyone. Good job! I had a conversation with a lady on my last flight and all was well until I explained the hunt I had just completed. She immediately stiffened up and said she didn't want to talk anymore. I said that was fine, then she asked me "I just want to know one thing, was the hunt legal?" I then explained that it was all legal, with the permits in hand, with a professional P.H., and a National parks game scout at our side as well, and that ALL hunts in Zimbabwe were conducted the same way. Then the best part, I said, "even the hunt for Cecil was completely legal as proven in court, but you didn't get to hear that part from the media, did you?" She had the most dumfounded look on her face and didn't say any more, but was at least civil. I am sure it would have turned out different had I reacted harshly. I'm with you, most times I would rather pound some sense into them than talk to them, but we all have to try to be civil.

 

[Rob404]

I feel so guilty I have harmed a lot of Clay Birds.

Thank God most of the Clay Birds I shot at got away

 

[Whiskey1]

I may be wrong but have often gone with "I see you are wearing leather shoes. Did you know that animal was bred in captivity, raised in a pen, stood in a muddy feed lot with processed food, and had a steel rod shoved through it's forehead so you could wear it on your feet? The animal I hunted lived free, ate natural food, and lived a happy life until 3 seconds before it died, healthy and strong, instead of dying slowly of old age and starvation in the wilderness. Which of us is cruel?" I doubt it ever makes a dent...

 

[Philip Glass]

So a couple of weeks ago I was on a Delta flight to Atlanta. I scored the upgrade to first class and settled in for the two hours. Minding my own business I did a little work from my IPad in preparation for the afternoon visits I had planned. My screen saver on the IPad as you folks might imagine has a picture of my elephant hunt. Then the background to the home screen is also one of that hunt that has myself and my son next to the bull.
I did not know it but a young man seated behind me in the Delta Comfort section was paying attention to what he saw on the screen. Fast forward to the landing and the plane pulls up to the gate. On the 757 the first class section is forward of the entry exit door so one has to wait just a bit for the folks in Delta Comfort to make their way to the door. I stood up and got my carry on bag out of the overhead and put my brief case on top of it ready for my exit as I always do.
Now the young man takes this opportunity to speak his mind. He says " I see you are a trophy hunter. I want you to stop that....it's wrong" other folks are looking our way and I very firmly said to him "NO I WILL NOT STOP HUNTING AND ITS NOT WRONG FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS. I take it you are an animal lover of some sort that has no idea what conservation is all about. Young man I am as passionate about hunting and the contribution it makes towards overall conservation as you may be about loving animals. If you really want to make a difference in the world with respect to wild animals and the long term preservation of various species you might want to research how hunting contributes to that end".
I could see that he was dumbfounded so I kept at him for a moment and then invited him to stop outside the jet bridge to continue our discussion. Well he did wait and we had about a ten minute polite discussion and frankly the young man was as you might expect very ill informed as to how hunting contributes to conservation. I threw out some of the facts that have been shared here on AH that astounded him. He brought up photo safaris but had not considered that they have a much smaller impact on rural African communities vs hunting safaris. Furthermore, he had no earthly idea that the greatest success stories in wildlife conservation here in the US are directly attributable to hunting. Of course I am speaking about deer, turkey and elk.
So as we parted to go to our respective gates he thanked me for giving him food for thought. He said he still didn't like the idea of hunting but wanted to make himself better informed about how hunting and conservation could coexist!
The way this discussion began had me thinking I might end up having a fight on my hands but by remaining calm with the man and using facts he saw a little different side to things in the end. Still not in agreement but at least better informed. He asked questions and I answered him politely which kept the conversation flowing in a way that ideas were expressed in a positive light.
Anyway not sure what others here have experienced out in the non hunting world but this encounter ended on a reasonable note.
Perhaps others could share their experiences by responding to this thread.
Charlie

By the way thanks to all the AH contributors who provide this community with ammunition to have difficult conversations with uninformed people.
It makes a difference when you can approach a conversation with good solid facts.

Well done Charlie! I’ve had so many of these confrontations lately with the film Trophy. Many people can be reasonable and we have to keep that in mind. It’s just about 10% that are totally nuts!
Philip

 

[tomahawker]

I always like, " so you chop your dogs nuts and tail off and make it live indoors and I'm the bad guy?"

 

[siml]

The first time I landed at JFK, my bags were searched and the security official found my file with all my hunting photos, he was so shocked to see pictures of dead animals, eventually there were about 10 officials looking at my pictures. I explained to them how hunting and conservation works hand in hand in Africa. They were really impressed and became friendly, they even said that they would be more helpful to hunters in the future. A few minutes of my time, changed their minds.

@CAustin well done.