Harassment From Anti Hunting Group

[grand veneur]

Indeed. Comparing a successful hunt to a funeral has to be one of the most insane takes I’ve seen on a hunting forum. Particularly since the one who made the comment is a hunter.I understand what xy meant. You can like hunting and be happy to have shot something, especially if it is a trophy you like, but you have still killed a living creature, and there is no reason to be happy about that.

I understand what @Ontario Hunter meant. You can like hunting and be happy to have shot something, especially if it is a trophy you like, but you have still killed a living creature, and there is no reason to be happy about that. Ancient hunter-gatherers had rituals for ask to be excused to the spirit of the game for taking the life. Some of these rituals are still practiced in our traditional hunting circles when we place the last food in the mouth of the dead animal and hold us back with unplaced outbursts of joy. Whether you understand something like that is another question. Probably not !

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

I understand what @Ontario Hunter meant. You can like hunting and be happy to have shot something, especially if it is a trophy you like, but you have still killed a living creature, and there is no reason to be happy about that. Ancient hunter-gatherers had rituals for ask to be excused to the spirit of the game for taking the life. Some of these rituals are still practiced in our traditional hunting circles when we place the last food in the mouth of the dead animal and hold us back with unplaced outbursts of joy. Whether you understand something like that is another question. Probably not !

A successful hunt involves killing a creature. To attempt to somehow separate the two things is ridiculous. You’re not carrying a rifle to tickle them with.

I am certainly aware of continental practices of placing vegetation in the mouth of a dead animal. Tradition is important but, realistically, the animal doesn’t care. In fact you’ve spared them the hard death that most wild animals suffer.

Maybe I’m just too much of a hunter in the British/American mould. A successful hunt/shoot is a time to celebrate and enjoy. Ultimately we hunt for recreation and sport. Crack open a bottle of port and have a good time.

 

[Killo]

Africahunting.com is my only exposure to social media. I don’t share my comings and goings on Facebook…my opinions on X…..or anywhere else. It’s not that I’m worried about potential harassment. I honestly feel that my life story and opinions aren’t especially interesting to anyone outside my small circle of friends and family. (This is why I don’t participate in the Politics string anymore.)

AH is the one and only exception to my self-imposed digital isolation. I enjoy reading about my online friends and their safaris and their thoughts on ethical hunting. Not to mention the valuable advice on technical matters. Otherwise, I’m the “grey man” both figuratively and literally!

Bravo my friend
Well said!!

 

[grand veneur]

A successful hunt involves killing a creature. To attempt to somehow separate the two things is ridiculous. You’re not carrying a rifle to tickle them with.

I am certainly aware of continental practices of placing vegetation in the mouth of a dead animal. Tradition is important but, realistically, the animal doesn’t care. In fact you’ve spared them the hard death that most wild animals suffer.

Maybe I’m just too much of a hunter in the British/American mould. A successful hunt/shoot is a time to celebrate and enjoy. Ultimately we hunt for recreation and sport. Crack open a bottle of port and have a good time.

What I meant, no feeling for anything, corresponds to the image that our opponents have of us. Continue so and give these people reasons to harass us.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

What I meant, no feeling for anything, corresponds to the image that our opponents have of us. Continue so and give these people reasons to harass us.

They don’t need a reason. The people who will send you death threats online don’t care if you are smiling or crying in a photo, they care that you shot an elephant, or giraffe, or whichever charismatic mega fauna they are worried about.

The kind of people the OP is being harassed by are not rational and cannot be reasoned with.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Indeed. My safari operator's wife runs the tech side of the business and one night around the campfire she asked me why I don't smile in my trophy photos. If I did it would look better in the gallery on their website. My response was one of God's beautiful creatures just passed. I didn't see that as something to be happy about. How many smiling faces does one usually see at a human funeral? And these days I am beginning to see the human race less and less as "God's beautiful creation." More like God's wrecking ball. Perhaps smiling at funerals would be more appropriate after all.

I don't understand this approach at all, and I have a hunting buddy who has the same mindset as you. If you really feel that way... why hunt? I take pride and joy in every type of success I have, whether it's tied to hunting, fishing, working on my cabin, something with my kids. No smiling faces at a funeral? Humans and animals are different, and you likely didn't cause the death of the human at the funeral. If succeeding at hunting isn't something to be happy about, maybe you'd get more joy out of wildlife photography. "one of God's beautiful creatures just passed. I didn't see that as something to be happy about." <-- That makes zero sense to me. The opposite of happy is unhappy, and if you causing "one of God's beautiful creatures to pass" makes you unhappy, why do it? And if your success makes you happy, why not show it? It's your life, and you can certainly live it how you see fit, but not smiling in success photos seems... odd and it makes no sense. Hell, if you truly feel the way you do, why take success photos at all? Why not skip them entirely? And for that matter, why keep trophies on the wall? Isn't that a stark reminder that you had a hand in the fact that one of God's beautiful creatures is no longer alive? Sorry for the mini-rant, but this type of mindset comes across to me as feeling shame over what we do, and I sure AF do not and will not feel shame for my hunting or my hunting successes. I choose to smile at the blessings that are in my life, to include those times when I am successful hunting.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Mark, Thank you for all you do to promote ethical hunting and how it benefits the people.
Watch all your YouTube videos and enjoy them.
Thanks for talking to me also about your hunt experience with outfitters. Keep doing what you are doing.

 

[Gemsbok45]

I just live my life for its own sake.I don’t get posting pictures on social media. I would never have even thought of doing a hunt report. Having said that I enjoy everyone else’s reports so I would probably do one here.

 

[CamoManJ]

Is it possible for you to post a link to your YouTube channel so that we can go there and subscribe.

I would like to show some support for you

I encourage as many like minded hunters to subscribe and like & watch MWH Adventures on YouTube. The more the better…

 

[ACE (in CT)]

Mark, I'm sorry this is happening to you, I saw your post on Facebook as well. Stand up strong, meet them head on, that will turn most of them away, the rest will scatter when you look at them with that "Is that all you've got look", and they realize their backup ran for the hills.


Ontario-Hunter, smile in your pictures, don't smile in your pictures, hell, don't even TAKE a picture if you don't want to. You do you.

I haven't been a member here very long but it sure didn't take long for me to notice that you usually deliberately try to be the Contrarian in this forum. On almost any topic, lots of people point out how they do things differently, but only you have this special way of making it sound as if your way is the only proper way.

Do you even know this about yourself? If you do, and are annoying on purpose, congratulations you're successful (but still annoying!) If you didn't know this, then wake up man!

 

[Doug3006]

Mark, I'm sorry this is happening to you, I saw your post on Facebook as well. Stand up strong, meet them head on, that will turn most of them away, the rest will scatter when you look at them with that "Is that all you've got look", and they realize their backup ran for the hills.


Ontario-Hunter, smile in your pictures, don't smile in your pictures, hell, don't even TAKE a picture if you don't want to. You do you.

I haven't been a member here very long but it sure didn't take long for me to notice that you usually deliberately try to be the Contrarian in this forum. On almost any topic, lots of people point out how they do things differently, but only you have this special way of making it sound as if your way is the only proper way.

Do you even know this about yourself? If you do, and are annoying on purpose, congratulations you're successful (but still annoying!) If you didn't know this, then wake up man!

Didn’t take you long!

 

[Mark Henderson]

I understand what @Ontario Hunter meant. You can like hunting and be happy to have shot something, especially if it is a trophy you like, but you have still killed a living creature, and there is no reason to be happy about that. Ancient hunter-gatherers had rituals for ask to be excused to the spirit of the game for taking the life. Some of these rituals are still practiced in our traditional hunting circles when we place the last food in the mouth of the dead animal and hold us back with unplaced outbursts of joy. Whether you understand something like that is another question. Probably not !

I understand this as well and feel the very same way. I actually have a ritual that I have stuck to since I was young in kneeling and praying giving thanks to our creator for this animal’s life. I thank the Lord for the great outdoors, the creatures that inhabit it, and the blessing that I get to enjoy and be part of it. If that seems stupid to someone because I’m the one who killed the animal then we clearly do not share the same respect for the fish and game we take. I have introduced my kids, nieces and nephews, friends and friends kids to hunting over the years and that’s been a blessing. I show them when I take an animal how and why I pray for that animal. If they choose to continue that is up to them but they all understand that they took a life and to recognize that and show reverence. This also ties into why I take such care with my pics as far as blood and such. I’m not embarrassed to say I still have a lot of emotions when kneeling there praying with tears in my eyes. I’m also not ashamed that I killed that animal…I just don’t take it lightly either.

 

[Mark Henderson]

Mark, Thank you for all you do to promote ethical hunting and how it benefits the people.
Watch all your YouTube videos and enjoy them.
Thanks for talking to me also about your hunt experience with outfitters. Keep doing what you are doing.

Thanks for watching and subscribing Mark! I’ve certainly enjoyed our conversations and look forward to to seeing the pics from your upcoming adventure!

 

[HankBuck]

I understand what @Ontario Hunter meant. You can like hunting and be happy to have shot something, especially if it is a trophy you like, but you have still killed a living creature, and there is no reason to be happy about that. Ancient hunter-gatherers had rituals for ask to be excused to the spirit of the game for taking the life. Some of these rituals are still practiced in our traditional hunting circles when we place the last food in the mouth of the dead animal and hold us back with unplaced outbursts of joy. Whether you understand something like that is another question. Probably not !

@grand veneur - easily understood and easier to disagree with, Don’t take the picture….a friend I hunted with would take a photo BUT Only of the animal - He would Never pose in the photo with the animal…that I respected - it had a logic to it

 

[HankBuck]

I understand this as well and feel the very same way. I actually have a ritual that I have stuck to since I was young in kneeling and praying giving thanks to our creator for this animal’s life. I thank the Lord for the great outdoors, the creatures that inhabit it, and the blessing that I get to enjoy and be part of it. If that seems stupid to someone because I’m the one who killed the animal then we clearly do not share the same respect for the fish and game we take. I have introduced my kids, nieces and nephews, friends and friends kids to hunting over the years and that’s been a blessing. I show them when I take an animal how and why I pray for that animal. If they choose to continue that is up to them but they all understand that they took a life and to recognize that and show reverence. This also ties into why I take such care with my pics as far as blood and such. I’m not embarrassed to say I still have a lot of emotions when kneeling there praying with tears in my eyes. I’m also not ashamed that I killed that animal…I just don’t take it lightly either.

@Mark Henderson - I also thank God “immediately” whenever I’ve taken a trophy, say a word of “thanks” and although I never recall mentioning that to my Son - he has told me he does the same. Regarding photos - we both always have a big smile in them all and especially if we are Hunting together…we realize as I get older these good times are not going to last forever.,,everyone of them is special to us.

 

[Scott CWO]

@Mark Henderson I say F’em and keep it up!

 

[HankBuck]

I actually prefer "as they lay" photo over posed-and-grin. But the latter is better for outfitter advertising. And also better for family record. Each trophy has a written story with photos inserted. Some include me, some are as they lay (if available). Those stories will hopefully survive at least a couple generations.

I think it is much more palatable to explain our role as conservationists if we don't appear overjoyed at the death of the animals we harvest. I don't imagine ranchers would be inclined to pose over a dead Angus with big grin on their face? Hunting is a contest between myself and the animal. When I win, if I win, there is a sense of satisfaction. An accomplishment. But for me satisfaction does not translate as elation. Not when death is involved. But that's just me.

@Ontario Hunter - I understand taking a photo “as they lay” and often place short ‘written story’ documenting some framed photos - written on back of the picture frame. As for a Rancher posing with “dead Angus” —Lost me on that one (better go back to the Funeral comparison). I also agree with your very last sentence.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

@Mark Henderson Sorry you're dealing with this. I saw/knew someone else catching some flack from the same group a while ago. It's unfortunate this stuff happens but in today's day and age it's only going to become more common.

I got a bunch of hate over a couple hunting pictures/videos I've posted. Even got a couple death threats on several different ones. Most recently I got a couple over a video of a darted rhino. Ironically you can see the bull's ears moving, the vet taking blood samples, etc. in the video. I haven't lost a second of sleep to it. Sometimes I find myself dreaming of what would happen should they try something and wonder how creative @gizmo would get on the mount if I was lucky enough that someone actually tries something.

 

[Frederik]

Ontario-Hunter, smile in your pictures, don't smile in your pictures, hell, don't even TAKE a picture if you don't want to. You do you.

I haven't been a member here very long but it sure didn't take long for me to notice that you usually deliberately try to be the Contrarian in this forum. On almost any topic, lots of people point out how they do things differently, but only you have this special way of making it sound as if your way is the only proper way.

Do you even know this about yourself? If you do, and are annoying on purpose, congratulations you're successful (but still annoying!) If you didn't know this, then wake up man!

@ACE (in CT), there is a ignore function that works like a charm.

 

[Badjer]

...But just a heads up, no one needs any “permission” to use your profile picture that you made a social media account with. The internet is like the public.

You have no legal expectation of privacy. So when you use the internet you need to realize such things...

The email I got from FB said I violated "Advertising Policies regarding business assets"
I don't have a business and I don't advertise anything on FB.
The email goes on to state I can verify my account to fix the issue. The link sends me to a series of pages that say I need to send a video selfie. Well lit, nothing blocking my face, from different angles.
As a long time electronics/computer guy this to me screams "AI" and "Facial Recognition".
Once your facial scan (pictures, voice, etc.) is out on the internet it will be there FOREVER.
That's why I choose to let the FB/Instagram/META ban take affect. Mine isn't the best face, but it IS mine!