Hmmm? Do you really believe that the number of legal, ethical hunters are the minority of all hunters? I believe the opposite to be true. I think the data from the number of hunting licenses and tags issued in the USA annually compared to the number of game violations is a pretty good indicator that responsible hunters vastly outnumber the ones who disregard the laws.
In specific regard to the A-holes that you speak, I think these various media platforms give them a disproportionately high exposure compared to the actual number of legal, ethical hunters that are out there who are not represented on social media. I do agree that some of this material they post often portray hunters negatively on social media. However, the problem we all have in common is that in the view of an anti-hunter, or even a non-hunter, there are no such distinctions made in the nuances of what constitutes moral, ethical hunting & conservation practices. As an example, even when my meat-eating, non-hunting friends see a video of an elephant hunt, their first reaction is of horror and sadness for the animal. They usually come around to a reasonable acceptance when they learn that the meat from the animal will feed a village for months. But, without my ability to inform them, they would have had a negative view of what is in reality a legal, ethical, hunt that contributes to conservation in ways that are unseen from any photo or video. Without the ability for us to take the initiative to educate and inform, all non or anti-hunters all deniers and skeptics of concepts like sustainable use hunting & conservation, In their eyes, we are all cold-blooded murderers guilty until proven innocent.
In specific regard to the Cecil fiasco, is it your opinion that Dr. Palmer was acting as a A-hole by posting his hunting pictures on social media? I saw the pictures and they were no different than any other of the millions of trophy pictures of proud hunters posing with their kills that I have seen since I have been hunting.. The media hysteria over Cecil started when information got out about the lion having a GPS collar thus allowing the anti's to spin the false narrative that this was an illegal hunt of a "pet lion"... If the subsequent lion importation ban was the direct result of lion hunting photos or videos, the anti's had plenty of ammo to use long before Cecil got whacked. The false narrative that they were able to create was the final torpedo into a ship that was already taking on water.
So, my question to you is are you asserting that anyone on here who has ever posted a trophy picture or hunt video of themselves on AH.com or any other hunting forum is also an A-hole guilty of the same supposed crime? I'm Sorry.. I just do not agree that taking a picture posing with your kill is a negative reflection upon hunting. I do understand that in today's world, real ramifications can and do result from hunters who share their hunting experiences publically. I think this is a tragedy of the times, and I feel bad for those hunters who cannot share their passion of hunting without retribution from the mob. Having said that, hiding from the anti-hunting mob and avoiding exposure is the absolute wrong thing to do in regard to the future of hunting rights. Haven't we learned by now that this strategy doesn't work?
