"Stolen Valor" - in the hunting field/industry

[Tbitty]

I love bird hunting with the types who claim every bird that goes down. Typically, it just means I get to shoot more, because after they have "got their limit," I get to shoot mine!

plenty of "fish tales" get told around the campfires. I don't mind, and often enjoy, the ones that make for a good story. I tend to tune out the stories told of some outlandish feat trying to claim some false sense of glory. Luckily, most of the people I hunt with enjoy the experience and comraderie instead of trying to constantly one-up the next one.

 

[BJH65]

Yes I am aware, stolen valor is a military term, to quote Wikipedia of all places "a term for the behavior of military impostors: individuals who lie about serving in the military or the extent of their military service".

Recent engagements with individuals and claims they made, made me think of this and let me apply this term and use it in the sense herein, as someone who lies about their hunting experience of past achievements, whether in the field or elsewhere...

Someone, maybe not knowing who I am and what I personally know, fell for a trap and claimed to be someone they clearly are not. The facts, people etc. can all confirm it. Sorry bud, you are caught out.

But let's make the thread less serious, I want to share a story that sort of aligns with this. My grandfather was a PH many years ago and a Spanish client came to hunt with him. On his list was a Rhino. Not to go into the detail, my grandfather shot it at the end. Now the part of the "stolen valor", the client wanted to claim the hunt and the shot, knowing full well what happened. Despite numerous attempts telling the client he can get a new Rhino, the romance of what happened seemed to be more important for the client.

Another more well known example (maybe) is some well known African hunting writer, that personalized other PH's experiences into his own...

Have any of you experienced any of this?

There would be a very large book indeed for it is common for the male human species to exaggerate! Then of course someone’s perception of an event may be different than another’s.

Interesting, in regard to the well known African hunting writer and former PH you mentioned. The South African PH’s and Mozambique PH’s that I hunted with in the mid 90’s absolutely despised him for essentially being fake to my surprise when I mentioned him to them. Most of that generation of PH is gone or no longer active, with their PH careers spanning the 70’s through early 2000’s, and so too are the negative memories of this PH/writer. Some of the present, younger PH’s have no idea who he is.

 

[uplander01]

Did I miss something, who in the hell are we talking about? LOL

 

[Firebird]

I won’t claim any pleasure in pointing out the foibles of others nor understand that purpose.

However, I am often surprised how poor hunters/fishermen are at estimating shot distance, remembering actual score-antlers or horns especially when measured by an actual scorer and the weights of fish. One of my great disparages is noting that bird hunters are often poor at species identification, confusing redheads with canvasbacks etc. Moreso when it comes to hens.

 

[BJH65]

Did I miss something, who in the hell are we talking about? LOL

Peter Capstick. An excellent writer that some in the past felt he had exaggerated some of his exploits as a PH. I still have many of his books and enjoy rereading them occasionally.

 

[fourfive8]

On big game never had it happen in Africa but once, almost in US a long time ago. I was hunting pronghorns with a bow. About mid morning decided to sit in a clump of sagebrush and boulders near a trail crossing a gap in a small hill. After an hour or so a buck appeared from the left following the trail. I shot just after he passed for a slightly from rear angle. Arrow disappeared, the buck ran maybe 50 yards and piled up. I was in process of inspecting the buck and looking for the arrow entry when another hunter came along same path as the buck had been on. I didn’t know there was another hunter in the same county! He saw me and the antelope and said, “Hey! You found my buck”. I replied with something like, “ No! I just shot this buck”. After some colorful discussion and the evidence of only one hole with my old model Bear point attached to my arrow’s broken cedar shaft we settled the issue. He was shooting some, then new design of a modular point with aluminum shaft. I heard later he acquired the name “Crybaby” from others in the field archery and indoor bullseye league where he shot.

 

[Hunt anything]

I won’t claim any pleasure in pointing out the foibles of others nor understand that purpose.

However, I am often surprised how poor hunters/fishermen are at estimating shot distance, remembering actual score-antlers or horns especially when measured by an actual scorer and the weights of fish. One of my great disparages is noting that bird hunters are often poor at species identification, confusing redheads with canvasbacks etc. Moreso when it comes to hens.

How about a state game warden trying to give a friend of mine a ticket for having too many mallards. Back in the 3 duck limit days he had 2 mallards and a hen gadwall the warden said the gadwall was a hen mallard. I had to call in a federal warden friend to clear things up. This actually happened on a Federal refuge in Georgia.

Not exactly stolen valor but I get a kick out of people that have a short plains game safari under their belt and come back as instant experts on all things Africa! I’ve heard and seen some outlandish stuff, I just turn away chuckling.

 

[Tom Leoni]

One early morning, I was in Africa and got lucky enough to kill 3 of the Big 5 in the space of just a couple hours. First a lion. Then, we spotted a 60-pounder bull elephant, pursued him for what seemed like an eternity, and upon felling him, a magnificent book-of-records class Cape buffalo appeared as if by magic just behind him. I also harvested him with my trusty .375.

Then I woke up in my bed in Virginia.

 

[Lone Star Bluegrass]

When I was about 12-13 my father took me on a company hunting trip, that Saturday evening I shot a larger than average 9pt buck and was super proud I had hunted and killed the best buck of the year, well Sunday morning when everyone was leaving my dads boss’s boss , walked over and grabbed my buck and put it in his car after taking some pictures, , I tried to say something, but my dad grabbed me and said it would be disrespectful to say something and that everyone knew who killed it and he had made a royal ass out of his self by stealing it ,be the better man and I would definitely harvest many larger better bucks in my lifetime, I have , but 45 years later it still P.O’s me

WOW. I’ve heard some effed up hunting stories but that probably takes the blue ribbon.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

This isn't hunting but its' similar.

A while back, 30 some yearss ago, my friend was asked to be a guide in the MN Governors' fishing opener in the BWCA. My buddy was guiding the governor's press secretary. My friend caught a huge walleye, the biggest of the whole day for the entire party The governor's press secretary took his picture with the fish and it ended up in the Minneapolis Tribune sports page.

Lesson learned don't believe everything you see in the news paper, especially if a politician in involved.

 

[mark-hunter]

None of the hunters in hunting community known to me, ever brags about wounding and missing.
So, I am sure there are a lot of false flag stories around. But to be honest I never went to deeper research.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

A habitual liar is someone who lies frequently and without clear benefit, even when it's not necessary or advantageous. They may lie about big or small things.

A pathological liar is someone who compulsively lies, often without a clear reason, and to the detriment of others. The lies can be elaborate and complicated, and can persist for a long time.

Many hunters and fishermen exaggerate. There’s one in every bunch…

Shots taken from trucks. Animals moved or positioned to avoid showing a bad shot in pictures. Multiple shots taken to put an animal down, only one claimed.

There are those (shitheals) that have done very little hunting, or no Africa hunting, who criticize others for no good reason. That may also contribute to the need to hide the truth or exaggerate in reports.

Like my old buddy Todd used to say: “It’s your story, tell it how you want to”.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

When I was about 12-13 my father took me on a company hunting trip, that Saturday evening I shot a larger than average 9pt buck and was super proud I had hunted and killed the best buck of the year, well Sunday morning when everyone was leaving my dads boss’s boss , walked over and grabbed my buck and put it in his car after taking some pictures, , I tried to say something, but my dad grabbed me and said it would be disrespectful to say something and that everyone knew who killed it and he had made a royal ass out of his self by stealing it ,be the better man and I would definitely harvest many larger better bucks in my lifetime, I have , but 45 years later it still P.O’s me

Stealing a kid's buck is a capital offense. Doesn't get any lower than that. Where I come from someone who did that would have had a fatal hunting accident.

 

[fisherofmen]

Hunting opening week in West Virginia with my in-laws I was sidehilling a ridge when a nice 8 point appeared above me heading back the way I had come. I put 3 shots into his ribcage with my trusty 760 pump 30-06. At the last shot I thought I heard a simultaneous report
and he rolled down the hill to the flat I was on. As I walked up to him, an old gent appeared on the ridge where the buck had been. We exchanged greetings and I asked if he had shot. He said yes, he had killed the deer. Sure enough, when I looked at the front, there was a hole where a 12 gauge slug had nailed him. I knew the deer was dead on his feet after the first shot, I just like to shoot the wiggle out of any wounded animal. I showed him my bullet's entrance and exits and the copious blood trail back to my first shot. We had an amicable discussion and I asked how many deer he had killed. He said he was a coon hunter and this was his first. I had killed several bucks by then and, although this was my best, I let him tag it then helped him get it to the road.

 

[fisherofmen]

My father-in-law was ticked off that I let him claim it but I hope I did the right thing.

 

[baxterb]

I feel like a fraud because I was given a kudu horn and blesbok skin.

Hunting, like golf, is a very good measure of a man.

 

[BJH65]

My father-in-law was ticked off that I let him claim it but I hope I did the right thing.

I think so, I’d done the same. He did shoot it on the move, not worth a pissing contest under those circumstances. Happens occasionally although for me I’m hunting either our own property or remote wilderness, not often do I encounter others but when sharing the woods with others it happens but probably not often.

 

[Hunt anything]

Hunting opening week in West Virginia with my in-laws I was sidehilling a ridge when a nice 8 point appeared above me heading back the way I had come. I put 3 shots into his ribcage with my trusty 760 pump 30-06. At the last shot I thought I heard a simultaneous report
and he rolled down the hill to the flat I was on. As I walked up to him, an old gent appeared on the ridge where the buck had been. We exchanged greetings and I asked if he had shot. He said yes, he had killed the deer. Sure enough, when I looked at the front, there was a hole where a 12 gauge slug had nailed him. I knew the deer was dead on his feet after the first shot, I just like to shoot the wiggle out of any wounded animal. I showed him my bullet's entrance and exits and the copious blood trail back to my first shot. We had an amicable discussion and I asked how many deer he had killed. He said he was a coon hunter and this was his first. I had killed several bucks by then and, although this was my best, I let him tag it then helped him get it to the road.

You were very gracious giving the old man what was rightly your buck.
When I was in the 8th grade I had an old Interarms .270, it had an awful trigger. You would start the squeeze on Monday and it finally go off on Tuesday. I was hunting with a friends father and what I remember as a giant buck walked out I shot it and evidently creased the abdomen and most of his guts spilled out trailing behind him as he ran off.
He ran about a half of mile and made it to the neighbors property, unbeknownst to me the too property owners were in a feud. A few minutes later we heard a couple of shots, we called the land owner and he said he had killed the biggest 9pt he had ever seen. He said it was dragging its guts around but we couldn’t have it . This guy was a big celebrity in the deer hunting world in the 70’s, this was devastating to a kid in the 8th grade.
This guy actually opened a museum later and that bucks full body mount had a prominent place in this museum. I’m 61 now and still gets my blood boiling!

 

[BJH65]

You were very gracious giving the old man what was rightly your buck.
When I was in the 8th grade I had an old Interarms .270, it had an awful trigger. You would start the squeeze on Monday and it finally go off on Tuesday. I was hunting with a friends father and what I remember as a giant buck walked out I shot it and evidently creased the abdomen and most of his guts spilled out trailing behind him as he ran off.
He ran about a half of mile and made it to the neighbors property, unbeknownst to me the too property owners were in a feud. A few minutes later we heard a couple of shots, we called the land owner and he said he had killed the biggest 9pt he had ever seen. He said it was dragging its guts around but we couldn’t have it . This guy was a big celebrity in the deer hunting world in the 70’s, this was devastating to a kid in the 8th grade.
This guy actually opened a museum later and that bucks full body mount had a prominent place in this museum. I’m 61 now and still gets my blood boiling!

No offense but I can’t think of any scenario of gut shooting a buck that travels half a mile and having a rightful claim when it runs by another hunter who puts it down.

 

[fisherofmen]

You were very gracious giving the old man what was rightly your buck.
When I was in the 8th grade I had an old Interarms .270, it had an awful trigger. You would start the squeeze on Monday and it finally go off on Tuesday. I was hunting with a friends father and what I remember as a giant buck walked out I shot it and evidently creased the abdomen and most of his guts spilled out trailing behind him as he ran off.
He ran about a half of mile and made it to the neighbors property, unbeknownst to me the too property owners were in a feud. A few minutes later we heard a couple of shots, we called the land owner and he said he had killed the biggest 9pt he had ever seen. He said it was dragging its guts around but we couldn’t have it . This guy was a big celebrity in the deer hunting world in the 70’s, this was devastating to a kid in the 8th grade.
This guy actually opened a museum later and that bucks full body mount had a prominent place in this museum. I’m 61 now and still gets my blood boiling!

Since that incident I've shot many bucks and have no regrets about my decision. It would be different for a kid. I'd have to make sure the world knew about the creep next door but I'm sure there were lessons learned.