Encounter with a Anti...

[Sam McMichael]

A few days ago, I was at the grocery store and was wearing a tee shirt from the Howard Hill Classic. A lady asked what it meant. It had a picture of Howard Hill with an elephant in the background. I explained that I am a traditional archer and got the shirt at an archery event.

She was unfamiliar with Hughes, so I told her a little about him, including the fact that he killed an elephant with a long bow. Then she told me I should not wear such a shirt and that she is opposed to trophy hunting due to the waste. When I told her that on African trips, much of the meat goes to the local population rather than being wasted, I am not sure she totally believed me.

Actually, the interchange was a calm exchange of differing views and never involved an argument or sharp words. She did say that I seemed to be a nice guy, but I should get a different shirt. I smiled and told her I think I will keep my shirt and continue to hunt with my bow.

Do these non archers understand at all how important our major event tee shirts are?

[South MS Bowhunter]

Good job Sam on having a civil conversation and sharing our view point.  Sometimes that not at all possible when the other side refuses to interact, and it bad when its our side that response that way.

[ChuckC]

Sam, we all know only what we know ( or THINK we know)  everything else is odd at its best and maybe even dangerous or threatening.  

Nope, they don't understand and most have no basis to even begin to understand, but that is the way it is with many things in life.

The biggest issue comes when a person with no real experience feels the need to push their agenda past all others, including those that actually have experience.  This is actually no different than in nearly any facet of life we face, most notably regarding race, sexual anything, and religion ( ok, add politics).

Nope, she doesn't understand, but I think I heard that she saw one such fellow who wasn't a bad guy once she got to actually meet him.  That is a major step !  Good job !  
ChuckC

[Possum Head]

I think you should have slapped the taste out of her mouth after telling her she seemed to be a nice lady!     You represented us well Sam.

[South MS Bowhunter]

Scout    :eek:      watch your mouth while in public or your off the Frog Team that's an Order!

Supreme Leader out...

[forestdweller]

I'd rather be an animal in the wild hunted for a trophy (even if the meat is wasted, which they do not do to my knowledge) than an animal that woman buys to eat that has been raised and treated like complete garbage in a slaughter farm.......

Part of the problem is that we grew up and live in too much of a sterile environment so on occasion you might have to deal with people like this lady....or even worse a vegetarian or vegan.

[Possum Head]

Sir yes sir!

[ron w]

Most folks are totally unaware of what goes on in the real world    

[Steve in Canton]

She does not sound like an anti hunter, just someone who is against trophy hunting.  I know many people who feel the same way and even have property that I have permission to hunt that will not let me shoot any racked bucks for this reason.

[Nantahala Nut]

I think a lot of people don't understand is and never will. There's a wildness in our souls and a connection to the land that, sadly, most people will never understand. I think you represented us well and maybe that person will have second thoughts about how they view us.

[tomsm44]

I would have to say that I am also against trophy hunting where most of the animal is wasted.  The problem is that many people assume that if you hunt a trophy animal then the animal will be wasted.  I believe that they are mistaken about the vast majority of trophy hunts, regardless of the hunting method used.  You did well to simply correct the point where she was misinformed rather than to get defensive and try to argue.  Maybe she'll believe you and maybe not.  But at least you planted a seed of the truth in her mind.

[SELFBOW19953]

Originally posted by Sam McMichael:
A few days ago, I was at the grocery store and was wearing a tee shirt from the Howard Hill Classic. A lady asked what it meant. It had a picture of Howard Hill with an elephant in the background. I explained that I am a traditional archer and got the shirt at an archery event.

She was unfamiliar with Hughes, so I told her a little about him, including the fact that he killed an elephant with a long bow. Then she told me I should not wear such a shirt and that she is opposed to trophy hunting due to the waste. When I told her that on African trips, much of the meat goes to the local population rather than being wasted, I am not sure she totally believed me.

Actually, the interchange was a calm exchange of differing views and never involved an argument or sharp words. She did say that I seemed to be a nice guy, but I should get a different shirt. I smiled and told her I think I will keep my shirt and continue to hunt with my bow.

Do these non archers understand at all how important our major event tee shirts are?

Who is Hughes????

[Captain*Kirk]

I think you represented us well. It's an unfortunate side effect that the last 50 years of progress have regressed us back to helpless, dependent children that don't even realize where meat comes from (the meat factory?) and can't even build a fire without a lighter and 'fire-starter' logs. Thank God for the Boy Scouts, anyway!

[Captain*Kirk]

Originally posted by SELFBOW19953:
[/qb]

Who is Hughes???? [/QB][/QUOTE]
Pretty sure he meant to say "Hill", but...Howard Hill, Howard Hughes...you know  

[Captain*Kirk]

Originally posted by Captain*Kirk:
 

Originally posted by SELFBOW19953:
[/b]

Who is Hughes???? [/QB]

Pretty sure he meant to say "Hill", but...Howard Hill, Howard Hughes...you know      [/QB][/QUOTE]

[fnshtr]

I was at a church function and started a conversation with a teenage boy about bowhunting. He was into hunting big time. Realizing that there were others listening in, I purposely started talking to him about our responsibilities as hunters.

At one point I began to turn the conversation to how much money hunters provide for animal habitat and what role the hunters play in the well-being of all animals. I mentioned that people that love animals should thank hunters, because without us, there wouldn't be many around.

A lady that had been listening in on our conversation then spoke up. She thanked me for explaining that as she had planned to join PETA.

People need to be educated.

You did good.

[SELFBOW19953]

Originally posted by Captain*Kirk:
 

Originally posted by Captain*Kirk:
 

Originally posted by SELFBOW19953:
[/b]

Who is Hughes???? [/b]

Pretty sure he meant to say "Hill", but...Howard Hill, Howard Hughes...you know       [/QB]

[/QB][/QUOTE]

No, I don't know.  Howard Hill was an archer, Howard Hughes, I don't know.

[Sam McMichael]

OOPS, Selfbow19953. I had two thought processes going on simultaneously. Hughes should also have been Hill in the post as Captain*Kirk stated. Or I could say it was just a test to see if you were reading closely. Sorry 'bout dat.

[achigan]

Howard HUGHES is, of course, the owner of the Spruce Goose...

[highlow]

And how many know what the Spruce Goose was?
I have never been confronted by an anti but would love to have the opportunity to give voice to my position. So many of them are just misinformed. I wear my hunting oriented shirts all the time. Have had a couple of questions as to their significance but that's as far as it has gone.