Divided We Will Fail

Hunters take on critics from all sides, so why are hunters divided amongst themselves?

By Jeff Stewart

Reading through just about any one of the literally hundreds of hunting and outdoor related websites and social media groups there is one thing that always gets under my skin and really makes me about mad enough to spit nails.

It seems that no one can post a photo or have an opinion without other hunters attacking them and their hunting methods. Why? As hunters we face a multitude of obstacles from every corner of society.

We are attacked by tree huggers and hippie wannabes. We are attacked by animal rights groups who are so ignorant they think it is totally acceptable to kill human beings who hunt yet the ultimate offense to hunt and kill a deer or rabbit.

As hunters we are under attack from everyone else. Yet out of all the groups who attack us the one I find the most infuriating is …us. That’s right I said us.

Hunters attacking other hunters because we don’t hunt your way or we don’t do things your way. How ignorant is that? Because a hunter hunts from a box stand some guy who hunts from a tree climber belittles and berates the box stand hunter.

A guy who hunts with a modern rifle with a scope is told he isn’t a real hunter and that anyone can shoot a monster buck with a gun etc.

Compound bow users are attacked by traditional archers and mechanical broadhead users are attacked by fixed blade guys….Where does it end?

We are all hunters who love the woods and love hunting. One hunters traditions may seem silly or unethical to a hunter from the next state or county over. Does it make that guys hunting practice any more wrong or right than the next guys? NO! It certainly does not. Hunting traditions are passed down from grandparent to parent to child.

I say we stop all the childish bickering and back biting amongst ourselves and we reunite under a new yet old banner. The banner of hunters and outdoorsmen and women.

I say we throw all the ignorance of who shoots what or hunts out of what aside and back one another as hunters . If you don’t like how the next guy hunts yet how they hunt is legal then just leave it alone. You don’t have to like it and you don’t have to hunt that way. That’s is what is so great about this country. FREEDOM.

You see if we don’t start standing together then we will most surely fall because we are divided.