Give me some facts!

[aclawrence]

Hey fellow rockslides, I'm asking for some help with getting some factual info. My sister in law in coming into town tomorrow and she is a classic case of one of the younger generation that just wants some kind of cause or bandwagon to jump on and feel like they're doing something important. The other day she made some kind of comment to my wife about saving the trees. She's a nice girl and if the opportunity arises I would like to share with her some info on what some real conservation groups are doing. Not just some group doing whatever the social hot topic is. For some of ya'll that are more experienced in these types of conservations could you give some links on some data. I'm a member of the NWTF and I know we have BHA, Ducks Unlimited, and lots of other good ones. I was also trying to remember the amount of Deer meat that is consumed every year. I know it's an impressive number. Can ya'll get me pointed in the right direction? Thanks

 

[*zap*]

Stupid is forever and facts are wasted on the stupid so take her shooting and use an evil gun.

 

[aclawrence]

Or if ya'll have seen any good videos that I could show her that way I don't have to do the explaining. I need to get more versed in this anyway though.

 

[aclawrence]

Anybody have any helpful comments lol?


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[tdhanses]

Good luck but if I was you I would just let her talk and feel good. You will not educate her and she’ll move on too a new cause shortly.

 

[Akwoodchuck]

Always good to start at the beginning...however I imagine for a young lady, learning about a bunch of grizzled old farts like Audubon, Muir, Roosevelt, Leopold, etc., might not be too exciting. Maybe a female perspective on the roots of conservation?

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/article/11-women-who-made-wilderness-history

 

[TJ]

Check out Shane Mahoney

http://conservationvisions.com/about

http://conservationvisions.com/wild-harvest-initiative

 

[TJ]

Stupid is forever and facts are wasted on the stupid so take her shooting and use an evil gun.

Having a difference of opinion does not make one stupid. An attitude like that will not help!

 

[robby denning]

Having a difference of opinion does not make one stupid. An attitude like that will not help!

Agreed

Pittman-Robertson raised 1.1 billion last year and Roksliders made up a chunk of that

Tell her many nongame species have benefited greatly from the dollars raised for Big game paid by hunters.

Tell her we’ve restored almost all the big game species from the brink of destruction to sustainable and growing populations all across the lower 48. Even mule deer are doing better now than 25 years ago in a lot of places. We pay for that

Make sure she knows that most states wildlife departments are funded solely by hunting license and tag dollars. If she’d like to help out, she could buy a license and go out with you. She’ll feel great about herself


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[ODB]

Facts are not her language. She looks at a rainbow and says, "That's beautiful." You say, "It's created when light refracts through drops of water. The light is split..." She says, "But it's beautiful."

You have to connect with her on her level - largely emotional. But that doesn't mean you can't bolster an emotion with facts. Lead with the emotion, follow with facts You lead with facts, you're done.

It's more important to understand her way of thinking that trying to change her mind about something. Read The True Believer by Eric Hoffer. It is an excellent treatise on social mass movements, their causes, endings, and the structure of them. They are largely made up of a group of people who are searching for meaning in their life (the frustrated). When they find a cause that they feel gives them a higher purpose, they latch on to it - feeling they are part of something "bigger than themselves." The leaders of the causes are generally fanatics who spend most of their time convincing the frustrated their cause is meaningful and worthwhile. All the while , leadership is co-opting their minds and pocket books. The cause can never be solved, else it dies. Usually, the cause is given immortality by making the goal of the cause un-achievable: world peace, economic equality, social equality, a chicken in every pot, public lands in public hands - pick your poison - they are ALL causes without end...think about that.

Also, her life's filter does not prioritize things the same way you do. Read Jonathan Haidt to understand this concept.

So, what to do about your sister-in-law...don't tell her a damn thing...ask her so many specific questions as to what she is interested in until it exhausts her knowledge. Ask her what her specific goal is and how she is achieving it. Ask her how much money and time she donates, etc. When she runs out of valid information, she'll feel like you've listened, and then you can tell her what you and the organizations you belong to have done. And validate her concern - you'll never change a closed mind. Commonalities keep minds open - remember that. Find something you agree on, then work from there.

I know a bit of what I speak...I gave a lecture at the University of Washington on elephant hunting- yes, elephant hunting. It was for an interview class and as part, I used an interview with an elephant-hunting friend of mine. I used the commonality of the desire for habitat preservation and overall elephant herd health to connect with the listeners, then moved to poaching, then moved to human/elephant conflict, then moved to the living conditions of rural Africans in the Mbiri district in Zimbabwe. I made a lot of anti-elephant hunting people in to pro "as long as it helps overall" people. And that was good enough. But I led with emotion, followed with facts. I also made damn sure I knew my stuff - inside and out. It worked.

Good luck.

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

I would start with the food angle. Serve up some venison or ask if she would like some to take home with her. Offer some tips on how to cook the meat that is leaner and healthier than what she can get in a store.

The next time you see her, ask her how it was. Tell her you hope to be able to continue providing the healthiest meat possible for your loved ones.

 

[*zap*]

Having a difference of opinion does not make one stupid. An attitude like that will not help!

The fact is that some opinions are stupid and that's not an attitude it is just the way it is.

 

[mt100gr.]

This isn't up to date but it conveys the point that our hard earned dollars aren't just buying us the opportunity to run around with guns.

 

[aclawrence]

Facts are not her language. She looks at a rainbow and says, "That's beautiful." You say, "It's created when light refracts through drops of water. The light is split..." She says, "But it's beautiful."

You have to connect with her on her level - largely emotional. But that doesn't mean you can't bolster an emotion with facts. Lead with the emotion, follow with facts You lead with facts, you're done.

It's more important to understand her way of thinking that trying to change her mind about something. Read The True Believer by Eric Hoffer. It is an excellent treatise on social mass movements, their causes, endings, and the structure of them. They are largely made up of a group of people who are searching for meaning in their life (the frustrated). When they find a cause that they feel gives them a higher purpose, they latch on to it - feeling they are part of something "bigger than themselves." The leaders of the causes are generally fanatics who spend most of their time convincing the frustrated their cause is meaningful and worthwhile. All the while , leadership is co-opting their minds and pocket books. The cause can never be solved, else it dies. Usually, the cause is given immortality by making the goal of the cause un-achievable: world peace, economic equality, social equality, a chicken in every pot, public lands in public hands - pick your poison - they are ALL causes without end...think about that.

Also, her life's filter does not prioritize things the same way you do. Read Jonathan Haidt to understand this concept.

So, what to do about your sister-in-law...don't tell her a damn thing...ask her so many specific questions as to what she is interested in until it exhausts her knowledge. Ask her what her specific goal is and how she is achieving it. Ask her how much money and time she donates, etc. When she runs out of valid information, she'll feel like you've listened, and then you can tell her what you and the organizations you belong to have done. And validate her concern - you'll never change a closed mind. Commonalities keep minds open - remember that. Find something you agree on, then work from there.

I know a bit of what I speak...I gave a lecture at the University of Washington on elephant hunting- yes, elephant hunting. It was for an interview class and as part, I used an interview with an elephant-hunting friend of mine. I used the commonality of the desire for habitat preservation and overall elephant herd health to connect with the listeners, then moved to poaching, then moved to human/elephant conflict, then moved to the living conditions of rural Africans in the Mbiri district in Zimbabwe. I made a lot of anti-elephant hunting people in to pro "as long as it helps overall" people. And that was good enough. But I led with emotion, followed with facts. I also made damn sure I knew my stuff - inside and out. It worked.

Good luck.

Thanks for this. I was reading your post to my wife and she was totally agreeing with you were saying. I appreciate it.


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[MuleyFever]

Lots of judging here. I didn't see where he said anything specific other than she said something about saving trees, but not to what level. Is that instantly a stupid opinion? Aren't we all about saving habitat to some degree? Maybe she likes the idea of conservation but does not yet have a good base of info. He did not say she thought guns were evil.

To the OP what are you looking for? Do you just want to sound educated about your hunting hobby? Are you trying to help her form an opinion on hunting before she forms one based on other info?

 

[aclawrence]

85 Million lbs of elk meat. That’s incredible. I need to find the whitetail numbers. Thanks for all the replies. I will be a much better spokesperson for our sport when I get a handle on this. Also I wasn’t saying she was anti hunting I just wanted to be able to present her with something that’s really making a difference in the world.


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[*zap*]

Experience shows me that you cannot change anyone, they need to make that decision on their own and today most peoples decisions are based on feel good emotions. Maybe talk to her while you guys enjoy a good campfire.