I infinitely prefer being a research scientist and a no-name than a hunting celeb.
I definitely align with this thought process and I think many of us are the same way, unfortunately we all recognize social media has created power that can be wielded beyond our wildest imaginations. Banning the President of the United States for making posts that didn’t align politically is imho a scary example we as outdoorsmen should be extremely alert about, things can get sideways fast if we are divided as a community and we are silenced. I acknowledge in total disgust that times have changed for the worse, I sure would like to be “King of the World” for a few days. I doubt that will happen so I will put this thought out there. From the bottom where I stand I ask this question. Are we teetering at a moment that replicates the turn of the century when wildlife had been virtually wiped out due to the greed from the urban dwellers for fancy feathers,meats and skins, a time in the past when by chance many great conservationists emerged such as Theodore Roosevelt to preserve the lands and wildlife before all of it was lost forever, that preserved everything that this entire thread is revolving around?It sure looks to me like we could be at a new crossroads and we hit the peak a decade ago before this incredible communication explosion. Once again it seems the evil monster of greed in a different context is starting to make the wheels spin off this wagon nationwide for the outdoorsman. I could make a huge list of changes proposed and changes implemented that are detrimental to everything we would like to see as hunters in many different states but will save that for another day. We are coming under attack from outside the hunting community and fighting within at levels so high it makes me terrified of what the future holds. Over 1000 posts on a thread here and some great thoughts have been disseminated for sure, but I don’t think any real change will be effected, mostly keyboard warriors getting their panties in a wad. Perhaps it’s time for the outdoor community to reassess how we pursue the activities that keep us as we define it, “living life to the fullest”. Do we really want to continue down the path we are taking with divisive activities and equipment like long range guns, crossbows, robo ducks, scoring systems, game department advertising, cell trail cameras,Utv’s, drones, etc,etc,etc. I could go on and on about the technological advancements that have changed the way we participate in the outdoors.I do believe if this so called “value” of the wildlife continues to be promoted so intensely and the perceived values continue to escalate at such a rapid rate with All the players screaming “mine,mine,mine” it’s almost inevitable a European model of wildlife management with only the wealthiest having access to hunt is looming, most of us peasants here will be sitting on the sidelines permanently watching these influencers on Netflix or YouTube. Without a doubt it has gotten flocked up all over North America really quickly whether it be private access or public opportunity. Perhaps JFK’s famous statement needs to be applied to Outdoorsman with our personal twist,”Don’t ask yourself what hunting/fishing can do for you, what can you do for hunting/fishing ” might be the mindset that the community needs to adopt. Should we continue down this technological path and make this our new “tradition”? Like it or not as outdoorsman we need strong voices that represent well in the public eye, organizations or individuals like Newberg, Primos, Steven, Newcomb, Waddell,Shockey, Ronquest, Warren, Snyder, Don Jr., Phil, Dance, Hayes, Lindner, and many others,staying visible to the friggin “Public”, from down here at the bottom where I see it, our job is going to be making sure with our dollars, the message they are sending reflects what the majority of the community considers acceptable and they are given the “Cancel” notice if they screw up the assignment! That is all.
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