How to act and react with anti-hunters on social media

Hunters Social Media Hate Mail Average Hunter Anti-Hunters

Hunters Social Media Hate Mail Average Hunter Anti-Hunters

There’s nothing like having a great day in the field or woods and want to share your success with all your friends on your social media page but to only get slammed by some anti-hunters that don’t agree with what you’re doing.  I am sure it makes you mad at some of the things they are saying and you just want to defend yourself, defend your heritage and defend all hunters like yourself.  But what is the best way to do that?  How do you defend yourself without making yourself look like the person the anti-hunters think you are and also maybe try and educate them in the process.  Well, you take a deep breath and be polite.

Some of them know what they are talking about, but many don't

Some of them know what they are talking about, but many don’t

Ok I know that the words these people say to us most of the time are very harsh and if I saw someone talking to my wife and kids like that, there would be hell to pay.  But this is social media. This is the place where everyone can be whoever they want and have absolutely no responsibility (most of the time) for the things they say because nobody knows who they are and can’t do anything about it.  It’s all blind courage and there’s nothing we can do about it.  For those people, they are lost and most of the time, we can’t help them.  But there are a few out there who are honest people and are voicing their opinion because maybe they are misinformed.  Those are the ones that we need to take an opportunity and try and tell them our side and teach them all we can.  They don’t have to agree with us, they just have to understand our side.

Remember, educating anti-hunters is our most important job.

Remember, educating anti-hunters is our most important job.

So you shoot a great buck, a bunch of ducks or score that triple on some coyotes and your pics are on your social media pages within the hour.  Those pics start to get shared or retweeted for #TrophyTuesday and all of the sudden you’re getting messages from anti-hunters about how you’re evil or they wish someone would shoot you from a mile away like that.  You’re mad because they are doing all they can to ruin your moment.  So how do you react?  Do you know that 99% of the time they are just trolling and trying to get a reaction out of you? Some of these people don’t even care, they just want to start an argument. Are you going to let them get what they want? Will you react instantly with calling them harsh names and taking out all your frustration on that person while they sit back and laugh at you?  Why would you do that to yourself?  Why would you also show the rest of the world that someone can easily push your buttons that way.  Instead, show them how strong you are.  Show them how strong we all are as hunters and take the high road. Maybe ask them to explain themselves or give them details about how you fully intend to eat all of that, feed your family or save your neighbor’s cats from getting eaten or you’ll have to carry your dog in one of those Dog Backpack Carriers.  Most of these people have no clue why people hunt.  The only thing they know is what they see in all the pictures they see online which is of trophies. Try and educate them and if they keep poking and prodding, then ignore them or block them.

How you react to anti-hunters on social media goes so much farther than just trying to help educate that person.  The biggest issue with overreacting to them is what all the others are thinking as they are reading your reactions. You are a hunter and as hunters we will forever be fighting the battle of who we are.  The world sees us as barbarian cavemen that only grunt and swing clubs.  By reacting harshly online to one individual, we are showing dozens, hundreds or thousands more that may be right. We are fighting an uphill battle and need to be smart about how we win each small battle. Each one of us needs to defend ourselves to the max of our abilities but we have to be smart. We have to know the facts and be able to present them when the time calls for it. I will never back down from a fight about hunting, but I will fight with respect to all others that are watching and do my best to win that fight with knowledge and honor. We are hunters, We are family.

1 Comment

  • AutInveniamViamAutFaciam May 17, 2016 at 5:57 pm

    Great article. While I am not a proponent for hunting exclusively for trophies, hunting fowl and deer for food is something my family has been doing for generations. We’re all animal lovers, and vehemently against any type of cruelty or causing unnecessary pain/suffering. We track our deer, and get close enough to ensure a clean shot(I once saw my dad put down two deer with one shot; it was very impressive, but luck certainly played into it),making sure it has at least some fighting chance. We simply refuse to terrify and run them to near-death with dogs, which pretty much ruins the meat anyway. We also believe poachers are scum. So these people who think we’re all barbarians with no ethics or compassion for animals they are either mean and ignorant, or just outright deluded. I truly feel sorry for the people who think buying meat at the store ensures cruelty-free food. Most of the time the exact opposite is the case. Not to mention that wild game of pretty much all types are exponentially more healthy than store-bought beef, pork, chicken or turkey. Deer, elk, bison, and true free-range beef have A LOT less fat and cholesterol. So not only are we feeding our families, we’re feeding them lean, healthier protein that hasn’t been subjected to cruel, unnatural farming conditions. Water fowl is simply delicious, and over-priced in stores(if you can find it). Even then, any wild game will be much healthier than what you purchase in a store. I won’t even comment on those who insist animals are better off in zoos(that’s just absolutely ridiculous…for the most part, zoos are more cruel than nature).

    Having grown up in Alaska, I was born into hunting. Even before I was born, my family had been hunting California, Nevada, Montana, Canada and many other places for decades, It’s part of my family’s culture and heritage. There absolutely are humane methods of hunting. Killing something you have no plans to eat is not humane…unless, of course, they’re killing livestock, pets or ruining crops. Now, I have noticed an increase of hunting Kodiak Bears on my native island, This I do not agree with. Even if you’re going to eat the meat, Kodiak hunters(tourists or locals) need to realize the gene pool for Kodiaks is pretty shallow, and an excessive cull could be disastrous to the species. The inland grizzlies are much more abundant, and have a more diverse gene pool. Talking about Kodiak brings up a good point. Why are these anti-hunters not anti-fishing? Are fish inferior to mammals? I guess those type of people aren’t as compassionate as they think they are.

    Finally, those cowards who hide behind anonymity, are incredibly offensive, and simply cannot be reasoned with are easy to deal with. All you have to do is “kill them with kindness”. These are the types who simply want to get a rise out of you. If you refuse to engage in their negativity, and reply with something like “while I may disagree with your opinion, I still hope you have a wonderful day”, that will usually stop them in their tracks. Instead, they’ll just brood in their mommy’s basement since their infantile efforts were all in vain.

    If we can educate the logical ones, we should. Otherwise, be the better person; ignore or politely engage the worst-of-the-worst; and remember that so long as you hunt humanely, and within the law, you’re doing nothing wrong. Most of the really extreme comments are from those who are actually being inhumane.

    If people want to buy the low-quality meat in the stores that comes from abused animals, that’s their prerogative. But they really have no right to judge those of us who prefer an arguably cheaper and healthier option to provide protein for us and our families.

    I could probably go on even longer, but this comment is turning into an editorial, so I’ll wrap it up. Good luck to all in their 2016 hunting endeavors, and keep educating the ignorant on how hunting can be much more beneficial and humane than mass-farmed animals living and butchered in deplorable conditions.

    Have an excellent summer, my fellow hunters!

    Reply

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