I had a conversation with another conservation minded person earlier today and we talked about how the face of hunting has changed. Some interesting points were mentioned. We touched on how it seems to be all about the kill, how many new hunters just use the latest technology in order to completely reduce effort (trail cams, baiting stations, etc), and how many look at hiking as something to be avoided, sucking any hard work or adventure out of the thing. We talked about how overpopulation of humans means that we really don’t need to trap or do predator “control” like we did when we first explored the country in the lower 48. It’s not 1890 anymore. For those that are out there hunting ungulates and game birds for sustenance, and who respect their game, there’s not much you can say to knock that. We don’t hear from them because they don’t get past the roar of the “points” hunting and “contest” hunting crowd. Warning: some may find the following video offensive. It features the killing of a young coyote and a bobcat with a high powered rifle.

Then there’s the Ted Nugent crowd. These goofs believe that in order to save an animal , you have to kill it. Take this guy for example.

Yes, I know what you are thinking:

His name is Bob and he believes (exact quote):

“If you want to save a species, simply decide to eat it. Then it will be managed – like turkeys, like whitetail deer, like Canadian geese.”

See, Bob comes from the Ted Nugent School of Misinformation. He is a product of “trickle down conservation”, where you say the word conservation a lot. And that’s it. Just say conservation a lot. Never talk about wolverine or grizzly bears,or the complete ecosystem. Focus on common game animals and never mention anything else. You might also want to throw in the word “biodiversity” just to make your fellow outdoor buddies think you know what you are talking about.

In this video, Bob decides to protect “his” wild turkey population from a young coyote and bobcat.

Take a look at this little feeding setup. Spirit of the wild eh?

Good thing Bob defended his wild turkeys from the evils of the bobcat and coyote with a Savage 7 mag. That’s right, a Savage 7 mag. This isn’t hunting, this is a video game to this guy. The video:
Video Link
I often talk to people who wonder why hunting numbers continue to decline every year. Examples like the one in this post are the main reason why. No one wants to be a part of something like this. It’s not something to be proud of. And if you want to grow your club, make it something you *can* be proud of.

The face of modern hunting, ladies and gentlemen.