As I reread my last post (Women in the Outdoors) I thought about the fact that so many people out there still have a lot of misconceptions about hunters. I myself used to be one of them so I know that it’s easy if we don’t have people out there fighting the stereotypes and misconceptions. I used to think hunting was a sport for white, male, country boys, and that was about it… boy was I wrong. Although I fit all of the above stereotypes that’s not all I am and it’s certainly not the only demographic that hunts. I’ve learned that there are many women, many people of color, and many people of varying ages, religions, educations, and economic situations. For one easy example you can just look at the Mossy Oak Prostaff elite there you will see people of all walks of life, Dr.s, MMA fighters, marathoners, Pro golfers, rockers, business owners, and everything in between including the aforementioned women and people of different races.
As I’ve reflected on the stereotypes of hunters and what it all means I realized something… I’m in a unique position to educate people on what hunting is really about. I was one of the people who believed all of the stereotypes and now I’m living the lifestyle myself. I’ve decided it is now one of my missions in life to wipe away the stereotypes, bring people education, and let the world see that hunting is something to be celebrated, not ridiculed. I want to be the best hunter I can be and bring more people in to this lifestyle. I’m not crazy enough to believe that hunting is for everyone, (and I’m glad of that as there isn’t enough room in the woods for all of us) but I do believe that there are a lot more people out there who would love this sport if they would just open up their minds and try it. I want to be a great ambassador for the hunting and outdoor lifestyle and for Mossy Oak. I also want to inspire everyone to follow their dreams, no matter what they are, as I follow mine as I work toward my goal of becoming a full time hunter.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Hunting Misconceptions
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2 comments:
I live in California. There are a lot more misconceptions about hunters than you might think. It is almost impossible to hunt here, which means it is almost impossible to change anyone's mind. In addition to white, male, country boys; add vicious, violent toward humans, and racist. With those kinds of attacks on hunting I'm surprised there is even the little that is allowed here.
Sorry. That's a downer of a comment.
No, I completely agree with you. So many people let the few "outlaw" hunters that are out there shape their opinions of the rest of us. I have several more columns planned on the subject. If enough of us good hunters take up the fight and work hard to change our image maybe we can make some real changes! Keep on fighting the good fight!
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