Let me start off with a quote by Wayne Pacelle (The Humane Society of the United States' Chief Executive officer and President), "If we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would... Only 7% of Americans are hunters. That means there are more of us than there are of them. It is simply a matter of democracy. The majority rules in a democracy. We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States... We will take it species by species until all hunting is stopped in California. Then we will take it State by State." If you are anything like me, reading this made you sick. If you are a hunter, this ballot initiative is a problem for you. If you are not from Arizona, this ballot initiative is a problem for you. If you do not hunt mountain lions, this ballot initiative is a problem for you. You may think that this is not your problem just because this does not "directly" affect you, but you are very wrong. The attempt to end mountain lion hunting in Arizona is just one step towards a much bigger motive that every outdoorsman and hunter in the United States will soon be facing. This is not going to be a battle of HSUS vs. Hunters for mountain lion hunting; instead this is going to be a battle of HSUS vs. Hunters for the support of the people in between. So how do we get the support we need? I have a few ideas on that.
Educate: Sadly, most people outside of the hunting community do not have an accurate and effective understanding of what we do as hunters and houndsmen. Another side of this, however, is that we as sportsmen need to be educated on our own missions. Hunting is not killing, and there is a reason we do the things that we do. Hunting is hard work, conservation, dedication, and passion. It is important to remain respectable and ethical, even when we feel our views are being attacked. Hunters are conservation and we need to do a better job at respectfully sharing and explaining what we are doing as conservationists, and that there is more to it than shooting something. We can do this by sharing more than just our images with dead animals and by working hard to depict our ethics, values, and dedication to the environment. We can educate the middle more about hunting based organizations such as The Arizona Elk Society and the Mule Deer Foundation that are the base of all work being done to help and maintain the wildlife populations in Arizona. Sportsmen work hard every day with the goal of saving wildlife while the HSUS constructs lies and emotional stories meant to overshadow science, reason, and truth. It is up to us to show our efforts and to help others grasp a truer understanding of the positive impact hunters are having on the enviornment and to prove that hunting is something we work for. We are not walking 30 yards, shooting something, putting it in the bed of a truck, and going home to drink a beer- we are hiking 17 miles in knee deep snow on 3 hours of sleep for an opportunity to even hunt. "Arizonans for Wildlife" will use emotion striking tactics such as pictures of "mountain lion kittens who's mother were brutally murdered by Arizona houndsmen". They do not have to be truthful or scientific in their approach and as strong as emotions are, it is a smart tactic to use. It is one we as hunters can use back. However, our own emotions are not going to be helping this situation. Attacking anti-hunters or cussing about the situation will not get us anywhere. We instead need to implement uses of information on things like mountain lion attacks, the shady tactics of the HSUS, hard facts, and the negative impacts ending mountain lion hunting can have on the enviornment. For more information on mountain lion hunting you can look at the Arizona Game and Fish Department, as they have a variety of useful information explaining the benefits of mountain lion hunting in Arizona. AZGFD has done a fantastic job in sharing information about why we need hunting but this is not a fight they can fight for us. They are not legally allowed to influence an election. This is up to us.
Stick Together: Now is not the time to argue over what camo you wear or what bow you shoot, now is the time to help and regulate each other. I have seen the power of the hunting community and we need each other now more than we ever have. There is more strength in numbers and if we have the support of each other it will be easier to face the challenges we need to overcome. If you see a hunter post something that does not portray us in a way that can be respected, say something. If you see a hunter post something that truly shows the passion and dedication we have, support it. We are stronger together.
Have Respect: Differences of opinion will always exist. If someone attacks you for your views, do not be the person to stoop to their levels. Rise above this. There is a stereotype against hunters that we are uneducated people that feel the need to fight. Do not portray that. Hunters are so much more. Hunters are athletes working hard for the cleanest source of protein. Hunters are conservationists with passion and dedication to the natural world. Hunters are educated people that put in hard work and time to help wildlife and our ecosystems. Be more than what others may make us out to be. Have respect for others and fight back with the truth and a smile. Also, please have respect for the animals we harvest. The opportunity to hunt is a blessing to many of us and it breaks my heart when I see someone post a picture holding a dead animal with a quote degrading the animal. We are lucky to do what we do and the animals we harvest should be treated respectfully. Instead post about your hard work and dedication. This respect towards the animal and the sport will earn you a lot more respect.
Be Involved: If this is something that matters to you like it matters to me then stand up and make a change. Social media is huge in messaging ideas, so call on influencers in the outdoor industry to be involved, too. If anyone is really all for hunting, they will be all for saving hunting. Get in touch with parts of your community, attend Game and Fish Meetings, be involved with organizations that support our values and mission such as the Arizona Elk Society or Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation. Get involved outside of the outdoors community as they are the people that we need to start messaging more to. Ending mountain lion hunting in Arizona will affect everyone and it is important to portray that this is not just a problem for hunters. Other populations will be affected and humans will begin to see a rise in mountain lion public safety issues, just like California did when they ended mountain lion hunting. These animals are not the cute and fluffy cats that Arizonans for Wildlife will pretend they are. They are elite predators that need to be controlled responsibly. This is going to be a long battle that sportsmen should be dedicated to. Be persistent. Be vocal. Set good examples and make a difference. Now is our time to show what hunters are accomplishing and what we care about. Let your voice be heard and Take a stand.
