I don’t seek out controversy, but sometimes it finds me anyway.
In my job as host and producer of the Outdoor Magazine TV show seen on Sportsman Channel, and also the syndicated Outdoor Magazine radio program, I try to showcase the rich history and tradition of hunting and fishing.
In that role, I often draw the anger of anti hunters, which is something you might expect. Lately though, I find myself being criticized by fellow hunters….or at least people who say they are.
Let me give you a couple of examples.
On a recent TV show I featured Pro Staffer Gus Congemi making a hundred yard archery shot on an antelope. Now, I admit that’s not a shot most bowhunters should try, but in Gus’ case, I don’t have a problem with it. The veteran hunter routinely practices at those distances. In fact, he made a video of those practice sessions that you can watch here.
After airing that show I got lots of negative emails from folks who call themselves bowhunters. Most were very upset, and even appalled, that I would show what they called a “very unethical shot”.
Another example involves my friend Chad Stearns of Jay’s Sporting Goods. On a recent hunting trip to South Africa I videotaped Chad shooting a two ton giraffe with his bow. After stalking the giant animal for ten hours, Chad was finally able to get within fifty yards and put a good shot in the vital area. Unfortunately, the shot didn’t get much penetration and Stearns was forced to put another arrow into the giraffe. That second shot would have certainly killed the animal, but Chad wanted to speed up the process so he used a rifle to finish the job.
It took a tremendous amount of skill and patience to get an arrow into the big bull, and I give Chad a lot of credit for being humble enough to pick up a gun to keep the animal’s suffering to a minimum.
It’s always been my policy to show hunting in a realistic manner so I aired all the details of that hunt. I could have edited it down and “sanitized” the experience, but chose not to.
Again, the critics came out of the woodwork…and again, the vast majority of complaints came from folks who call themselves hunters.
I was surprised by the intensity of the criticism, and level of anger those people expressed.
It seems to me, that in today’s society filled with anti hunters, and an even bigger group of non hunters, it serves no purpose for hunters to fight each other. Just because one hunter chooses to do things differently than another, it doesn’t make it wrong. From my perspective if the act is moral and ethical in a particular hunter’s eyes, and legal in the eyes of the law…I certainly have no problem with it.
Because I’ve faced such strong criticism in the past, I’ve been a bit reluctant to air another recent hunt from Gus. This one features Gus crawling into a cave in Wyoming where he killed a mountain lion with a handgun at point blank range. Congemi actually went in there to rescue a dog that followed the big cat. However, I’m sure a certain percentage of hunters who feel they have superior morals will look down on this hunt by saying Gus had the animal trapped, and they’ll claim it was an unethical act.
The truth is I don’t think I would have the guts to crawl into a cave and face down a mountain lion, so I’m not about to pass judgement on Gus. For the record though, I see nothing wrong with the hunt. In fact, I’m in awe of a guy who has the nerve to do it.
Because I think this hunt tells a great story, and also because I’m not about to bow down to pressure from anyone, I’ve decided to put this adventure on the air and deal with the complaints as they come.
My patience is getting thin though with the small, but vocal group of self righteous hunters who believe their morals are superior to the rest of us. I believe in today’s world hunters need to stand together and remember who the real enemy is.
Mike,
I say let it roll! Speaking from a perspective of a person that would have done the same thing Gus did, especially if a dog was involved I see nothing wrong with it.
Heck! A Big Cat is high on my bucket list. I would love to have access to your program, so that I could see it.
I see the angered criticism in many forums these days. It seems like the abiltiy to post aanonymously via email,forum and another electronic forms of communication have allowed some percentage of hunters to grow backbone electronically that they would never have in person.
I had a similar account where Ruth shot a Red Stag on camera. The video looked like we were shooting an animal against the sky line not knowing what was behind it, which was not the case at all.
But! Old Mister Back Door behind the cover of anonymous forum post, proceeded to accuse us of poor hunting ethics and safety practices. I found it kind of funny, especially when most of my hunting is done about 100 miles from the nearest road, something I think old Mr. Anonymous could not even fathom.
Did you ever notice that those that offer the most criticism, never offer anything else? Try checking their profiles and more often than not, you will not find any content.
So! Play on Big Guy and let the Back Door Critics be damned 🙂
Louis
Mike, I’ve been following you thru iTunes & now Facebook for some time now. Keep to your guns (pun intended)! I see you as well versed in this hunting world of ours, & up to date with the current status quo. In my opinion, I feel you speak on the side of the vast majority of “modern” hunters of today, as well as the “old timers”, of which many of us straddle both paths of thought. We all hunt in different ways, we should all accept the other’s way of hunting, provided (as you state) that it is still an ethical & fair chase pursuit. I’m guessing the so-called hunters who persist on criticizing such, are not dedicated enough, or simply don’t have the time to achieve the performance needed to indulge in this level of hunting. We can all agree to disagree, but still watch each other’s back for the real opposition!
Mike,
Well thought-out and well written – Thank you.
I wonder the same, who’s worse, self righteous (ignorant) hunters, or the Kool Aid drinking PC crowd?
I appreciate your conviction and clarity.
GOOD FOR YOU GO FOR IT
Good for you Mike !!!! Since being introduced to your show and then actually being introduced to you, I can say that I have a lot of respect for you and what what you do. There is a reality about what we choose to do as hunters. Quite frankly I have been getting a bit disgusted watching shows that are “sanitized” as you put it in your blog. When I, as a hunter, see a less than optimum shot on an animal on TV and then watch the hunter calmly walk over to a harvested animal that has supposedly dropped instantly, when you can tell its not even the same day, I realize the programming is catering to the anti and non-hunter. Our outdoor sports programming is for us as hunters. I realize that steps need to be taken to not blatently offend anyone but I feel that as a whole our sport is comprised of hard working, ethical, and respectfull men and women. I agree with you 100% that we must circle the wagons and stop the the finger pointing within our own ranks. Keep up the good work, I feel that you do a great job as a representative of our sport !
Mike –
I applaud you!!! Personally I’m sick and tired of the mentality in this country that the minority should be catered to. What ever happen to the majority wins concept that this country was built on. I’m about as far from politically correct as they come. I believe that things should told as they are, as long as it’s the truth, and if someone does not like it, too bad. I listened to the podcast and Gus’s story needs to be told. He did what very few hunters would have done and there is nothing unethical about finishing the job.
Thanks guys for your thoughts. I appreciate your comments, and your support.