The best anti-hunters have probably never held up a poster board sign in protest or contributed to PETA. In fact, most of them actually own weapons and wear camo.

The most stinging criticisms come from our family and friends, the people we care about. Their words carry more weight than a stranger’s because they’re closer to us. They know us better. We value their opinions more. The same holds true for the fellowship of outdoorsmen. Our words and actions cut deeper on each other than those coming from anyone smelling of patchouli screaming into a bull horn at a protest. 

Which is why the crappiness some of us exhibit towards rookie hunters has got to stop. There’s power in numbers and the best way to diminish our voice in a country that’s already giving us the collective stink eye is to throttle hunter recruitment. How are we turning folks away? Here’s a list of some of the most effective anti-hunter types lurking among our very own.

Shot Placement Criticizers

Folks who engage in this flavor of anti-hunting behavior are physically incapable of scrolling past a hero shot in their Facebook feed without commenting on the location of the deer’s wounds…apparently without regard to the fact that the deer is dead and was recovered.

“Shot was too high/low/forward/far back.”

Sometimes a shot is on the fringe of a core vital area, but what help is it to point that out? Also, marksmanship is one of the peak areas of performance for a hunter. My gut is that these individuals mistakenly think their outdoor conquests to be a competition. They’re always clamoring to be at the top of a make believe heap. If they can cast doubt on the ability of a peer, they (mistakenly) elevate themselves. I’m playing dime store psychologist now, but it’s the only plausible explanation I’ve come up with.

Generalizers

I completely get this dynamic. It annoys me sometimes too, but I have to remember that when someone asks a basic question that I’ve heard a hundred times, for them, it’s their first instance of needing to know the information. Generalizing assumes  all hunters share a hive mind. Even if you answered that same question last week on an Internet forum, this completely new person can’t know that. Be gracious. Some of the best and most famous professional hunters I know happen to be the kindest and welcoming to commonly asked questions. 

Another variant of the Generalizer is the Extrapolator. This person takes one experience or second hand account and stretches it out to cover other, sometimes unrelated circumstances. Maybe you’ve heard them before.

“I tried a mechanical back in 2005 and lost a deer with it. If you want to lose a deer, shoot a mechanical.”

It’s fine to have that opinion, but when a person sets that one instance up as a universal truth, it can be confusing to a new hunter trying to figure out what’s real and what’s marketing. Be clear about what your opinion is and what the facts are.

Braggarts/Toppers

When a Braggart starts up, expect the following from them:

1. Talking at rather than with the victim other person. The only good in this anti-hunting tactic is that no one else needs to worry about carrying the conversation.

2. Topping every accomplishment the other person has achieved. [You’re pulling 60 pounds? They draw 65. You sat out in five degree weather? They sat out in negative one…and it was raining.]

3. Asking questions only as a way to pivot back to one of their own stories. Hearing a question come from someone bragging may give you a glimmer of hope that they’re not really that self-absorbed, but it’s only a more sophisticated way of bringing the spotlight back around to them.

Holy Rollers

The Holy Rollers have never put a bad hit on a deer (either they’re lying or they haven’t hunted enough). They never get winded, never had a deer go unrecovered, never misjudged yardage or used the wrong pin. Come to think of it, they’ve never done anything wrong and shame on you if you have.

Seriously. The only thing these people aren’t is honest with themselves. When you set an unattainable bar for performance, you intimidate new hunters from even daring to try. The stakes are already high enough when you’re taking an animal’s life. We don’t need to create a false pretense that “real” hunters don’t make mistakes. We do, but we learn from them.

Brand Snobs

This attitude from those within our ranks is an unfortunate type of elitism. They scoff at the idea of someone buying a price point bow or something off the used rack. They cannot fathom why a new bow hunter wouldn’t drop $1,500 on a top of the line new rig. God forbid you wear Realtree and Mossy Oak at the same time.

“If it ain’t a [insert brand name], I wouldn’t waste my time.”

New hunters really shouldn’t invest a wad of cash in just one aspect of the game. They still need to buy stands, clothing, accessories, etc…and they’re not even sure they’ll do this long term. It’s also likely that they’re on a budget. Hunting is probably not (yet) one their top passions in life. Urge them to get quality gear, but don’t get hung up on your own brand affiliations. Step outside of yourself for a minute into the shoes of someone who’s cautious about their dollars or someone who has yet to develop any brand loyalties.

It really comes down to our ability to understand someone else’s perspective, particularly those who are new to hunting. What might they not know that they ought to? How can we help them get that knowledge or experience? It’s not about puffing up our own chests as the high and mighty experts.

To be sure there are others types of anti-hunters among our own ranks, these were just a few of the most effective. Do you know anyone who fits any of these descriptions? If so, do what you can to get them to stop before they do any more damage. These kind of anti-hunters are wolves in sheep’s clothing and will dissuade new hunters from the path faster than any Sarah McLaughlin song ever could.