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Giraffe Valentines Day news story
      #350836 - 25/02/21 11:08 PM

Trophy hunter poses with 'Valentine's gift' - the heart of giraffe she just shot

EXCLUSIVE: Merelize Van Der Merwe boasted how her 'wonderful' husband spent £1,500 on a hunt at a game park over the Valentine's weekend - where she shot a giraffe

BySean Rayment
20:59, 20 FEB 2021UPDATED21:25, 20 FEB 2021


The hunt had been arranged by her husband over Valentine's weekend

A trophy hunter poses with her “perfect” Valentine’s gift – the heart of a giraffe she’s just shot.

Merelize Van Der Merwe, 32, boasts of how her “wonderful” husband spent £1,500 to make her five-year dream come true at a game park last Sunday.

The sick photo she proudly posted on her Facebook page has caused outrage among animal rights campaigners.

But the defiant mum astonishingly insists killing the ageing bull giraffe helps SAVE threatened species in South Africa – a claim dismissed by conservationists.

Van Der Merwe, who started hunting at five and has killed up to 500 animals including lions, leopards and elephants, says she posted the snap to taunt the animal rights lobby.

What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments section




Merelize van der Merwe poses with the giraffe she killed

“I have no respect for them – I call them the mafia,” she said before excitedly telling all about her dream day.

The couple had been planning a Valentine’s trip to the resort of Sun City when a pal called her to say a kill she coveted had been spotted in a game park.

“I’d waited years for my own perfect bull – the older a bull gets the darker he gets,” she said. “I love the skin and the fact it’s such an iconic animal for Africa.

“Our plans changed quickly. My wonderful husband Gerhardt knew this was my dream. I was like a child for two weeks, counting the days. Afterwards I was flooded with emotions.”



She captioned the post: 'Ever wondered how big a giraffe's heart is'
She plans to use her 17-year-old victim’s skin as a rug – and posted her pic with the comment: “Ever wondered how big a giraffe’s heart is? I’m over the moon with my Valentines present!!!”

Van Der Merwe – who runs a citrus farm in South Africa’s northern Limpopo province– claimed her kill “created work for 11 people that day” and “a lot of meat for the locals”.


She claimed the death of the old bull would mean “a new bull can take over and provide new strong genetics for the herd”.

She added: “If hunting is banned, animals will become worthless and will disappear. Hunting has helped bring back a lot of species from the brink of extinction. The only people protecting these animals are trophy hunters.”

She also believes hunting protects thousands of jobs in tourism.

But Dr Mark Jones of the Born Free Foundation told us: “Trophy hunters’ claims they are concerned about wildlife conservation are highly misleading. Trophy hunting is not a conservation tool, nor does it contribute significant funds to local communities.”

Elisa Allen, of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said: “Someone who kills another sentient being, cuts out their heart, and boasts about it fits the definition of a sociopath.

“One day, trophy hunting will be listed as a sign of a psychiatric disorder, as it should be today. It is grandiosity, serial killing, and bloodlust paired with a burning desire to show off."

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/trophy-hunter-poses-valentines-gift-23536043

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crshelton
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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: NitroX]
      #350837 - 25/02/21 11:37 PM

To each his/her own.

I prefer the huntress over the PETA person.

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85lc
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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: crshelton]
      #350839 - 26/02/21 03:37 AM

Was the article written by vegans? If it was written by carnivores, I wonder where they think their meals came from?

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93x64mm
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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: 85lc]
      #350857 - 26/02/21 03:39 PM

Good for this young lady.
As far as killing the animal in an inhumane way, wait till the poor old bugger's teeth wear out & he starves slowly to waste away to the point were hyenas eat the poor sod alive because he's so weak.
I'd gladly wear a bullet instead of that!


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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: 93x64mm]
      #350870 - 27/02/21 05:49 AM

Absolutely! Wholesome young woman.

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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: DarylS]
      #350888 - 27/02/21 06:11 PM

Some so called shooters and/ot hunters if actually hunters at all, are all up in arms posting on farcebook about how terrible unethical this huntress is ... including some African outfitters believe it or not. Some of the posters seem to promote posting any "trophy photos" is bad and negative and "unethical" "these days" ... and the photo of her holding her "Valentines Day heart" is somehow terrible ....

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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: NitroX]
      #350929 - 28/02/21 04:52 PM

TA Opre
shared a post.
·
Is this a responsible, ethical hunter in today’s modern changing world?

TA Opre


Is this a responsible, ethical hunter in today’s modern changing world? Or is this someone who hasn’t thought of the fact 95% of the modern works doesn’t hunt, doesn’t understand wildlife conservation and plenty of that 95% don’t even know where their food originated? Sportsman - you are the minority. You are a very small minority. Keep posting content which looks disrespectful towards wildlife (especially what I call zoo animals) and it won’t be long before your minority finds recreational hunting banned or regulated out of existence. Have class. Use your brain. Taunting your adversaries doesn’t elevate you very far up the food chain. #stupidity #conservationmatters #huntingisconservation #giraffe #merelizevandermerwe #giraffeheart

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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: NitroX]
      #350930 - 28/02/21 04:59 PM

TA Opre

Johan
good comments. My point of asking the question is in regards to the perception hunting has with the broader public.
Let me add - Hunters should all stand together regardless of what, where or how you hunt. A hunter is a hunter — not a meat hunter or a trophy hunter.
But our modern society is disconnected from nature. Most folks don’t even know where their food originated.
We live in representative democracies. Elections have consequences. 50% plus ONE wins the political seat or the referendum or ballot initiative. Based in real data from USF&WS only about 5% of the population in the US buys a hunting license in any given gear. So hunters are 45% plus ONE vote behind before we even get to the polling place.
I liken grip & grins to pornography - I don’t care if someone is in to it, but it’s consumed behind your door. You don’t post pics of your naked wife on Facebook for friends, coworkers or family to see. Knowing the reality of all the above and knowing hunting as we know it could easily be banned or regulated out of existence would it not be wise to consider the ramifications of posting your hunt porn?

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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: NitroX]
      #350931 - 28/02/21 05:06 PM

One of our "ex" members comments and my reply.

Quote:

Bj Monty
It's just above the weak people that go hunting but remain in the closet , because they worry their job etc could be at stake . It's playing into the hand of the anti hunters as less and less own up to being a hunter. If more people stood up to be counted , it might not be the minority people think it is .
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Peter Apps
Bj Monty
There is a difference between standing up to be counted and flaunting your contempt for other peoples' points of view. This kind of mindless exhibitionism just makes it more difficult for people to say they are hunters.
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Jean Cawood Simon
Peter where did this hunter post her picture. Why did TA Opre take her pictures and flash them across The Conservation Imperative Group.
We should be questioning TA Opre's moral standing ...in my opinion.
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Bj Monty
Peter Apps
you've misunderstood my comment , I didn't say there wasn't a difference , I compared the two. Does a drunk driver make you think twice about saying you enjoy driving ? Hiding in the closet and allowing only these poor images to circulate , … See more

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TA Opre
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Jean Cawood Simon
my moral standing? Lol. Read my comments above. Thanks for participating in the discussion.
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Peter Apps
Bj Monty
OK, I agree there need to be many more pictures circulating of the habitat that hunting protects and the creatures that depend on it. Many more hunters going on quietly and unashamedly being hunters.

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John Hahn
BJ, absolutely. My first PAID hunt was with a REAL outfitter, not some always on facebook outfitter. You knows the guys not on facebook because they are always iun the bush with real clients.
Anyway he said "BE 100% OPEN AND IN FRONT with your hunting. Are you ashamed of it" Then why hide it? Its is nothing to be ashamed of. "
He had his African trophies in his car garage under his house in the front when the garage doors were open you could see them all.
I learned a lot from, him. An honest couragous guy. Not some shirking, hide it all, asmahed at what they do.
Ooh someone at work might now I hunt!!! "
All my fellow employees and bosses knew I hunted. I sat on boards and committees and they all knew it.
I hardly EVER got a negative comment. Because I was 100% OPEN about it all, and positive and confident.




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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: NitroX]
      #350932 - 28/02/21 05:15 PM

Quote:

Andrew Baldry
Merelize would have known that this display would go viral and she now has the public attention that she sought. I cannot see how this Valentine stint will sour the entire hunting industry but it certainly does it no favors. There are hundreds if not thousands of hunted animals being posted on social media daily. There are more women hunting than there has ever been which certainly puts a different stance on the 'small dick syndrome' that the ARA's have always flouted!
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Michael Angelides
Andrew Baldry
ditto




Quote:

John Hahn
So Andrew Baldry
and michael Michael Angelides
, I decided to hunt a buffalo for my 50th Birthday. I took photos of the hunt, wrote a story, took trophy photos of it. I could have dispolayed its heart in a photo if I wanted.
So questions for two outfitters:
1. Am I unenthical because I wrote a story and showed trophy photos?
2. If I showed the heart in a photo with a bullet hole through it, does that make it unethical?
3. Am I more ethical because it was a 50th Birthday hunt and not a Valentines Day hunt?
4. Am I more ethical because I am a man and not a young pretty woman?
5. Is hunting so unethical and should someone be ashamed to show photos of themselves with a hunted animal?
6. Do you regard the shooting of a "zoo animal" as unethical even if it is in the wild anda wild animal?




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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: NitroX]
      #350933 - 28/02/21 05:26 PM

Quote:

Graeme Bruce Pollock
Truly this is a dilemma, anti hunters are not going to change their minds irrespective of what is posted . However some sitting the fence accept and acknowledge hunting as a tool of conservation but anything visually can trigger their emotions against hunting . So yes this is not good for hunting even though we all know it's what pays for conservation including bambi's forest.
Hunters would serve better if they kept their hunting photos for friends family and colleagues. Rather share photos of the outdoors fireside communities etc to share the incredible experience of hunting.
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John Hahn
Graeme Bruce Pollock
So if you are ashamed of hunting you desire to hide it from public view?

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Graeme Bruce Pollock
John Hahn
no John , as some of my colleagues have stated its difficult to defend . Many of us who held or do hold positions in Hunting Assoc that deal with legal and other Conservation issues require apathy , and political support . If support is eroded political support erodes on crucial issues . In other words image has a lot to do with modern world views of hunting .
In the same way it would be silly for Catholics to be insensitive to say Methodists or other religious beliefs , so we just need to be more aware of the bigger picture . Certainly not apologetic , but certainly aware of causing damage .
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Peter Apps
John Hahn
There is a huge gulf between sensibly publicising hunting and deliberately ot ignorantly posting images that glorify the gore and the killing.
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Michael Angelides
Peter Apps
this is exactly the problem we face, arrogantly showing the gore! There is no need. We are dealing with something else’s life that’s why we need to be sensitive and respectful, and not to the anti hunter but to the animal who’s life was taken!
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John Hahn
My comment from elsewhere - modified a little:
My first PAID hunt was with an outfitter,
He said "BE 100% OPEN AND IN FRONT with your hunting. Are you ashamed of it" Then why hide it? Its is nothing to be ashamed of. "
He had his African trophies in his car garage under his house in the front when the garage doors were open you could see them all.
He had people sometimes come to tell him he was disgusting, they always left educated and more knowledgeable. Many persons just came to ask him out of curiousity/. And also left well educated.
I learned a lot from, him. An honest couragous guy. Not some shirking, hide it all, asmahed at what they do.
Ooh someone at work might now I hunt!!! "
All my fellow employees and bosses knew I hunted. I sat on boards and committees and they all knew it.
I hardly EVER got a negative comment. Because I was 100% OPEN about it all, and positive and confident.
I am not ashamed one bit and rarely see a need to hide. it. I have been asked by non sporting clubs to speak about African and international hunting to non hunting members.
As for politics I have stood for political office. Been interviewed by the media.
The hide it in the closts sorts are the back stabbers and fudds that do us as much if not more harm.
Having seen the orginal posts by the lady I do not see how they are different from 90% of hunters photos from African hunts. Big deal,, a heart with a hole in it. .... it is meat. And we will never get Animal libbers and vegans voting for pro hunting.
Without the biased introduction of the fudd original poster, most or few hunters see anything wrong with the lady the story or the photos.




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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: NitroX]
      #350936 - 28/02/21 05:50 PM

Quote:

John Hahn
If it was a man in the photo would TA Opre be so upset and find it so distateful. I think not. Typical of the antis who get really upset by pretty girls hunting and enjoying it.
" Is this a responsible, ethical hunter in today’s modern changing world? "
I don't see any commentary about how the hunt was conducted. So your comments are irrelevant.
"Sportsman - YOU are the minority. You are a very small minority. Keep posting content which looks disrespectful towards wildlife (especially what I call zoo animals) and it won’t be long before YOUR minority finds recreational hunting banned or regulated out of existence. Have class. Use YOUR brain. Taunting YOUR adversaries doesn’t elevate you very far up the food chain. "
YOU YOUR YOUR YOU - it is obvious TA Opre does not include himself in the hunting fraternity
I have seen his posts before. Usually show ths antii bias.
I don't see ANYTHING wrong with a huntress holding a heart. It is a heart. A piece of meat. Maybe she is showing it displaying the bullet hole and the clean quick honest kill. Or maybe the size of it. It will not doubt get eaten.
As has been said, any REAL hunter has held the heart of his or her quarry.
Standing beside her killed animal. Only antis see this as a negative. Or bitter healous sorts of hunters who can't do it themselfes. So no one should. The anti hunters of the UK who shoot tame captive bred pheasants are often examples.
So she has her arms out. Big Deal. A giraffe is a big animal. Maybe TA Opre would prefer she sit there her head in her hands sobbing at the inhumanity at the murder of a "zoo animal".
"Zoo animal". No it is not. It is a wild animal in a natural environment.
Your sheer ignorance and bias is displayed again and again.
A lot of people are swayed by negative comments by images which are not negative. Called the mob. The anti mob. Ruled by ignorant emotion.
I haven't so far wanted to hunt a giraffe, a bit too easy IMO. But nice skins and good eating if not too old. For those that want to hunt them ethically and sportingly, why not ...
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Bugs Van Heerden
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John Hahn
so here is a question. What net benefit can you think of to hunting or conservation does the selling of this story to the media contribute? If there is no benefit to the activity that you enjoy, then who is profiting from this? I say again. Its delivering click bait to the antis. Its counter productive.
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John Hahn
Having seen the original story AND the Mirror gutter rag post, where is the evidence of any "selling of this story" ?
Its simple and I will keep it that way for slow people.
The UK old fleet stret gutter press troll the net and world for cheap sensational stories. They make them sensational even if they are not originally. The will troll social media and then produce an anti huntign story. The UK press will always emphasize the price of the hunt. It appeals to their class hatred and class warfare sensationalisation as well.
Any huinting is bad per them. They also hate trophy hunting.
Actually they probably don't hate it at all. It is just them creating bullshit stories to sell their crap newspapers.
If youare female and a hunter, they love to pile shot on them.
Just like fudds on the internet like to do as well.




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John aka NitroX

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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: NitroX]
      #350937 - 28/02/21 06:07 PM

Quote:

Trevor Oertel
Unfortunately the "link" used in the original post by TA Opre
does not reflect on the true motive for the question of ethical hunting.
In light of some of the comments posted especially some of the later ones such as those by John Hahn
Morne Openshaw
Adolf Kleinhans
Jack Visser
I suspect the original post by Merelize van der Merwe was not seen by many commenting on here.
The ethics that TA Opre righly questioned was a post by Merelize of a "valentine's" gift she had received from her husband as she waxed on lyrically of how she had always desired a big black Giraffe and had to put a romantic interlude to a hotel on pause as she went forth to claim her trophy.
I suspect very few on here besides Austin Farley
and I saw the original post, which has subsequently been removed by Merelize.
The original post to my mind was unnecessary, provocative and designed to solicit exactly the International media response it has.
Personally I found the post in poor taste and unethical as potentially the years of good hard work undertaken by many hunters and conservationists to highlight the invaluable contribution that hunting makes towards conservation was spat on for Merelize's own ego and need to be noticed.
Hopefully this article in the Daily Mail
will touch on and quote enough of the original post to give one a better understanding of the now removed post which was not an innocent post as a hunter holding the heart of an animal they had just shot or an educational video of the workings of a giraffe heart.
Clayton Fletcher
made a brilliant observation of throwing a fellow hunter under the bus. Merelize's original post for her own ego and need to be noticed to my mind has thrown an entire industry under a bus and has undone years of hard work trying to justify and show the anti hunting narrative for what it is.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/.../South-African-hunter...
South African hunter poses with giraffe heart 'Valentine's gift'
DAILYMAIL.CO.UK
South African hunter poses with giraffe heart 'Valentine's gift'
South African hunter poses with giraffe heart 'Valentine's gift'
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Trond Livden
Trevor Oertel
the article reflects a lot of the inconsistent arguments from antis.
«Conservationists dispute this, saying that trophy hunting encourages people to breed animals for sport, which disrupts ecosystems and harms the environment.»
And then:
«Removing wild animals, particularly large males, damages the herds in which they live, animal activists argue.»
Breeding animals and then they suddenly are wild animals.....😏

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Adolf Kleinhans
Thank you Trevor Oertel
for trying to clarify. Your further explanation however does not change anything.
You may use absolutely any activity which is seen as good or bad, depending on who you ask, and draw the comparison.
Your concern seems to be with the bad taste, or rather the undermining of "the years of good hard work undertaken by many hunters and conservationists" - I take your point, but I argue that your point and the good hard work done was done the wrong way.
As stated in my original comment - we should not hide, or sugar coat. We should stand firm.
How does this picture in any way take away from "highlight[ing] the invaluable contribution that hunting makes towards conservation"?
In fact - I would argue that the "many hunters and conservationists" who worked so hard should have used this opportunity to explain that although anti's might not like the photo, the principle remains. You would have been able to garner MUCH media attention and drive the message. Just as butchery isn't a nice sight - it is part of the process. This is nothing different.
This is a missed opportunity and anyone turning on her should be ashamed - it is the very definition of hypocritical.
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Trevor Oertel
https://www.jacarandafm.com/.../south-african-woman.../
South African woman poses with giraffe's body and heart
JACARANDAFM.COM
South African woman poses with giraffe's body and heart
South African woman poses with giraffe's body and heart

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Graeme Bruce Pollock
Adolf Kleinhans
do soldiers display their kills , no , but we all know soldiers kill . Everybody knows hunters kill .
Nobody is saying be apologetic or hide the processes of hunting . We are saying dont taunt the public . Share with like minded people but for the good of hunting it is better to share the hunting experience, the outdoors , the fellowship , this promotes hunting . I can assure blood guts and giraffes hearts bleeding in a womans hands does not .
Unless you spend a lot of time promoting hunting as a land use to governments, communities and legislators you dont understand how important public perception is .
One small example in Northen KwaZulu , there was an experiment to auction injured dangerous elephants , it generated good income but was quickly closed due to public perception, and it was a minuscule anti reaction but it put end to a great income generating opportunity for conservation and the Warden was left to do the culling at the expense of the parks budget .
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Trevor Oertel
Adolf Kleinhans
I agree with just about everything you have written here.
I agree 100% that we should not hide or sugar coat what we do and nowhere have I ever advocated that we should, in fact the opposite.
How does "this picture in any way take away from "highlighting the invaluable contribution that hunting makes towards conservation"?" IT DOESN'T which is the very point of my comment! Merelize's original post did!
By this and your further comments on the photo I can only assume you did not see the original post by Merelize.
I have nothing to be ashamed of.
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Adolf Kleinhans
Graeme Bruce Pollock
I implore you to go read my reply up top to TA Opre
- your math is out.
The "public perception" you speak of, is not public perception. It is the overwhelming voice of anti-hunting groups and individuals sitting at home with 72 cats.
For the past three years, I have spent 80 hours a week working with the hunting industry's data. That is all I do.
I say this with respect: People forming arguments as you do in the last response, are drawing conclusions from the end result, not from the process. You say that there was public backlash, therefore we did wrong. When in actual fact many other factors come into play. It is a perfect example of what we call "ergo propter hoc" - because B happened after A, A must have caused B.
For example, the way in which you are now handling this situation. If instead of joining the anti's in judging these pictures, you used the opportunity to engage with the media outlets condemning it, you would have been able to reach the other 50% of the population who have no problem with it and an additional big chunk of those who just don't understand (but are flooded by "facts" from anti's). All of a sudden the scales tip. An equally loud pro-hunting voice could have been heard, and the absolute minority in which anti-hunting radicals exist would have been made more clear.
We like to talk about sustainability - do you really think that trying to hide the kill is a sustainable PR strategy?
To use your example - the army/government don't try to hide the kill. In fact, they always tell us "XYZ number of people were killed during ... ". But instead of hiding the kill, they explain it. That is what hunters should do. That is what the hunting community should do with this giraffe.
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Adolf Kleinhans
Trevor Oertel
I've seen the original post, no I did not memorize it. I have also read the article you shared.
I still fail to see the problem? Her husband buying her a hunt, her drawing the Giraffe heart comparison with Valentine's day, her smile, her picture, her choosing a hunt over going to a golf resort, her standing up for herself after being attacked by anti's - where is the fault on her part?
If I am missing something I would love for someone to tell me what it is.
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Morne Openshaw
Trevor Oertel
I saw the original post....

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Peter Apps
Adolf Kleinhans
What you are missing - by a margin that suggests a complete and utter lack of empathy with ordinary people - is that the man and woman in the street, the huge majority that neither hunt not oppose hunting, do not want to see dismembered carcases on their social media, and that when the ARAs seize on opportunities such as that provided my Merelize van der Merwe to plaster such pictures all over the internet, hunting's reputation with the general public slips down another few points that it can ill afford to lose.
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Adolf Kleinhans
Peter Apps
Ah I see where you are coming from.
Peter - there are dreams & ideals, and there is reality.
The dream and ideal would be that all hunting pictures are wiped clean of blood, trophies are neatly positioned, no ego's are involved, hunters position themselves and their rifles politely.
The reality is that will never happen. You will always have people who do not give two damns about the anti-hunters and who would much rather explain themselves than constraint themselves.
So the question is NOT how do we stop hunters from posting these pictures - because you won't. The question is how do work with it.
Now taking what I just said - feel free to reread my prior comments, it should make more sense to you.
We cannot hide. That is impossible. We must embrace and control the narrative. As I said in another post - we are wasting our breath here arguing among each other. We should be out there helping people understand.
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Peter Apps
Adolf Kleinhans
"We should be out there helping people understand." OK then, take the picture on the left at the top, the one of her brandishing the heart. How do we go about "helping people understand" that ?
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Adolf Kleinhans
Peter Apps
By not attacking her, but tackling individual objections to it with logical arguments. Most people aren't that stupid and might not like it, but will understand it.
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Adolf Kleinhans
Peter Apps
Let me make one thing clear just - you do not have to "defend" her, but you sure as hell shouldn't be joining the anti's in attacking her.
If someone has an objection to the heart, sure you are welcome to say yeah I understand why you might not like it, but some people hunt very often and aren't queasy at all. And then stop. Because anything you say in addition to that is false. That is the fact. She doesn't care that she is holding a heart - others might. And that is the only difference.
I talk to the general public about hunting loud & proud in city bars & corporate meetings and most people understand if you just take 30 seconds to explain. Many even say they'd love to try it.
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Trevor Oertel
Some seem to have a hard time understanding why I and others find the original post over the Valentine's period distasteful, provocative, selfish and inappropriate.
It has nothing to do with being proud of our hunting heritage, showcasing the butchering of an animal or educational. I just hope should Merelize or any other hunter feel it is appropriate to post a video of themselves ripping out the throat or disemboweling their next injured animal using their teeth their actions are defended as vigorously.
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Peter Apps
Adolf Kleinhans
In other words, because she self-identifies as a hunting heroine, and uses shock tactics to deliberately stir up hate camments from the anti-hunters, she gets a free pass ? She does care that she is holding a heart, she chose the heart specifically for Valentine's day and deliberately used it to whip up anti-hunting sentiment among the anti-hunters. I really am at a loss why you, if you promote hunting, cannot see how that damages the image of hunting.
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Adolf Kleinhans
Peter Apps Oh I see how it damages the image of hunting - but only because so many hunters are shying away from it. She is in the vast minority, and you will always have Marelize's. So instead of attacking her and complaining about how she is tainting our image, you should be using the opportunity to educate people.
As I said, there are dreams, and there is reality. The reality is that Marelize exists, and many more Marelize's will exist today, tomorrow and forever.
I'm not trying to provoke you Peter, but I simply do not know how to illustrate this point any clearer:
- It is your choice which strategy you choose to follow when socializing about hunting.
- My strategy is open & honest and aimed at informing; it will not win over the anti's, but nothing will; it has however been tremendously successful with the vast majority of "middle grounders". I won't be posing with any animal's heart any time soon but I also won't be attacking someone who does because that's dishonest and anything I say about that person would be hypocritical.
- You seem to be covering up "the gorry parts" and hiding the facts in the hope that the boogeyman goes away. This is not sustainable and your strategy is dead before it even began. In fact - you are playing right into the hands of anti's as all they do is claim that ph's and guides don't want to show you the truth, and boom they plaster your kills all over the web. Checkmate. They win.
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Austin Farley
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Peter Apps
The unique thing about the hunting community, is that we never cut off the bad fruit but rather cling onto it for dear life. Really damages the health of the tree in the long run.
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Peter Apps
Austin Farley
I really cannot grasp the rationale behind calls for hunters to stand as one, undivided block; that no hunter must ever criticise anyone who self-identifies as a hunter.
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Austin Farley
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Peter Apps
Neither can I. We're only shooting ourselves in the foot at this point.
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Peter Apps
Adolf Kleinhans
OK, so you will not criticise brandishing a heart on social media. Let's approach the problem from another direction; what activity, posted on social media, would you criticise because it damages hunting's image ?
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John Hahn
Trevor Oertel
Seeing I was named. I have seen a post which very much looks like her original post. It certainly mentions all the relevant details, the Valentine's Gift hunt, the joy of hunting a giraffe, the old giraffe, the heart etc on Valentines day.
I didn't really see anything that extraorindary in that post.
The UK gutter rag pinched the photos and stories off facebook. Like they always do. For sensational copy and full of their usual bias.
I have enjoyed a buffalo hunt for my 50th birthday. And written about it. Not being female, the gutter rags couldn't care less about some odl fart shooting a buffalo. They would have been all over it if it was a young femal huntress on say her 21st Birthday however ...




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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: NitroX]
      #350938 - 28/02/21 06:10 PM

Quote:

John Hahn
I don't particularly like the excessive back slapping, high fives and cheers when an animal is taken. And I don't like seeing tape measures immediatley pulled out. AND I don't like the clients who only smile AFTER the tape measurements are confirmed ... AND I don't like sad faces like I might have as I enjoed the hunt and now my hunt is finished, with the trophy on the ground ... I guess someone will always dislike somthing ....
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Adolf Kleinhans
John Hahn
exactly 100% correct Sir
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Bugs Van Heerden
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John Hahn
I absolutely believe "each to his own". But what happened here was different. It was to deliberately tease the antis with lewd or suggestive behavior. She offered herself as a steriotype that so many antis despise and confirmed their bias against that steriotype. But worst of all, is the attention she is drawing from neutral non-hunters who are able to see logic in the good work hunting does for conservation. Its also a sucker punch to those who have worked so hard to portray hunting in a favorable light. - And those people include non-hunter academics or conservation practitioners.

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John Hahn
Adolf Kleinhans
What I do like seeing is females hunting. They are the mass of the "middle" being complained about here, and them hunting shows the masses of nin hunting females a fellow female hunting. The reason the antis absolutely HATE young females hunting.
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Adolf Kleinhans
John Hahn
I agree. As simple proof of how this lady is not at all in the wrong is by going on to, for example, Instagram where the "younger generations" tend to spend more time. There you will find male, and lots of female, hunters with dozens of thousands of followers doing exactly what marelize did with nobody complaining. Older and younger generations alike want to hunt and all that is required for images like this to not be a problem is for the hunting & outdoors communities to stop bending the knee - especially on Facebook. Anti hunters are in the minority, but they've got way to much time on their hands allowing them to shout louder.
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John Hahn
Bugs Van Heerden
She posted a story on her personal public page. It was picked up and sensationalised by gutter UK press and also by a fudd.
ALL of my pages, groups, forums are more or less public. Because I believe being open, confident and honest about shooting and hunting is a plus. And helps educate those who do not hunt or shoot.
I have educated many of the "middle" over the last twenty years.
I do not try to educate the extreme antis, as it is a wast eof time and resources.
The story of Merelize's that is claimed to be gone, I could still see it yesterday. Or a very similar post. Maybe facebook took it down briefly from a complaint.
The main gripe seems to be the displaying of a giraffe hear in relation to a Valentine's Day hunt. What is so wrong about that?
The anits show their natures by their extreme hateful comments wishing the usual death, har., evil against a femal hunter. This is always the case nowadays.
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John Hahn
Adolf Kleinhans
It is a rare female hunter among my friends list whether a celebrity or an average person, who has NOT been attacked by the anits for her hunting posts. and a great many by the gutter press.
Hells Bells, I have been left out! Crusty boring old male ... 😉

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John Hahn
Adolf Kleinhans
BTW I run a forums as well. Years ago I posted an elephant hunting story and photos by a Shooters Party politican and member of Parliamnet. Hismale elephant photo appeared on the front page of a Sydney newspaper attacking him. It was pinched from my forums. At the time the guy said, it was good press for him ... he might say different nowadays I don't know. BUT the photo and story was a good respectful one. The anits will always twist anything to make it appear bad. And elephant hunting is one of the easiest they have to make it hateful for Joe Blow Public. After all "elephant are endangered of extinction after all" even in elephant numerous Zimbabwe ... (not of course).





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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
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Edited by NitroX (28/02/21 06:29 PM)


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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: NitroX]
      #350939 - 28/02/21 07:03 PM

Ch 7 in Australia is now showing an image. I will post it up here later.

https://www.facebook.com/7NewsAustralia/photos/a.166532086690326/4672494536094036?type=3&sfns=mo
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES 📌 7news.link/TrophyHunter


My comment below. Lots of comments by good fellow hunters.

" Merelize is displaying how big a giraffe's heart is an dperhaps the bullet hole which quickly and cleaning and humanely killed the animal.

ALL of the meat would have been used and eaten. Either by the hunters or sold on game meat market or given to local villagers.

The fees which she paud goes to conserving wildlife. South Africa has so much wildlife simply because of the hunting industry. Many cattle propeties run game for hunting instead of cattle because of it. Wildlife populations are greatly enhanced.

Some animals are taken for hunting. The breeding population remains for the future.

Wildlife meat is no different from eating a cow or a sheep. Except it is often free rnage, non GM, low in fat and healthy, and helps sustain conservation, wildlife populations and good fun outdoor enjoyment.

A fact, animals die. A lion will rip the guts out of a giraffe while it is still alive. A bullet through the heart is a quick death. "

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John aka NitroX

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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: NitroX]
      #350940 - 28/02/21 07:04 PM

Quote:

Ch 7 in Australia is now showing an image. I will post it up here later.

https://www.facebook.com/7NewsAustralia/photos/a.166532086690326/4672494536094036?type=3&sfns=mo
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES 📌 7news.link/TrophyHunter







Quote:

Hunter Merelize Van Der Merwe poses with heart of giraffe she just shot in South Africa
Lucy Quaggin
7NEWS
Published: 22/02/2021
Updated: Monday, 22 February 2021 2:25 pm AEDT
Tiger makes singing noises to communicate
(Source: NBC)
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:36


Tiger makes singing noises to communicate

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT

Widespread outrage has followed a female hunter’s social media post of a picture of herself holding the heart of a giraffe she’d just killed in South Africa.

Merelize Van Der Merwe, 32, took to Facebook to share a number of confronting images of the dead giraffe and its heart.

Her husband reportedly paid around $2600 for the killing of the 17-year-old giraffe at the game park on Valentine’s Day.

The woman has also posted videos of her hunting the animal and a lengthy caption about the killing.

“I was literally like a little child for two weeks and counted down the days,” she said.

Van Der Merwe is a staunch supporter of the sustainable hunting industry and calls the controversial sport “part of who she is”.

The hunter claimed the giraffe was “so old that he was way over his time and the owner didn’t know if he will last another 3 months!!!”.

Alongside the caption, she posted two images with her looking elated next to the big animal.
One of the images the hunter posted.
One of the images the hunter posted. Credit: Merelize van der Merwe
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Merelize’s Facebook page has over 80,000 followers - made up of a mixture of hunting enthusiasts and animal rights activists, who disagree with her.

In recent posts, she put up videos and images of the giraffe’s heart that had been cut out of the body.

“Ever wondered how big a giraffe’s heart is?” she wrote alongside a picture of it.

“I’m absolutely over the moon with my BIG Valentine present!!!”
Merelize van der Merwe thought killing the animal was a beautiful gift from her husband and she was proud to share the experience.
Merelize van der Merwe thought killing the animal was a beautiful gift from her husband and she was proud to share the experience. Credit: Facebook
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The images have divided her social media followers, with people on both sides having their say.

“Killing a helpless animal is not a sport. It’s lunacy,” one person said.

“Without hunting, there would be no wildlife. People have forgotten where food comes from, how to harvest it, how to process it!” another said.

“She wasn’t hunting and killing this beautiful animal because it threatened her livestock, or her own life, nor was she killing it feed her family ... it is sad,” a third chimed in.




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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: NitroX]
      #350970 - 01/03/21 10:29 AM

Typical of Channel 7 news & current affairs John, their journalism if you can call it that is always biased towards the greens & climate change.
I refuse to watch the dribble that comes out of that outlet (ABC & SBS are much worse), only thing I tune in for is the local weather!


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Re: Giraffe Valentines Day news story [Re: 93x64mm]
      #350973 - 01/03/21 02:06 PM

One outfitter has told me some other info.

One reason some outfitters may be more than a little peeved by all this, is the lady allegedly was touting for media interviews and exposure after the post on facebook.

If it was organic, well getting her side out is reasonable.

If it was all a personal publicity stunt, it is stupid, and doesn't do a lot of favours. However reasonable the story and photos might really have been. Pushing the publicity which is largely negative is counter productive for everyone in the long run.

Even if it helps others get positive information get out.

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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


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