Quote:

---

A good honest reply and it would be great if these posts are taken as constructive criticism as we are all in the spotlight of the common public.

---

I fully agree with you and thanks to Marcel for his post.

I think one of the big issues we as hunters are having is the perceptions of the non hunting community. Not all of them are greenies, but they have a wrong perception of hunting.

After reading an artlicle by Ian Michler about the cancelation of hunting licences in Zambia and some of the other articles he wrote, I again realise the seriousness of the wrong perceptions. The problem with perceptions are that they are seldom true. To change that perception takes a lot of effort and a very long time. Take the canned hunting of a Lion by Sandy McDonald, who knows what really happened there? Sandy was lured into a trap by a person pretending that he was unable to walk and filmed the hunt, we all know what happened. The perception is still clinging. In the article of Ian Michler South Africans are accused of flying Sable calfs out of Zambia, it is possible that it is true, but a perception is created that all South African hunters/outfitters/ph's are bad, which is very far from the truth. Yes we have a few bad apples, that creates a lot of bad publicity for the rest of us who is just like everybody else try to make a living. We are fortunate that at least we earn our money out of something we love.

The way hunting areas are closed in Africa, South Africa might be the last place on the continent where you will be able to hunt. Why are hunting closed in Africa? Are perceptions not playing a big part, I'm just wondering.

I think what happens in the bush must stay in the bush and with that I am not promoting unethical behaviour, the problem is that it does not matter what we do, we get hammered for it. In RSA we are very quickly accused of canned hunting etc, but it is only a very few guys who is doing it and the rest of us must fight out hands off to try and proof that we are not like that.

--------------------
Life is how you pass the time between hunting trips.
Sometimes I do not express myself properly in the English language, please forgive me, I am just a boertjie.
Jaco Human
jacohu@mweb.co.za
SA Hunting Experience

Post Extras