I would argue those statements. They hunt & shoot but not what we are talking about. Lets face it they have every opportunity to hunt and fish but do not. I have a guy from my mothers church that I've fished with many of times and he is a Black American that breaths fishing. The problem lies in their culture. If they wanted to hunt and fish they would but they rather grasp the thug life and celebrate that rather than the hunter gatherer lifestyle. Is this harsh criticism? Yes. Is it the truth? Most definately. This comment isn't racism it is based on cultural differences, that many are to affraid to say except behind closed doors.

Unlike obviously @Dcast's Wife, my wife is a beautifull Black American Woman, it really boils down to this and it's nothing like he had said.

In the 60's and prior going into the woods is where you went in the south if you were wanting to run into menacing rednecks that wanted to teach you a lesson.

it has taken myself quite some time to get my wife to get into the outdoors and i can say i have taken her camping, hiking, fishing, shooting and she enjoys it all. She actually suggests hiking around Gettysburg more than I do.

It's through this i have shared this with her family and they have found that they enjoy this as well. it's all about what and whom you feel comfortable with and the type of people you would run into while Hunting & Fishing I have found more than one less than savory WHITE person while in the outdoors before i had even met my wife. And it doesnt suprise her or her families hesitance in going into the woods.

Education of the next generation is the only way that this will be changed.

So next time Dcast, invite not only your buddy from church but his young son. And clean up the act of yourself and your fellow W.A.S.P. outdoorsmen and you might see some more people of race in the outdoors.

Honestly, I think Dcast has a "point", to a point!
Themasterdan!? Yep, you're pretty much spot on!
Where I grew up, the rural blacks (Afro Americans if you wish!) were avid outdoorsmen/women and most were hardworking farmers/ranchers. But then, so were the whites (Euro Americans).
But it also worked for the "city" folks! The people raised in the country and later moved to the city kept up the "outdoor" lifestyle as much as possible, but as each generation became more removed from that lifestyle,
the less they hunt and fish.
THAT works both ways also. City folk move out into the country, it takes a while to get into the groove. It's not so much about race as it is "mindset".

Having grown up in a city where EVERYBODY had somebody in there family that hunted and fished. I have seen a incredible drop in the outdoor life among the black population. As a teen (70's-80's) this was yet not so, I can't blame the lack of land to hunt on, because in our part of New York there's a lot of public land and still plenty of private land if you know how to ask. For some reason, (and its not just in the black community), the hunting/fishing culture wasn't passed on to the younger kids much. Many of the kids I played sports (inner-city) with had dads , granddads and uncles that hunted, but they didn't go with them; believe me, I asked. These men (most are gone) also shot skeet and trap competitively at the local clubs too. My late friend and co-worker had 2 sons that he never took them with us when hunting or fishing, they didn't want to go and he didn't press them; I would nag him cuz he should have dragged them along, I know they would of had fun, maybe not at 4am, but later on. To change this takes a lot of work and it comes from within the group (any group). There were a lot of Hunting/fishing/camping social clubs in the black neighborhoods in Buffalo NY, they are mostly all gone now, because they needed young men. This decline didn't happen overnight. Even after a hard week of work, you have to get out there, whether you want to at the moment or not, and we have to drag our kids with us, whether they want to go or not, we/they will be glad once we wake up and start hunting.When dad said: ''get up, it's time to go'', WE all got up. Fun takes work too, far too many of our kids haven't been taught that. It's going to take work ( alot of it) to change that.

Rocaphilla, It must be said because any comment such as mine is viewed as a racist comment, when it isn't.

Campns, Sorry you took offense to my comment, but the culture issues are far and wide. I wouldn't argue that there are problems with any other race, but to deny the cultural aspects of my comment is not honesty. "In the 60's and prior going into the woods is where you went in the south if you were wanting to run into menacing rednecks that wanted to teach you a lesson." So thats ok? You really can't use that as an argument too the fact that there are fewer black people in the woods and streams are you? It is 2012 not 1960's, 52yrs prior to your misguided excuse.

Themasterdan, what does hunting in countless states and the such have anything to do with what I said. Can you argue the cultural aspect of my statement & that they have just as much opportunity as I, you , Campns, Rocaphilla, etc...?

I will end this discussion because like so many others can't see past their nose, and rather make it about race. I don't get offended when someone talks about the evil white man I just laugh at their idiocy.

There is one thing that is common in all of your criticisms of dcast's past. "I grew up with a lot of African Americans that were outdoorsmen". Well that was then and this is now and I can speak for my generation when I say that it is a cultural thing. As dcast said they have every oportunity as everybody else does and if they really wanted to be out there they could.