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August 12, 2009
Sharp-Dressed Man?
One of my hunting buddies has a t-shirt that has always amused me. “There’s a place for all God’s creatures,” it proclaims in bold print, with various game animals silk-screened nearby. Then, in slightly-smaller script, the punch line: “Right next to the potatoes and gravy.”
This shirts captures in a hopefully (if slightly) humorous way, a fundamental truth of hunting that many non-hunters often forget: We eat what we kill, and we should not apologize for that facet of our sport. I consider myself a reasonably-sensitive guy, and slogans like this do not bother me.
There are other shirts that I’m not so certain about. Example A is shown above. While I do not apologize for killing (and eating) wild animals, I also do not view the act of killing as funny, nor do I take it lightly. Of course we all use euphemisms for killing, and “taking the air out of” a deer is fairly low on the OTP (Offensive Totem Pole). Still, while I wouldn’t think less of you if you wore such a shirt, I probably wouldn’t don one myself.
Obviously, hunter opinions are all over the map on issues like this. Is worrying about the “image” we project with such displays a form of needless hand-wringing; a wasted concern over what the non- and anti-hunting public think of us? Or do more of us need to watch what we wear and/or how we talk and act? It seems to be a fine line we walk, and whenever I feel myself tottering, I think of my wife.
Shari was a borderline anti-hunter when we met many years ago; she now enjoys hunting, fishing and above all, eating wild game. More than once I have heard her tell her friends that, had I not conducted myself well and showed her hunting in a respectful, positive light, she would not only have dumped me, but turned to the dark side. Tomorrow is our 20th anniversary, and I’m glad she selected neither of those options!
So what’s your opinion of the t-shirt slogan? Examples of good/bad ones you’d like to share?
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Comments (44)
The only shirt I have with anything on it was given to me by a girlfriend, "I fish because the voices in my head tell me to."
I only wear camo when hunting. I wear fishing and shooter shirts and sweaters, and field coats with integral game pouches that would probably only be recognized by other sportsmen. I like subtle, though I do get a grin from most of the sayings out there. Same with bumper stickers. Just not for me.
I hunt and i fish and im proud of it, and wont "wear camo to pretend i dont"(when among people that dont i mean) so id wear shirts with slogans like this with a glint in my eye and a huge grin if confronted.. Might not wave a flag pronouncing it from the rooftop though, but its nothing to be ashamed of in my opinion and if someone is so devoid of humour and zealous about not killing "any" animals theire probably PETA members anyway and i dont mind offending them at all:P
While I don't wear these type shirts that's my choice. I would rather see someone wear these shirts and explain that to my kids than go to the mall and have to explain what some of the shirts in the T-shirt kiosk mean.
MLH- I find your shirt offensive, some of us DO have voices in our heads telling us to fish, haha.
Similar to the meat and potatoes shirt I have one that says "Animals were harmed in the making of this hunter.....In fact they were shot, gutted, dragged home, butchered, marinated, grilled, and eaten"
You raise a very good topic with this post.
I think there should be more concern about the expressions such as the t-shirt you display in the hunting commmunity. IMHO, this t-shirt and the many others like it, display a lack of respect for the hunted animal.
You should have a reason for taking an animal's life, eating and pest control are the two legitimate reasons that immediately come to mind. Simply killing an animal for the sake of killing it is not a legitimate reason and in my mind, the t-shirt in your post places too much emphasis on the act of killing an animal and the overall impression is one of celebrating the act of killing and not the act of hunting.
Far worse than the t-shirts like this, though, are the hunting shows where the successful hunter does some form of a celebration after taking an animal like they just won the NCAA national championship. I wince whenever I see something like that on these shows because you know it has a huge influence on the next generation of hunters. And as I see it, these displays show a profound disrespect for the animal.
Anyway, I will step off my soapbox now . . .
I think this is a valid point for the very reason the shirts are popular with hunters. It's a short statement meant as a bit of an "inside joke" or a picture that's worth a thousand words and lets us express our desire to hunt. But, while I agree I don't mind offending PETA, and will defend and debate all day over my right to hunt...you don't get to have a conversation with the people reading your shirt...to explain why you value hunting. All they see is the shirt or slogan. When they see an image of a bowhunter at full draw and text, "This is gonna leave a mark", a non-hunters "interpretation" will differ and that may make them think twice when a proposal comes up for vote over game management or allowing hunters on their land later.
I agre with Scott. I wouldn't wear the shirt in the article, but I would not be offended by someone who did. There are some shirts out there that are crude/offensive that I think should not be worn. The shirts that I am offended by are usually not the type that would be offensive to a nonhunter, but because of crude or sexual humor. I agree with jjas, that I would rather people not wear things that I don't want to have to explain to my kid, wether it involves hunting or not.
I'll throw my 2 cents in with Bryan01 and WVOtter. I'm not offended by the shirts, but they can be offensive and turn someone away who is on the fence. Personally I think it shows a lack of respect, being successful in the field isn't all about fist bumps and B&C or P&Y scores, it's about so much more that is hard to put in words.
I confess. I have the "potatoes & gravy" T-shirt. To me, that one is mild humor. If a few people are offended, I'm not going to appologize. Like some of you already said, I'm not worried about offending PETA. (I have a camo hat that says PETA & in smaller letters: people eating tasty animals). Having said all that, I do think we need to be aware of the image we present to normal people. I wouldn't wear pictures of bloody animals or slogans that would be offensive to a lot of regular non-hunters. I'm not trying to turn non-hunters into anti-hunters. The anti-hunters offend me, so why not offend back a little.
Excellent post and some fine addendums in the replies. I am in full agreement with not making light of killing animals. I have a NWTF license tag on the back of my truck, a "Tenth Legion" tag on the front and an NRA sticker in the back window, but I don't try to portray myself as some sort of macho tough guy because I enthusiastically participate in blood sports. We do need to be careful of how we present our image to the neutral folks out there---we need them on our side, or at least not opposed to us. I disapprove of the "If it's brown, it's down" and "If it flies, it dies" bumper stickers and others like them.
i like shirts with just pictures of the animal on it. words get in the way
IMHO?
WVOtter says it well
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
If you have a problem with killing animals then maybe you need to joim a group called PETA! I see no problem with the shirt. Get off the cross man , someone needs the wood for a BBQ.
I just bought a shirt with a picture of a 12 point buck and F-250. it proclaims, "Huntin bucks, drivin trucks thats how I roll"
i agre that if i have to explain it to my nephew or cousin then I don't want to see it.
that the problem people blow stuff out of proportion.. it just a shirt don't like don't look, don't like the slogan don't stand there and read it look away, but like them or not they're going to be around... ((BUT THAT'S MY OPINION))
I generally don't wear slogans, I don't mind if others to its just not my style, the only stickers on my vehicle are a DOD sticker so I can get on the Fort to Go to the commisary & PX and an AAA Sticker so they know I am a member.
The shirt glorifies the killing part, and killing isn't what gets me pumped up about hunting. The kill is not the whole deal, only a tiny fraction. Not a fan.
I don't wear these types of shirts, but I am definitely not offended by them. In fact, I generally think that they are pretty funny, I just don't think that they are for me. As long as they do not turn people against hunting then I don't have a problem with them at all.
What are we going to do next? Stop wearing camo in public unless it`s in good taste? Every person in this country has a Father or Brother or Uncle that hunts or did hunt. I don`t think a shirt is going to change there mind either way. I think I still have a right to free speach. I do raise my tailgate but I will not hide that fact that I hunt. Oh, and by the way, the kill IS a huge part of the hunt!! Stop acting like it`s not!! That`s why you still get that feeling that we get.
My favorite hunting themed shirt shows a guy in a tree stand and says, "There's a fine line between hunting and sitting there looking stupid." I've found that the non-offensive humor, that pokes fun at myself, has opened the door to some good conversations about the many aspects of hunting. This with people who may have been offended by a shirt that had a more "direct" message.
treeman7616...
I agree that the kill is a huge part of the hunt. If it weren't, then I'd carry a camera instead of a gun. And when I shoot something, I am "killing" the animal, not "harvesting" it as some pc minded folks would have us say. We are are hunters and shouldn't have to hide it.
The only part of your comment that I disagree with is your statement that, "Every person in this country has a Father or Brother or Uncle that hunts or did hunt."
At one time, that was certainly true. Unfortunately, there are are an awful lot of people nowadays that have not had any exposure to hunting other than the often negative portrayal of hunters that they see in the media. The image that they get when meeting someone who hunts can either win them over or turn them away. I'm afraid that the messages sent by some of our hunting brethren often reinforce the negative stereotype portrayed in the media.
I will wear camo in some public situations. It lets others know that I am a hunter and can often lead to good conversations with non-hunters. But I try not do (or wear) anything that might reflect negatively on something that is a big part of my life.
"Every person in this country has a Father or Brother or Uncle that hunts or did hunt." I just don't think this statement is correct - my guess is that the majority of people in this country are urban or surburban non-hunters who don't have any close relatives who hunt. I grew up in a suburban area where out of my high school class of 500 there were no more than about 15 people with any direct knowledge of hunting.
We live in a free country and you can wear camo or t-shirts with the slogan of your choice if you want to. I do think some of these t-shirts/bumper stickers/whatever give the non-hunting majority a distorted, and not too favorable, impression about hunting. But ultimately, it is just a t-shirt.
I have several of these "offensive" shirts. But I only wear them at the Hunt Club where everyone there "gets" it. I usually buy them a couple sizes too big and use them as evening wear and to sleep in.
I would never wear one of those shirts around the general public.
I have a shirt that pictures a big Black Labrador Retriever and proclaims "All Bite, No Bark".
I had some nancy boy in the parking lot of Sportsman's Warehouse say to me, "What's that about? I never saw a Lab that would bite."
I told him to go stick his arm in the window of the green Silverado parked right over there.... There's about 97 pounds of Lab waiting!
My other favorite is
" Fire Up The Grill. Deer Huntin' ain't Catch and Release"
I'm sure that offends the PETA crowd.
I guess err on the side of caution. For me, hunting is a deeply personal thing, much like Faith, that fits me. I know it doesn't fit everyone though, and so I am respectful of their sensitivies. I have a hard-core non-hunter as a fellow in-law in the family I married into, and I love her dearly. We have discussed our opinions about it, and neither was able to convince the other, so we live without talking about it, and we are both fine. I feel like putting it out there crudely on a t-shirt devalues the game animal we are putting on our plates and serves no useful purpose other than daring some anti-hunter to hate you for being so callous. Of course, we need to stand up for our rights, but I guess I'd rather see that happen in a dignified way for everyone- and everyanimal-involved.
T-shirts like these are among my biggest pet peeves. They paint a picture of hunters as redneck idiots who care nothing for the game they hunt.
Not nearly as ridiculous as an "Obama Our Obama" t-shirt. I'd like to let the air out of a few of those!
Figuratively, not literaly...
I have a t-shirt that I wear proudly. It says "PETA - People Eating Tasty Animals."
I have 2 t-shirts that I proudly wear. One says," Hunting an American Tradition" with a picture of a nice buck head on it and the other shows a nice buck head on the front and in the back has the words, "Vegetarian: Old Indian word for bad hunter".
I do not wear shirts like the one posted, but I do not see why anyone can not wear what they like, I get offended when I see freaks with 50 piercing in their face but this be America (I am not sure how much longer that will be true with the libs in charge) they are welcome to do anything they like to themselves, but if they come looking for a job from me I say don't bother.
Remember that the critics which people are worried about hate EVERYTHING about hunting. Don't make your t-shirt decisions based on them. If you don't like a certain message then don't wear the shirt. Keep hunting and fishing, if for nothing else, to aggrevate our enemies. Nothing you'll do except cease will mollify them. Is that the answer?
2 bumper stickers "Guns kill people like spoons made ROsie O'Donnell fat" and "Criminals prefer unarmed victims" I am very opiniated about my lifstlye and while some of you arent I respect that, however if someone where to tell me to remove my shirt because they beleive hunting is wrong "F$*K YOU!!!!"
I feel like we definitely need to watch how we act... especially if we are wearing clothes or have decals on our cars that proclaim that we are hunters. I mean the antis are always gunna be against us so no need impressing them. The ones we have to win over is the general public who really have not picked a side. Don't give them a reaon to be pissed off over hunters or have a bad image of hunters.
I can only say that a slogan that once was used by a retailer turned me away from ever buying anything from them again. I see that the slogan has slipped away, but the "Happyness is a warm Gut Pile" or steaming gut pile or some such trash has left a bad impressing on myself and my wife. In this day and age can one imagine what the people who do not hunt and fish must think of our sports. I'm 63 and handicapped, but have hunted and fish my whole life, I would like finish out my years doing so.
The lack of class and decency spans all elements of our society these days. It would behoove all of us not to publicly offend others which might alienate those who are not involved in our sport and lifestyle. Positive images and messages on clothing and bumper stickers are good ways to identify your support.
Ted Nugent stumbled into a beehive years ago with his "Wack'um and Stack'um" slogan/commentary. It took about 3 hunting videos for him to finally get on the right side of that remark/catch phrase. His new catch phrase, "All hail, the beast is dead, long live the beast," still rubs a few folks the wrong way.
I think we need to be mindful of how we present ourselves as hunters. I don't really like the "let the air out..." slogan in question. There are many out there who would become our friends and comrads like Scott's beloved if introduced the right way. If these folks think we are crass and cavalier about taking the life of a game animal we will never have the chance to make an introduction. We must also remember that there are those non-hunters out there who do not condem us for our passions. We need to keep them on our side.
It's taken many years and some serious growing up for me to come to this conclusion i now TRY to live by... When we antagonize, taunt or inflame our oppenents, we motivate them to defeat us. I'm not suggesting the anti's will ever win the fight, but i try not to add fuel to the fire. This works in other circles too, at work, in relationships, etc. While this shirt is ok if only worn at HuntnCamp, there will always be those who wear it to church or school for shock value and that is not the kind of attention we want on need as "sportsmen".
I believe there is nothing wrong with wearing a shirt like this. I recently bought my uncle a shirt that says,
"The buck stops here" showing a buck with crosshairs aaround it. I figured his buddies would get a laugh out of that. But dont get me wrong I realize were putting meat in our freezers but everyone has to have fun sometimes. To me its not a big deal and there arent enough non-hunters to stop us. But anyways those slogans dont bother me.
And to add to that, i respect peoples opinion whether hunter or non hunter. I just see things my way and i have my own opinion.
And to add to that, i respect peoples opinion whether hunter or non hunter. I just see things my way and i have my own opinion.
I also think that we need to emphasize to non-hunters that the actual killing of the animal is just a small part of hunting... For me as a pubic land deer hunter, the killing is a REALLY small part.. lol
I do like the humor T-shirts though... I have one that is just a picture of a set of antlers and says "Nice Rack"...
I agree that the "degree" of humor we display does help (or hinder) the general uneducated public-at-large form their opinions of us.
This isn't only hunting.
I have Marine Corps markings on my cars. Therefore I drive as courteous as possible. I am representing my Corps and country.
I have one of those "People Eating Tasty Animals" shirts and love it.
I don't like shirts like the one above for the same reasons I don't like the "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out." military wannabee shirts.
I do love the "Marine Cook... Death from Within" shirt.
Humor is fine, I just like the more tasteful kind.
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I think this is a valid point for the very reason the shirts are popular with hunters. It's a short statement meant as a bit of an "inside joke" or a picture that's worth a thousand words and lets us express our desire to hunt. But, while I agree I don't mind offending PETA, and will defend and debate all day over my right to hunt...you don't get to have a conversation with the people reading your shirt...to explain why you value hunting. All they see is the shirt or slogan. When they see an image of a bowhunter at full draw and text, "This is gonna leave a mark", a non-hunters "interpretation" will differ and that may make them think twice when a proposal comes up for vote over game management or allowing hunters on their land later.
The only shirt I have with anything on it was given to me by a girlfriend, "I fish because the voices in my head tell me to."
I only wear camo when hunting. I wear fishing and shooter shirts and sweaters, and field coats with integral game pouches that would probably only be recognized by other sportsmen. I like subtle, though I do get a grin from most of the sayings out there. Same with bumper stickers. Just not for me.
I hunt and i fish and im proud of it, and wont "wear camo to pretend i dont"(when among people that dont i mean) so id wear shirts with slogans like this with a glint in my eye and a huge grin if confronted.. Might not wave a flag pronouncing it from the rooftop though, but its nothing to be ashamed of in my opinion and if someone is so devoid of humour and zealous about not killing "any" animals theire probably PETA members anyway and i dont mind offending them at all:P
My other favorite is
" Fire Up The Grill. Deer Huntin' ain't Catch and Release"
I'm sure that offends the PETA crowd.
I can only say that a slogan that once was used by a retailer turned me away from ever buying anything from them again. I see that the slogan has slipped away, but the "Happyness is a warm Gut Pile" or steaming gut pile or some such trash has left a bad impressing on myself and my wife. In this day and age can one imagine what the people who do not hunt and fish must think of our sports. I'm 63 and handicapped, but have hunted and fish my whole life, I would like finish out my years doing so.
MLH- I find your shirt offensive, some of us DO have voices in our heads telling us to fish, haha.
Similar to the meat and potatoes shirt I have one that says "Animals were harmed in the making of this hunter.....In fact they were shot, gutted, dragged home, butchered, marinated, grilled, and eaten"
You raise a very good topic with this post.
I think there should be more concern about the expressions such as the t-shirt you display in the hunting commmunity. IMHO, this t-shirt and the many others like it, display a lack of respect for the hunted animal.
You should have a reason for taking an animal's life, eating and pest control are the two legitimate reasons that immediately come to mind. Simply killing an animal for the sake of killing it is not a legitimate reason and in my mind, the t-shirt in your post places too much emphasis on the act of killing an animal and the overall impression is one of celebrating the act of killing and not the act of hunting.
Far worse than the t-shirts like this, though, are the hunting shows where the successful hunter does some form of a celebration after taking an animal like they just won the NCAA national championship. I wince whenever I see something like that on these shows because you know it has a huge influence on the next generation of hunters. And as I see it, these displays show a profound disrespect for the animal.
Anyway, I will step off my soapbox now . . .
I confess. I have the "potatoes & gravy" T-shirt. To me, that one is mild humor. If a few people are offended, I'm not going to appologize. Like some of you already said, I'm not worried about offending PETA. (I have a camo hat that says PETA & in smaller letters: people eating tasty animals). Having said all that, I do think we need to be aware of the image we present to normal people. I wouldn't wear pictures of bloody animals or slogans that would be offensive to a lot of regular non-hunters. I'm not trying to turn non-hunters into anti-hunters. The anti-hunters offend me, so why not offend back a little.
If you have a problem with killing animals then maybe you need to joim a group called PETA! I see no problem with the shirt. Get off the cross man , someone needs the wood for a BBQ.
Ted Nugent stumbled into a beehive years ago with his "Wack'um and Stack'um" slogan/commentary. It took about 3 hunting videos for him to finally get on the right side of that remark/catch phrase. His new catch phrase, "All hail, the beast is dead, long live the beast," still rubs a few folks the wrong way.
I think we need to be mindful of how we present ourselves as hunters. I don't really like the "let the air out..." slogan in question. There are many out there who would become our friends and comrads like Scott's beloved if introduced the right way. If these folks think we are crass and cavalier about taking the life of a game animal we will never have the chance to make an introduction. We must also remember that there are those non-hunters out there who do not condem us for our passions. We need to keep them on our side.
While I don't wear these type shirts that's my choice. I would rather see someone wear these shirts and explain that to my kids than go to the mall and have to explain what some of the shirts in the T-shirt kiosk mean.
I just bought a shirt with a picture of a 12 point buck and F-250. it proclaims, "Huntin bucks, drivin trucks thats how I roll"
i agre that if i have to explain it to my nephew or cousin then I don't want to see it.
that the problem people blow stuff out of proportion.. it just a shirt don't like don't look, don't like the slogan don't stand there and read it look away, but like them or not they're going to be around... ((BUT THAT'S MY OPINION))
My favorite hunting themed shirt shows a guy in a tree stand and says, "There's a fine line between hunting and sitting there looking stupid." I've found that the non-offensive humor, that pokes fun at myself, has opened the door to some good conversations about the many aspects of hunting. This with people who may have been offended by a shirt that had a more "direct" message.
I have several of these "offensive" shirts. But I only wear them at the Hunt Club where everyone there "gets" it. I usually buy them a couple sizes too big and use them as evening wear and to sleep in.
I would never wear one of those shirts around the general public.
I have a shirt that pictures a big Black Labrador Retriever and proclaims "All Bite, No Bark".
I had some nancy boy in the parking lot of Sportsman's Warehouse say to me, "What's that about? I never saw a Lab that would bite."
I told him to go stick his arm in the window of the green Silverado parked right over there.... There's about 97 pounds of Lab waiting!
I guess err on the side of caution. For me, hunting is a deeply personal thing, much like Faith, that fits me. I know it doesn't fit everyone though, and so I am respectful of their sensitivies. I have a hard-core non-hunter as a fellow in-law in the family I married into, and I love her dearly. We have discussed our opinions about it, and neither was able to convince the other, so we live without talking about it, and we are both fine. I feel like putting it out there crudely on a t-shirt devalues the game animal we are putting on our plates and serves no useful purpose other than daring some anti-hunter to hate you for being so callous. Of course, we need to stand up for our rights, but I guess I'd rather see that happen in a dignified way for everyone- and everyanimal-involved.
I have 2 t-shirts that I proudly wear. One says," Hunting an American Tradition" with a picture of a nice buck head on it and the other shows a nice buck head on the front and in the back has the words, "Vegetarian: Old Indian word for bad hunter".
2 bumper stickers "Guns kill people like spoons made ROsie O'Donnell fat" and "Criminals prefer unarmed victims" I am very opiniated about my lifstlye and while some of you arent I respect that, however if someone where to tell me to remove my shirt because they beleive hunting is wrong "F$*K YOU!!!!"
I feel like we definitely need to watch how we act... especially if we are wearing clothes or have decals on our cars that proclaim that we are hunters. I mean the antis are always gunna be against us so no need impressing them. The ones we have to win over is the general public who really have not picked a side. Don't give them a reaon to be pissed off over hunters or have a bad image of hunters.
The lack of class and decency spans all elements of our society these days. It would behoove all of us not to publicly offend others which might alienate those who are not involved in our sport and lifestyle. Positive images and messages on clothing and bumper stickers are good ways to identify your support.
I agre with Scott. I wouldn't wear the shirt in the article, but I would not be offended by someone who did. There are some shirts out there that are crude/offensive that I think should not be worn. The shirts that I am offended by are usually not the type that would be offensive to a nonhunter, but because of crude or sexual humor. I agree with jjas, that I would rather people not wear things that I don't want to have to explain to my kid, wether it involves hunting or not.
I'll throw my 2 cents in with Bryan01 and WVOtter. I'm not offended by the shirts, but they can be offensive and turn someone away who is on the fence. Personally I think it shows a lack of respect, being successful in the field isn't all about fist bumps and B&C or P&Y scores, it's about so much more that is hard to put in words.
Excellent post and some fine addendums in the replies. I am in full agreement with not making light of killing animals. I have a NWTF license tag on the back of my truck, a "Tenth Legion" tag on the front and an NRA sticker in the back window, but I don't try to portray myself as some sort of macho tough guy because I enthusiastically participate in blood sports. We do need to be careful of how we present our image to the neutral folks out there---we need them on our side, or at least not opposed to us. I disapprove of the "If it's brown, it's down" and "If it flies, it dies" bumper stickers and others like them.
i like shirts with just pictures of the animal on it. words get in the way
IMHO?
WVOtter says it well
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
The shirt glorifies the killing part, and killing isn't what gets me pumped up about hunting. The kill is not the whole deal, only a tiny fraction. Not a fan.
T-shirts like these are among my biggest pet peeves. They paint a picture of hunters as redneck idiots who care nothing for the game they hunt.
Not nearly as ridiculous as an "Obama Our Obama" t-shirt. I'd like to let the air out of a few of those!
Figuratively, not literaly...
I have a t-shirt that I wear proudly. It says "PETA - People Eating Tasty Animals."
Remember that the critics which people are worried about hate EVERYTHING about hunting. Don't make your t-shirt decisions based on them. If you don't like a certain message then don't wear the shirt. Keep hunting and fishing, if for nothing else, to aggrevate our enemies. Nothing you'll do except cease will mollify them. Is that the answer?
I generally don't wear slogans, I don't mind if others to its just not my style, the only stickers on my vehicle are a DOD sticker so I can get on the Fort to Go to the commisary & PX and an AAA Sticker so they know I am a member.
I don't wear these types of shirts, but I am definitely not offended by them. In fact, I generally think that they are pretty funny, I just don't think that they are for me. As long as they do not turn people against hunting then I don't have a problem with them at all.
What are we going to do next? Stop wearing camo in public unless it`s in good taste? Every person in this country has a Father or Brother or Uncle that hunts or did hunt. I don`t think a shirt is going to change there mind either way. I think I still have a right to free speach. I do raise my tailgate but I will not hide that fact that I hunt. Oh, and by the way, the kill IS a huge part of the hunt!! Stop acting like it`s not!! That`s why you still get that feeling that we get.
treeman7616...
I agree that the kill is a huge part of the hunt. If it weren't, then I'd carry a camera instead of a gun. And when I shoot something, I am "killing" the animal, not "harvesting" it as some pc minded folks would have us say. We are are hunters and shouldn't have to hide it.
The only part of your comment that I disagree with is your statement that, "Every person in this country has a Father or Brother or Uncle that hunts or did hunt."
At one time, that was certainly true. Unfortunately, there are are an awful lot of people nowadays that have not had any exposure to hunting other than the often negative portrayal of hunters that they see in the media. The image that they get when meeting someone who hunts can either win them over or turn them away. I'm afraid that the messages sent by some of our hunting brethren often reinforce the negative stereotype portrayed in the media.
I will wear camo in some public situations. It lets others know that I am a hunter and can often lead to good conversations with non-hunters. But I try not do (or wear) anything that might reflect negatively on something that is a big part of my life.
"Every person in this country has a Father or Brother or Uncle that hunts or did hunt." I just don't think this statement is correct - my guess is that the majority of people in this country are urban or surburban non-hunters who don't have any close relatives who hunt. I grew up in a suburban area where out of my high school class of 500 there were no more than about 15 people with any direct knowledge of hunting.
We live in a free country and you can wear camo or t-shirts with the slogan of your choice if you want to. I do think some of these t-shirts/bumper stickers/whatever give the non-hunting majority a distorted, and not too favorable, impression about hunting. But ultimately, it is just a t-shirt.
I do not wear shirts like the one posted, but I do not see why anyone can not wear what they like, I get offended when I see freaks with 50 piercing in their face but this be America (I am not sure how much longer that will be true with the libs in charge) they are welcome to do anything they like to themselves, but if they come looking for a job from me I say don't bother.
It's taken many years and some serious growing up for me to come to this conclusion i now TRY to live by... When we antagonize, taunt or inflame our oppenents, we motivate them to defeat us. I'm not suggesting the anti's will ever win the fight, but i try not to add fuel to the fire. This works in other circles too, at work, in relationships, etc. While this shirt is ok if only worn at HuntnCamp, there will always be those who wear it to church or school for shock value and that is not the kind of attention we want on need as "sportsmen".
I believe there is nothing wrong with wearing a shirt like this. I recently bought my uncle a shirt that says,
"The buck stops here" showing a buck with crosshairs aaround it. I figured his buddies would get a laugh out of that. But dont get me wrong I realize were putting meat in our freezers but everyone has to have fun sometimes. To me its not a big deal and there arent enough non-hunters to stop us. But anyways those slogans dont bother me.
And to add to that, i respect peoples opinion whether hunter or non hunter. I just see things my way and i have my own opinion.
And to add to that, i respect peoples opinion whether hunter or non hunter. I just see things my way and i have my own opinion.
I also think that we need to emphasize to non-hunters that the actual killing of the animal is just a small part of hunting... For me as a pubic land deer hunter, the killing is a REALLY small part.. lol
I do like the humor T-shirts though... I have one that is just a picture of a set of antlers and says "Nice Rack"...
I agree that the "degree" of humor we display does help (or hinder) the general uneducated public-at-large form their opinions of us.
This isn't only hunting.
I have Marine Corps markings on my cars. Therefore I drive as courteous as possible. I am representing my Corps and country.
I have one of those "People Eating Tasty Animals" shirts and love it.
I don't like shirts like the one above for the same reasons I don't like the "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out." military wannabee shirts.
I do love the "Marine Cook... Death from Within" shirt.
Humor is fine, I just like the more tasteful kind.
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