[canoerun]

As an avid hunter, wildlife artist and photographer, my pet peeve is the disrespectful photography and display of our harvested game. The poor quality photos of deer in the back of a pickup, with blood, tongue hanging out, ears down, hunter sitting on the deer is nothing but fuel to the growing anti-hunting community. It shows the hunter's lack of respect for the animal he's taken. Blood and gutz don't bother me. Growing up on the farm I've butchered enough stock. Hunting ain't butchering (that comes later.) With compact cameras and cell phones, there is no excuse for not taking a fresh, clean photo of your game before you gut the beast, drag it through the mud, flop it in a pickup truck and hang it.
Here's what I suggest:
1..Take the photos before you stick a knife in it or tag it.
2..Have a nice clean background.
3..Put it's tongue back in.
4..No bullet/arrow holes. No blood.
5..Photograph your pickup bed later without a deer if you must.
6..Don't sit on your trophy with your bloody fingers wrapped around the horns.
7..Prop the head up, ears errect, sit next to it or behind it with the look of reverance on your face for the fine animal that just provided you with the most enjoyable experience of your life.

Does anybody agree with me?

 

[sdwlucas]

Who cares unless the photo will be in a magazine etc....

The photo is a "rememberance" of the hunt, take it as you want.

Let's face it most kill pictures in PA aren't gonna make it in a magazine etc.

 

[Stroupy]

You are supposed to tag the animal before you do anything to it. You are going overboard in my opinion.

 

[Trailcamologist]

While I agree with you to a certain point, I also see the other side of the coin. Have I been guilty of taking a "distasteful" photo?? Sure.. Sometimes I get caught up in the moment and want to capture it as its happening. Only later to see that the tongue is hanging or the ears are drooping. I wish all of my field photos were magazine quality but the truth is, their not.

Sometimes I've forgotten a camera and the only way to remember the moment is to take one later. Could I take the animal back into the field for a shot the next day?? Sure but I havn't, I've taken the pics from the back of the truck or hanging in the driveway.

I love to have good quality pics of each and every time I'm lucky enough to harvest an animal , but it doesn't alway work out. In no way is this a lack of respect on my part.

 

[SFrenz]

Well I'll be one to agree, I see alot of pictures that can be done alot better. Clean a little blood off, take a moment to make a better picture. It does show more respect for the animal in my opinion.

 

[msar]

I agree with ya !! So you forgot your camera, when you back home or to camp clean the critter up a bit and move it to an area that looks better than the bed of your truck IE. the back yard, near the tree that hold your camps meat pole ect. I have respect for the critter I have taken by taking a picture this way it is the least thing I can do Before it becomes dinner !!!

 

[heatheroo]

while I agree with you in principle........"cleaning up" the picture to spare the sensibilities of a public that has lost touch with the realities of the predator/prey world...somehow irks me. Now I'm not condoning the classless pics that denegrate an animal but....blood, tongue hanging out, etc....well that's just the real world.

 

[Stetam]

Are you sure y'all don't have a subscription to PETA monthly?

 

[limbhnger10]

Well I'll be one to agree, I see alot of pictures that can be done alot better. Clean a little blood off, take a moment to make a better picture. It does show more respect for the animal in my opinion.

Agree also....and have been guilty on occassions too.

 

[hdt]

I agree with many of your points. I hate to see photos with the tongue hanging out, beer cans in photo, etc... I do look for and hope to see a tag on the deer though.

It's no real big deal, but I do think some photos show little respect for the animal.

A related note, the terms like; "smoked him", "dropped the hammer on him", "Put the smack down on him", etc... have always bothered me for the same reason. To each his own I guess.

 

[canoerun]

Thanks for the comments. I admit I do over do it a bit but the hunt is too special not to and my daddy always told me: If you're gonna do it you might as well do it right. (He was kind of a crude teacher and I soo learned that inferiority hurts)

Some of the best photos I got of downed game are taken while walking up to it. I do a lot of drawings and paintings of hunter and game and they do show up in the print media and there is quite a demand for that art. That is why I consider a deer a beautiful animal when it's verticle and it is still a beautiful animal when it's horizontal.

 

[canoerun]

Are you sure y'all don't have a subscription to PETA monthly?

Hey, another Pittsburgh hunter heard from.

 

[mus42tang]

Clearly, you will have to decide not to hunt again. Not waste time getting others to stop hunting. Some hunt; some do not hunt.

Hunters and those on this hunting site have to see live deer and dead deer.
They have no butcher in the woods to gut a deer before dragging it out of the woods. A dead deer I might add.

Everyone is not forced to hunt. And no should be forced to think that others should join them and agree with them.

 

[great white hunter]

I do my best,but it's not going to be perfect i tell ya!

 

[msar]

PETA !!! Lets see "Please Eat Tasty Animals Yup that would be me !!

 

[Birch812]

PETA !!! Lets see "Please Eat Tasty Animals Yup that would be me !!

I always thought it stood for "People Eating Tasty Animals", atleast thats who I make my dues check out to every year.

 

[Hemry27]

Some pics are overboard, but most on this site are acceptable in my opinion. I would guess most of us on here aren't bothered by some blood and a hangin tongue. The pics that crack me up are the ones where people have their guns leaning against trees. Loaded or not, I thought that was illegal?

 

[passnthru]

Do as you will, but good field photographs are the best "remeberance" of a successful hunt......carry your camera with you into the field and take a picture you can be proud of......the pickup truck pics dont offend me but they tell no story and detract the emotion from the entire hunt...

 

[hdt]

My camera seems to be bad luck if it is with me when I'm hunting. Anybody else feel this way?

 

[limbhnger10]

Yep, scouting get lots of game on vid. When I take it hunting Things generaly don't work out.