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July 2006 Feature Article:

Maintaining Our Hunting Heritage or the Kiss of Death? ...You Decide

"World-class hunters competing for big bucks ... cutting edge non-fatal hunting tour..." (www.worldhunt.com).

Outdoor writer Kevin Wilson shares his thoughts on the World Hunting Association.

Please use this area to post comments or questions about this feature article.

[redrider]

What these guys are doing has nothing to do with hunting. How does this possibly teach our kids to go out enjoy what God created. I know when I go out on a hunt taking an animal is just the award for the hard work put into the hunt. The experience along the way is the reward. Being able to go out and see the woods come alive in the morning and smelling that crisp clean air on a cool fall morning is priceless. Not to mention the activity of witnessing the deer rut , Toms strutting and drumming to the hens, watching and hearing a flock of geese flying south, just sitting and listening to all the sounds the woods make. These people are missing the whole meaning of the hunt and it is sickening. I'm only glad I realize what a priviledge it is to have our hunting world and will be able to pass on to my kids the way it was meant to be. I look forward to all the memories of being afield. That's the real trophy!

[WesternHunter]

I completely agree.

OLN once has a show about so-called "Green Trophy Hunting". This is where you dart and tranquilize an African game animal or any game animal, have an artist take it's measurments the use those measurments to create a life sized figure of the animal you tranquilized :](*,) What is that??? :](*,) Who does that??? :](*,) You either take an animal or you don't, but please don't toy with them like that. :=;

I agree that hunting is not catch and release. Game animals should be taken humanely and desicively. I never even fish any catch and release rivers, because I don't believe in it. I think it's cruel to the fish. I'm stricktly a meat hunter, I don't do it for trophy. Yes I do too love the outdoors and respect nature. But, One of the things I love most about hunting is the undescribable feeling that comes from self reliance. The ability to take and harvest food. To know that you have the ability to do something desicively really gives you a lot of confidence.

The United States has a rich and colorful hunting heritage and a long uninterupted tradition of the freedom to own firearms. We should keep that freedom uniquely American. I don't believe in that "New World Order" that Bush Sr. constanly talked about forming when he was in office. I don't believe that we need to be a part of the United Nations. Schools today won't teach what George Washington cautioned in his farewell address, about not getting too involved in foreign interests and that we should not let other nations get involved in ours. This also applies to our hunting and firearm heritage.

[Illinois_Dave]

What a ridiculous concept!

I wonder what zookeepers would say if you walked into your local zoo and shot an elephant with a tranquilizer dart? I mean, if it's okay to do to wildlife, then it must be okay to shoot any animal with a sedative, right?

I can see it now...zoos and nature parks across America can have safari hunts every Saturday morning. Little kids, grannys, even convicts could come and shoot themselves a real-life African trophy. Heck, a little Ambien never hurt anybody, right?

And I thought those Bass fishing tournaments were the worst idea I'd ever seen....taking a relaxing and enjoyable sport like fishing and ruining it by trying to fish as fast as you can.....I feel sorry for those bastards who forgot how to enjoy nature.

All I can say is don't watch the show. Maybe it will go away.

[SEAlaskaHunter]

Thats a great idea!!! :yes: Mabey these guys could shoot them a lion at the zoo and go take pics with their head in it's mouth. :o

[cowgal]

I have to tell you, I am a bit surprised that the media has come out against the WHA and their "hunting" idea. The media (especially on TV) has for years already made a spectacle of hunting (and fishing!) and capitalized big time!

The shows have always seemed staged and artificial to me, so I very rarely watch them. However, I believe there must be a strong following or those types of shows would not continue to flourish. David Farbman, a shrewd business man looked at those growing numbers of viewers and simply came up with a new twist. I'm guessing he didn't expect this type of backlash from the hunting community. It will be interesting to see if he continues with the original plan, changes it in some way, or hangs it up completely.

[redrider]

I say hang it up :thumbsup1: Or , I really like Dons idea of using the camera :D

[Captain_Obvious]

redrider wrote: What these guys are doing has nothing to do with hunting. How does this possibly teach our kids to go out enjoy what God created. I know when I go out on a hunt taking an animal is just the award for the hard work put into the hunt. The experience along the way is the reward. Being able to go out and see the woods come alive in the morning and smelling that crisp clean air on a cool fall morning is priceless. Not to mention the activity of witnessing the deer rut , Toms strutting and drumming to the hens, watching and hearing a flock of geese flying south, just sitting and listening to all the sounds the woods make. These people are missing the whole meaning of the hunt and it is sickening. I'm only glad I realize what a priviledge it is to have our hunting world and will be able to pass on to my kids the way it was meant to be. I look forward to all the memories of being afield. That's the real trophy!


I look fondly upon all the early mornings deer hunting when I go up in my stand and the sky is absolutely clear and the stars are incredible. Plus the pure adrenaline of having the animal you intend to shoot within bow range is a trophy; hell, I've been way closer to wild deer and turkeys than any of those PETA fags.

[Summit Hunter]

Agree with what's already been said! I hope all conservation/hunting groups stand up against this fool's errand. Hunting will be available to our children and grandchildren so long as we are not perceived by the majority as a bunch of idiots.

[bowhuntidaho]

It's a way for the LIB'S to hunt. So they don't feel bad about killing bambi.....
I think we should get to hunt these "pro hunters" with tranquilizer darts.. :yes: now that would be a good show.....

[bowsmacker]

For Immediate Release
Contact: Don Tanner/
Jennifer L. Cherry
248-855-6777

WORLD HUNTING ASSOCIATION TO SWITCH FORMAT

DETROIT, Mich. (August 18, 2006) – The World Hunting Association today announced that the organization will shift to a traditional harvest format in time for the organization's inaugural tournament this fall. The announcement was made by World Hunting Association commissioner David Farbman.

"Over the past two months, we have met one-on-one with fellow hunters, major hunters' rights organizations, industry leaders and top outdoor journalists from all over the country to gain their perspectives. Consistently, their major concerns centered on the proposed use of non-fatal darting," said Farbman. The WHA is committed to growing the sport of hunting and increasing participation among youth, women and minority groups. We regret that the darting format upset other individuals with those same goals," said Farbman. "The WHA is made up of longtime hunters who are incredibly passionate about the sport. Everyone associated with WHA wants what is best for hunting. We feel confident we are now on the right path."

The organization has also altered the competition's prize money structure, eliminating a bounty level system, and offering awards based on a more general point system. The first tournaments in 2006 will be held at Lost Arrow Ranch in Gladwin, Michigan. The use of the 1,000 acre preserve for the tournaments not only allows for a controlled competition, it also insures that the tournaments will not adversely impact wild game populations or infringe upon hunting opportunities on public and private land for regularly licensed hunters.

The World Hunting Association is committed to education and elevating awareness of hunting via its interactive Web site and televised tour events, offering fans an opportunity to step inside the lives of eight diverse professional hunters from across the United States. Individual hunting strategies, techniques, and skill sets will all be showcased. A key goal of the organization is to recruit and retain more youth, women, minorities and non-hunters into the sport and reverse a two decade-long decline in hunting.

The hunting tour will feature 12-day tournaments during which the pro hunters can take up to six deer—four does, one management buck and one trophy buck. Certain bucks that are featured and studied on the internet portal (www.worldhunt.com) will not be eligible for harvest during competition, but the hunters can gain bonus points for bringing the deer into effective range and capturing the footage on camera. A bow, rifle and a muzzle loader will be used over the course of the tournament: At least one deer must be taken with each of the three throughout a competition.

Set to launch in mid-September, the official interactive domain (www.worldhunt.com) replaces the organization's temporary website. The new online experience boasts numerous high-tech multimedia features unlike anything else offered within the hunting community -- making the thrill and tradition of hunting accessible to everyone across the globe. The user-friendly site provides hours of streaming footage of the tournaments, exciting interactive games and other innovative features.

About the World Hunting Association
The World Hunting Association™ (WHA) is a global competitive sporting establishment dedicated to organizing and promoting the sport of hunting and conservation and growing youth and non-hunter participation. The World Hunting Association includes a ground-breaking, professional, competitive hunting tour, spotlighting professional tour hunters from all over the United States who will compete with cameras present at all times. WHA will incorporate several patent-pending technologies that will enhance the viewer experience. More information about the World Hunting Association is available at www.worldhunt.com.

[tim]

what is the difference between this and catch and release fishing?

[WAcoyotehunter]

All the TV shows focus completely on the "trophy" value of an animal. I admit that it would be great to harvest a nice bull or buck someday...but i'm unwilling to veiw hunting as a competitive sport. They're missing the true value of the hunt. People are completely "horn crazy" and it will end up hurting the image of hunters.

[Whelland]

I concur. It is difficult for me to look at our outdoor lifestyle and turn it into something competitive. Hunting is not a competition sport. Every animal we harvest legally and ethically is a trophy. I just cannot justify a trophy won by competition with other hunters. The antlers on my wall and the venison in my freezer is good enough for me.

With that being said, the article was well thought out and put together.

[LlindeX]

Tell Me Again; Exactly what is it about non-competitve sport that these fools don't understand? The ONLY COMPETION that has any place in hunting is that between the hunter and the natural instincts of the animal he/she hunts. Anything else, is just a travesty. We don't hunt to compete, we hunt to preserve our human instincts, to preserve our knowledge and feeling for nature, to learn from our mistakes, and to celibrate the fact that we are human beings! We teach our children to hunt so that they too will value the things that God has provided for them. So that they too will value the meaning of life. We don't play with killing, we don't believe in playing video games that imitate killing, we don't pretend to kill. kILLING IS NOT A GAME !!! Those that think is is, end up not placing a value on life. Guess what, they end up in gangs and drive-by shootings. They end up thinking that shooting someone with a gun is just a game. After all, they have been doing it in all their video games. Hunting is NOT A COMPETATIVE SPORT !!! Hunting and killing an animal is not something to be made fun of. It is a method of obtaining food, it is a method of a father or mother teaching their child about how to survive. It is about learning to use the very instincts that God gave you. It is about learning to cherish the animals he so generously has provided for us. It is about learning to value life.