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Jan 12, 2023Liked by Holly Heyser

I follow a lot of wild game and hunting social media groups, and after a lengthy season of "grip'n'grin" shots crowding my feed, even I get turned off by seeing them. Add in a few questionable poses and goofy shots and I begin to lose faith that anyone is taking it seriously. I think it's just due to the sheer number of pictures I scroll past, but I can definitely see how it would affect a non-hunter, just seeing a few of those photos. People have even challenged me when I've posted venison recipes on these pages, because, in their minds, these groups are apparently just for showing off their hunting pictures... who cares what comes next?

When I shot my first deer this year (I've processed and butchered plenty, but hadn't shot one until this point), my hunting partner automatically told me to grab the deer and pose for a picture. I politely declined, instead taking a pretty picture of the deer in repose (which I shared with select friends and family), and a far away "scrunch your eyes to see what's happening" shot from the stand (that I shared on my social media).

I figured this showed that yes I do hunt to get the wild game that I cook, but hunting comes second to the food I make and isn't the point of my page. I'm not against posing with the animal per se, but I just didn't feel comfortable doing it. I've found that people following my stuff have responded well to my approach, accepting my acquisition of wild food with an open mind and even asking about doing it themselves. The hard core hunter-type followers usually get enough grip'n'grin posts on the other groups they follow to keep themselves happy.

I really enjoy the way you and Hank set up and share the shots of your hunting adventures. It doesn't stray away from the death dealt, but it paints a different and more welcoming picture to beginner and non-hunters - very important in this time when new hunters are coming from different places than what was once traditional!

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Nov 22, 2022Liked by Holly Heyser

Thanks for this, Holly. I'm always super hesitant to post dead-animal shots on social media, and I recently had the vague idea that I could start posting food shots instead -- but I hadn't actually lined up the WHY until I read this post. It suddenly clicked for me that being extra-intentional in this way means I don't just avoid upsetting people, I also have a chance to actively shift perceptions of what hunting can mean. I appreciate the shift moment.

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I think there's value in including photos of the animals in their recently unalived state because it is a reality people need to understand: Meat is a formerly living animal. Sadly, Insta won't let me post multiple photos in my feed anymore - steers me to stories, as if I'm interested in being a 57-year-old TikTok wannabe. I'd be happy to bury the hero shot as the 5th of 6 photos, which is how I do it on Facebook (until Facebook decides I must be forced into its TikTok lookalike).

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Ugh, how annoying! I rely on the multiple-photo Insta feature very heavily and I've used it in that specific way, in fact -- that feature is still accessible to me, but I know sometimes they phase things out for some people faster than others.

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Nov 22, 2022Liked by Holly Heyser

A solid reprise of a fairly timeless topic... and I think you know I'm pretty much aligned with you on this. I believe hunting survives on the graces of public opinion and the democratic process (although I believe a general public apathy may play a frighteningly large part as well... one reason a vocal minority carries so much sway). It behooves us to consider our entire audience, intended or otherwise, when we share our stories. We should be honest, but being honest doesn't mean we can't be mindful.

But aside from that, you bring up interesting points re: the shotshells and wads, or more importantly, how that looks to non-hunters and non-shooters.

I'm "tangentially" involved with an organization called Plastic Ocean Project (POP), which as you probably deduced, is focused on removing plastic pollution from our oceans and waterways. Like most activist organizations, a large contingent of this one consists of idealistic young people. They are motivated and engaged and driven by the mission... but their world view is limited to their own experience (or lack thereof).

In a discussion on their Facebook page, someone started in on how some thoughtless, asshole, skeet shooters were littering the waterfront with shotgun shells and wads... and how if they couldn't be bothered to clean these up, they should be banned from shooting over water. Other voices chimed in with calls to ban plastic shotgun shells altogether.

It was an interesting, but unsurprising, opportunity to see this perspective. On the one hand, it's absolutely true that most shotgunners don't give a second thought to what happens to the plastic shot wads they send out into the environment. And I have to agree that shotgunners who can't be bothered to pick up their empties (when it's practicable) kind of are assholes. The more we learn about plastics in the marine environment, the more impactful these "little" things appear to be.

On the other hand, as I tried to explain in that conversation (with more success than you might expect), the picture is not quite as clear-cut as it may appear. Like you called out, Holly, it's not always possible to recover your empties when shooting over water. Collecting the spent wads is practically impossible... especially if you factor in wind and current, and the fact that the wads often sink pretty quickly. So finding the shot wads in the marsh is not de facto evidence of assholery.

I also explained sort of why we have plastic shotshells and some general challenges to switching away from plastic... but that's not my point.

The point is that these young people, activists, reacted to what they saw through the lens of their own experience. What they saw wasn't good. What's worse is that this "evidence" aligned with their preconceptions about guns and shooting.

What they're not seeing (enough) is examples like you have here... the guides cleaning up the waterway, trying to leave it a little better than they found it. They don't usually see hunters picking up trash along the trail, or cleaning up the trailheads after someone left a mess. They don't often see fishing boat captains out there plucking balloons, bottles, and other crap out of the ocean.

All of these things happen pretty regularly, but folks aren't seeing it.

I don't know, but maybe they should? Maybe we could start to share those trophy shots of the bag of trash we collected at the trailhead, or the string of mylar birthday balloons we pulled out of the ocean. Mix them in with the grip-n-grin hero shots on social media...

Or something.

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Phillip, I'm so glad you're there to represent hunters in that group!

I believe the wad issue is the single greatest threat to duck hunting in California (and yes, wads more than shells because wads look like squiddies).

The ammo industry knows how to deal with this, and I know of one company that's gearing up for biodegradable wads and some other researcher/entrepreneurs who are working on alternatives. And the reality is there is enough research out there for the entire industry to re-tool in two years, so if anyone pushes to ban plastic wads at the national level and includes phase-in time, which is common, we'd be OK (though we'd still likely be paying more for shells).

The threat here comes from a California-specific ban, which is always more likely. CA loves bans, and the forces that block anything gun-related at the national level have not succeeded here at the state level. And I do not have any reason to believe the entire industry would retool just for California.

Fun fact about the squiddies: We ran an article about the state of biodegradable wads recently in the magazine I formerly edited, and when I was looking for illustrations, I came across a beautiful photo of one of those baby albatrosses that died of being fed too much plastics by its parents (https://www.audubon.org/news/99-percent-seabird-species-could-be-tainted-plastic-2050-science-says). Included in the belly was at least two complete wads and possibly fragments of others, among huge amounts of other plastic trash used by all kinds of people who aren't hunters (lest anyone think hunters are the main problem here).

I know some hunters are skeptical that any discussion like this is just a back-door attempt to ban hunting or guns, so I really wanted to use that photo to say, "Yes, seabirds think wads look like food." So I contacted the San Francisco-based photographers to ask for license to use the photo and asked what it would cost.

A couple days later, I got a terse response: We're not interested.

It wasn't hard to read between those lines, even though it was just one line. But I was disappointed that people who've made this their passion won't deign to speak to audiences made of people who aren't just like them. Such self-defeating behavior.

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Nov 22, 2022Liked by Holly Heyser

Yeah, it's weird sometimes talking to these folks, but there's actually a strong showing from the science and academia quadrant in this group (they actually work with the University of NC at Wilmington to conduct various research, and are connected to researchers around the world), so maybe they are a little more open to factual information, even if it does conflict with preconceptions. I dunno, but I totally support their overall mission and like to be a small part of it. Maybe that puts me in a more favorable light to them.

I would actually love to see more environmentally friendly approaches to shotshell components. I'm never eager for a price increase, but if it's reasonable and the product is otherwise reliable and effective, I'd be open to it. How cool would it be to get out ahead of a ban before the rallying cry even goes out? Honestly, though, I'm a little surprised it hasn't been an uproar already.

RE: posting trophy shots with trash, I have posted several shots in my personal crusade against mylar balloons. I don't generally favor bans, but it would be kind of good if they had a redemption program like soda bottles... pay an extra few bucks at purchase, and get it back when you return the balloon. I also think balloon releases should be prosecuted as littering. But there I go, getting all environmental radical and stuff...

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I would also love to see the industry get out ahead of bans and take some pride in giving a damn about the environment. Not all criticism is anti-2A or anti-hunting.

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Nov 22, 2022·edited Nov 22, 2022Liked by Holly Heyser

Love this, and I think trophy shots of trash cleanup are a really great idea. Thanks for suggesting it. I'm going to start doing that for both our hunting & our foraging expeditions (we pick up SO much trash while foraging, and for me it's a way of saying thank you to the ecosystem that's feeding us.)

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I've done this, but you have to choose your forum carefully. Shared pics of trash I picked up in a Facebook group about duck hunting in NorCal and got lectured for virtue signaling.

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Nov 22, 2022Liked by Holly Heyser

this made me snort-laugh it's so EXACTLY the reason that people roll their eyes about Californians (and I say this as a proud NorCal human)

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I have such a love-hate relationship with this state.

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Nov 22, 2022Liked by Holly Heyser

As usual - a great piece Holly - I just went back and looked at the photos from the October 22 Montana pheasant season. A week of camping - seven guys - 12 Griffs - more than our fair share of birds - lots of laughs - and out of 35 photos I selected to keep - only four had birds in them. It's just not that important - it's more about the experience, the camaraderie, the food - and of course - the dogs...

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Love it!

Not gonna lie: The birds ARE important to me. They're just not the only important thing. I can get a limit on a hunt I don't enjoy that much, and I can enjoy the hell out of a hunt in which I don't limit.

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Nov 22, 2022Liked by Holly Heyser

You and Hank inspire me! Last year at 33 I just stepped into the world of hunting, wanting to learn and become a hunter. You both are really wonderful folks to learn from. This post was really excellent to read and understand deeper the roles we all play in keeping hunting alive and well. Thank you!!

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Thank YOU! Where do you live and what do you hunt?

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Nov 22, 2022Liked by Holly Heyser

I live in Oregon. No actual hunting yet( it’s a bit overwhelming all the things to learn to hunt well and respectfully, so it’s slow going), but on my list are deer, elk, turkey, geese, and duck!

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I joined an online community last year -Chris Outdoors’ The Hunter’s Journey. That has been such an incredible resource to get started with especially since I did not grow up with hunting. but local hands on help, not yet. Taking a life is no light thing for me, so I am feeling the need to want to be well prepared on the front end of taking the shot and the processing side just as much. learning the basic knowledge of how to process the animal so that nothing goes to waste. Then there’s the prep and knowledge of learning the seasons and what the animals eat and their habitat and the gear and equipment needed, etc... I would have loved to have grown up with this so that it could be second nature! thankfully there are really wonderful guides and teachers out there such as yourself and Hank and the other folks that have been brought into my life. I very much look forward to diving deep into hunting as a way of life and becoming an active part of the hunting community.😄

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Nov 22, 2022Liked by Holly Heyser

Jessica, where in Oregon are you? My husband & I live near Mt Shasta, so if you're anywhere close to the California border and want to meet up with some almost-neighbors who also got into hunting as adults and take the ethics very seriously, we love connecting with like-minded folks! (My husband was actually on the scoter hunt that Holly was posting about and it was a super amazing experience for us both.)

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Hi Jericha! Thank you very much for the invite! I’m in northern Oregon, close to the Washington border. I would totally make the drive down to learn from and connect with y’all!

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That would be so fun! I'm going to ask Holly if she'd be willing to connect us via email so I don't have to post my contact info for you in a public forum, but we'd love to meet you. We also travel to Oregon occasionally for tango so it's possible we could save you some of the driving :)

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My only advice is not to over-prepare. This isn't a test you can study for; you have to dive in and start making mistakes that teach you how things work. The only mistakes that are unacceptable are ones that endanger human life or health, so absolutely be confident about your safe gun handling skills (but even then, the field is not a shooting range, so it will still feel new.

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Do you have help?

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