ADOBE STOCK
next , and perhaps even a lifetime . That means yes , we each have the potential to reduce or grow our army by one , one person at a time .
I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT IF WE ARE TO PROTECT OUR OUTDOOR TRADITIONS , PLUS-ONE IS BETTER THAN MINUS-ONE .
I ’ ve moved often over the past twenty years ( 20-plus times ), so online communities and forums are a place I always visit first to gather information about hunting and fishing near wherever my new home is . Seeing “ NO ONLINE SCOUTING ” plastered on forums is about the silliest selfdefeating nonsense I can imagine . The outright hostility on forums , equaled by the clear cold shoulder one can get in the field , will be our undoing , not something to be proud of .
And let ’ s be honest , there is some level of strange pride that goes with “ keeping the secret ” of a good hunting or fishing location . Strange not because it ’ s unusual , but strange because it ’ s self-defeating . The motives for doing so we can all get , but we ’ re no longer in an era where our heritage was safe and secure moving forward . And while there is little doubt the underlying motives for this attitude are fostered by truly scarce access issues , each of us , in our own way , has to do better .
We have to remember that all of us sink or swim together . Fight for the entire crowd of enthusiasts who spend time in
Helping other hunters find success ensures the future of our sport . the outdoors . Of course we need R3 . For kids and adults and women and minorities and , frankly “ all of the above .” Any discussion of this is self-indulgence at its worst . But it goes well beyond formal R3 programs to include so much more . We each individually should be volunteer R3 ambassadors and not shy away from embracing the idea of supporting one another whenever possible .
We must fight together , offer a helping hand to others on the team , and yes , even give up on the idea that jealously guarding access or knowledge is a good thing . It ’ s actually self-defeating . Going back to our thought experiment , we might even take Bob to our special treestand at our own personal “ best spot ” of all time . The cost , when thought of in the proper context , is minimal compared to the rewards all of us will reap when Bob stays with us , fighting to deliver the future .
STAND TOGETHER , BUT HOLD ACCOUNTABLE
While we need to band together and defend all hunters , that doesn ’ t mean turning a blind eye to illegal or unethical actions , safety issues and just plain stupidity afield — especially when glamorized on social media .
One poor-taste video posted to increase engagement today can turn into a mainstream media maelstrom tomorrow . When this happens , the eyes of the country , even world , turn on us as a salacious media portrays hunting to an ignorant public through this narrow , poorly focused lens , which inevitably questions the motivations , ethics and need for not just the dubious behavior , but hunting in general . The firestorm results , at best , in a corrupt memory and bad view of hunting with the voting public ; worst case , it manifests itself in a call for immediate legislation or a ban through the ballot box .
Again , the antis rejoice as we make it easy for them to hold up the worst examples as the standard of all hunters .
— Brian Lynn , Vice President of Communications and Marketing
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