“Social media is not just a platform, it’s a reflection of society.”
I don’t know if this quote was meant to somehow make people feel good about the state of society, or if it was meant to be a warning, but it almost makes me throw up in my mouth a little when I think about how accurate it is. Everyone has probably read the memes and posts that say something to the effect of people being too comfortable with their ability to be disrespectful virtually without the fear of being punched in the mouth, a.k.a. cell door warriors (for those that know). I’ve really been noticing this a lot lately, but to keep this from turning into a rant about the current state of society as a whole, which would be an easy rabbit hole to jump into, I’m going to focus on the hunting and outdoor community as I see this happening amongst us and it’s irritating.
Let’s imagine that we are new to hunting, we are anxious to get out in the field, we are hungry for information, and we have a ton of questions. We jump on one of the social media platforms, join some hunting groups with tons of knowledgeable members, and decide to start asking some questions, because where else do you have access to so many people with knowledge and experience? Maybe we ask about what brand of camo clothing we should be looking for that will hold up and won’t drain our wallets. You would hope group members would respond with things like “I’ve had great experience with Brand Z. It fits true to size, is very durable, and they typically have some decent sales” or “I would stay away from Brand X. It tears up easy in rough terrain, it’s hot, and their customer service sucks if you have issues.” Yes, I know some people do respond like this and try to help others, but what you get an equal, or stronger dose of sometimes, is “Camo is stupid. My great-great-great grand pappy used to kill giant deer in blue jeans, a red and black flannel, a stalking cap, with a cigarette in his mouth and a beer in his hand” or “If you don’t have Brand X you suck!” In another group we ask to get clarification on a particular rule we read about in the CO brochure (because we all know CO regulations are very clear and easy to follow), and instead of someone giving a simple answer, we get “Read the brochure”, “It’s called Google”, “If you don’t know maybe you shouldn’t be hunting”, “Do your own research”, etc. I can go on and on with examples, but you get the picture. If you don’t, go scroll a few hunting groups, and you will see the number of haters almost always outweigh those that are there just to have decent conversations and share information with like-minded people. Don’t believe me? Find where someone posts about what broadheads or calibers to use. The level of douchebaggery in the comments is colossal and astounding, and most of the time the original poster is probably still left with the same question and possibly a slight hatred for mankind.
I heard someone on a podcast recently talking about the wolf reintroduction in Colorado and the current efforts to ban cat hunting. They said one of the big reasons the wolf reintroduction gained so much support, and why the push to ban cat hunting also has so much support, is the anti-hunters and others pushing these initiatives are so well organized. I am not, nor do I claim to be an expert on these topics, but seeing all the petition pushers, ads, flyers, social media posts, etc. that were thrown at the public, I would say those behind it were very well organized. That’s not to say there aren’t some folks and groups out there on the side of the hunter doing great things to fight these initiatives because there are many and they fight harder than most people think. How does this paragraph fit into what I have written above? I would venture to guess that a large percentage of the haters I talked about, that like it or not are out in the field enjoying the hunting tradition just like you (and thus they are part of the hunting community as a whole), do absolutely nothing to help preserve the lifestyle most of us live and love. If they won’t do anything for their fellow hunters besides heckle them and act like total smackasses online, do you really think they will do anything at all to make a positive impact in the hunting community, fight the initiatives that slowly chip away at hunting as we know it, and/or do anything to help conservation efforts? I hope I’m wrong, but my guess is they will just moan and bitch and continue to do nothing but sound like idiots and run their virtual mouths in an artificial world where no one can punch them in their actual throat.
Don’t be a hater.
