Your Opinion Matters
The Outdoor Bloggers Summit has challenged bloggers to answer the following 2 questions:
“What Can We Do” as individual hunters/anglers and bloggers do to support and promote the activities that we love?
Blogging has now opened the door for those who support these acitivities to write about their experiences and what it means to them to carry on these traditions. I think it is important to join other online communities and not just those of the outdoor nature.
“What Should We Do” addresses the bigger issue of what the community as a whole, and the community organizations that ask for our money, should do to promote and protect hunting and fishing and all outdoor sports?
It’s important to learn all of the facts about those organizations that you are wanting to support. If there is an issue you feel strongly about, we as bloggers have an opportunity to spread the word. Again, not just within the outdoor community but reaching other readers even those who may not have an opinion.
Hunting is a very political topic. There are those who are supporters, those who are opposed, and those who are undecided. In my opinion those who are opposed believe hunting promotes violence. Those who are undecided believe their opinion will be a heated topic and avoid swaying one way or the other. For those of us that support hunting, blogging is a great way to provide facts over fiction.
Before meeting my husband I did consider hunting to be violent and it wasn’t an issue that was important to me. However, that has since changed for many reasons. I see the passion my husband has for hunting. I see my husband and his three brothers that grew up enjoying the outdoors and enjoy hunting together after almost 40 years. I read other blogs like Holly’s as to why she hunts and a statement she made that is so true - ”The more hunted meat I eat, the less hormones, antibiotics and farm-animal cruelty I ingest.” I read blogs like Othmar’s who is so passionate and proud of his hunting heritage.
If you have an outdoor blog and ask yourself does my opinion really matter? I am proof that it really does matter and what you have to say is truly heard.
May 21st, 2008 at 11:34 am
Good post!
May 21st, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Excellent post! When I started blogging, I never really thought about what I could do for the image of hunting. But, the more I read, and the more I write, the more I think I can help make a difference, and the outdoor blogging community as a whole can certainly make a difference!
May 21st, 2008 at 1:30 pm
So true!
May 21st, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I think an open forum to educate others on hunting or fishing is always good.
There are many types of hunters, those who hunt to harvest, those who hunt for big game, and many who fall in between. we eat what is harvested, and don’t hunt in any fenced areas.
My hunter has educated me that hunters are probably the safest folks when it comes to guns, b/c of the respect for the weapon.
I think that you bring a good bit of humor to the hunting blog, and I like what you do here
May 21st, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Thanks for taking up the challenge Jody!
I think you’re right, everyone’s opinions matter, and the more positive opinions we put out there about hunting and fishing, the better off we’ll be.
You also make a good point about knowing all the facts about the organizations you support. Most of us have a limited amount of money to give, so make sure it is going to the organizations that support the causes you support.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Great post and so true.
I think it is great that Mark’s passion for hunting, and watching him and his brother’s enjoying the outdoors, led to you having a different viewpoint and what hunting and hunters are really all about.
It does really prove that what we say and do can make a difference to people who may be on the fence, or even slightly on the anti side, when it comes to hunting.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Hey Jody,
Nice post. This is the first ‘Topic” post I have read on the new topic. You have done an excellent job of expressing yourself. I do find it interesting that you related violence with guns before you met your husband. Now you view things a bit differently–that there shows you people can change to maybe not accept it fully, but at least recognize the benefits and hear out the reasonings before embarking on the argumentative side of things.
Nice Post. Now I have to go find the others.