Bowsite.com

I would like to present myself in such a way that represents hunting AND HUNTERS in a positive light. I am assuming that the best way to do that is with a few comments about conservation. I would like to ask the Bowsite community for any pearls of wisdom, or "bullets" if you will, that will portray hunting/bowhunting/conservation is a positive light.......remember, I probably only have about five minutes.

I will appreciate any and all input......

I am hoping that the context of the event is not that important....but the opportunity to address 500 people in one setting is.

Make it about them and all of us, not just hunters.

Nonhunters seem to herald the spirituality of the hunt amongst indigenous peoples, yet trivialize that aspect when it's asserted by modern hunters.

Pervasive vocabulary of the hunt in language.

The situational humor of physically challenging hunts in difficult weather and the exertion required for a mountain hunt and pack out...being called "vacation"...and that it's a great vacation.

That the North American wildlife management model has been a tremendous success because of hunters and fishermen, PR Act and their conservation efforts. CO "Hug a Hunter" commercials.

Just a quick brain dump of some topics. Short on time.

Learning about conservation, about being the stewards of the earth were commanded to be, was a part of that, but there was so much more.

Hunting is one of the last remaining venus for fathers or mothers to have the undivided attention of their sons and daughters. It's rare these days for families to even sit down for a meal together. Even when together faces are buried in smartphones.

As you can see by my handle, my hunting heritage is important to me. It's what made me who I am, and I can't imagine life any other way.

That's what I'd talk about.

But for the benefit of all the fence-straddlers... I think I would lean towards the facts that:

"Sport" hunting is a term used to distinguish what we do from Market hunting or Susbsistence hunting; not because we aren't in it for the high-quality, free-range organic meat (and most states have rules prohibiting wanton waste of game meat). Because we are doing this for "Sport", we have imposed a long list of ethical guidelines which mandate that we provide the animal with every reasonable opportunity to escape unscathed, and a quick, humane death for the animal when we succeed... whereas Market and Subsistence hunters are concerned with naught else but reducing the animal to possession by whatever means necessary. In fact, most subsistence hunting techniques employed by native Americans are expressly illegal.

If it weren't for Sport hunters, there would be precious little wildlife in this country AT ALL because it was Sportsmen who demanded a conservation ethic which has triggered the conservation of public land for the benefit of ALL native forms of wildlife; those birds that they love to see at their feeders might well not be there without the intervention of Sportsmens's groups.

Antis around here like to claim that Sport hunting causes overpopulation of species such as whitetails, as if NOT hunting them would somehow trigger a population implosion... (Seriously??) The alternatives are a return to the wholesale slaughter of Market and Subsistence hunting which almost wiped them out n the first place, or a population bomb which degrades the entire ecosystem; some ecologists have suggested that if a hurricane were to blow down all of the mature trees in places like MD and VA, the forests would disappear and the landscape would convert to grassland (which it has never been in these areas) because there are too many deer for any young trees to survive long enough to grow to where browsing wouldn't kill them off.

So... given that deer evolved as a prey species, with a reproductive output capable of withstanding round-the-clock predation by bears, wolves, coyotes and mountain lions (none of which have proved popular in suburban areas), someONE or someTHING has to keep their numbers in check through predation.

And we Sportsmen pay pretty dearly for that privilege - I haven't seen recent numbers on Pittman-Roberts, but I'm sure that you could google it in a minute or less. And while you're at it, look up the annual inflows from the sale of hunting licences and the economic value of Sport hunting to your home state.

The alternative, of course (to a revenue-generating means of providing recreational activity to the general public), would be state-funded population-control measures which generally cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars PER ANIMAL removed. Relocation is not an option; beyond the fact that relatively few animals survive the stress of it, there is nowhere in the US right now experiencing a deer shortage... so all that would do is shunt the overpopulation from one area to the next, and NOWHERE is willing to take them on.

Birth control measures are non-starters because the fact is that hunting is a lawful activity with incredibly deep cultural roots - had our ancient forebears not turned to meat consumption, the very brains which allow us to have these conversations would never have evolved. (Several states have recently enacted constitutional amendments enshrining hunting and fishing as legal RIGHTS). And because hunters expect to consume the wildlife which they take home, it would not be acceptable to allow birth control during the hunting seasons (the ONLY time when it is actually needed) because there are no birth control drugs which have been certified for human consumption. That is why animals such as black bears are always euthanized when they run afoul of humans within a certain window before and during hunting seasons - the tranqs are not authorized for human consumption.

Certain locales, such as Staten Island, NY, have gone so far as to address this problem by performing VASECTOMIES on male deer. OK, so number one, look at the unit cost per animal. How's that working out for the locals??

Number two, ask any man who has HAD a vasectomy how much he would like to endure the following weeks without benefit of any form of pain relief whatsoever - especially if he did not have the luxury of kicking back on the couch, but had to travel (on foot) to reach food, water, and cover every day, and had to run and jump to escape various perceived threats such as humans, dogs, cars, coyotes....

While I sometimes suspect that certain feminist groups would wish that upon pretty much every man in the country.... Not only does that clearly constitute inhumane treatment (imagine the pain and suffering, and these bucks did NOT sign a waiver), but it doesn't even work; if does don't get pregnant, they will continue cycling. If does are cycling, bucks from well outside the area will travel far and wide to find those receptive does, and they will fight the local bucks - often inflicting grievous bodily harm - while competing for the opportunity .

And once those does do get pregnant - several months after the normal breeding season - their fawns will suffer the consequences because they will not reach a body size which will allow them to manage the physiological challenges of a hard winter; more pain, more suffering, and more death...

Sometimes, the most humane thing to do is to put the animal down. And as most of us here have witnessed, a well-placed arrow kills every bit as quickly as a bullet to anywhere but the brain, and a bungled headshot results in a much slower death than an equally bad shot than just about anywhere else... and is more likely, because the difference in the size of the target is like a baseball vs. a basketball....

Pretty sure I exceeded your time limit, but at there are a coupla facts in there which you might keep in your back pocket in case of any Q&A....

Then, Give them a biology lesson: " We are animals, more specifically we're predators (eyes in the front). In Nature animals that procure their own protein are called Carnivores, those that eat what others kill are called Scavengers."

Then you appeal to their sense of adventure: "Some people play cards, others choose golf; I willingly assume my place in the food chain, and it's not always at the top".

And don't forget to remind them that you voted for Trump, hate cats, own scary black rifles and would willingly kill an elephant if they'd let you. If you sense that their are still a few audience members who aren't horrified yet, tell them you killed a cuddley Polar Bear.

I learned this technique from watching Pat speak at the last Seal Clubber convention. He was riveting.

I try to make them see that it isn't just a hobby for most of us, it's a way of life.

Someone once asked me why I hunt so much. I told them "Some people pick up a rifle every year around thanksgiving and hunt. Then they go back to work on Monday and tell everyone that they went hunting. Those are people that hunt. Me? It isn't something that I do once a year. It is who I am. I have 3 seasons, preseason, hunting season and post season. Hunting is not something that I do, I AM A HUNTER!"

They were surprised by this because they had never considered it in that light. They, like others, just assumed it was something we do casually because we like to kill things.

I guess what I was rambling about is, I would stress that hunting is ingrained in us and for many is who we are. It's not just an idle pasttime.

Just my thoughts.

Point out depredation in high volume urban areas where deer kill motorist, check on the stats. The numbers can be very persuasive.

Another angle is I know my dedication to hunting kept me out of trouble, comparable to high school sports.

A lot in general to cram into 5min, but there are some good suggestions. Pick out some of the most shocking and compassionate topics. If you have the time post your final draft, good luck.

Congrats!

or the process, like how much we shoot to stay sharp, 3d,

some guys carve their bow out of a stave, etc-

folks would be fascinated. They for sure don't want to hear... I killed this ....then I killed that .

Maybe Hit on the high points that get misinterpreted. A. all of the hunters I know eat what they kill. B. Nutrition C. Poaching isn't hunting. All hunters hate it when the news media characterizes poachers as hunters. D. Conservation that's been covered E. Hunting is a noble pursuit...its not just killing animals. Only a small percentage of hunters are successful. So why do we do it ?

https://youtu.be/sZRrLj3ltzs

I'd probablly leave anything about the small intestine out :)

Enjoy your self Jake

Good luck, Robb

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No one these days is "against" the "environment". Point out our positive role in conservation. It will be a surprise to some. Let the surprise sink in, and hopefully some will soften their view of hunting.

In the end, you don't need to evangelize and convert them, just soften their view, get them to give up any per-conceived ideas, and open themselves to listening.

Then go sit down -- that's a lot of work for 5 minutes.

PS, don't let Nancy speak ;)

"We" is much better

Nancy will howl when she reads your comment!!

I don't have anything helpful. With your attitude and preparation, I'm sure you'll do great and represent hunters in a strong and positive light.

Hunters are stewards first. Advocacy for hunting and fishing is nothing less than advocacy for logic itself. Who perpetuates more than the practitioner, the participant? Hunters are inherent guardians of habitat and biological vigor. Asked to demonstrate how this is so, in return ask when the last time a man hunted a deer in the middle of a shopping mall, the middle of an industrial park or the middle of downtown Manhattan.

As pointed out above, it's fashionable to admire the natural existence of indigenous people. Well, why does that not parlay to the "modern" hunter? Our values are nothing if not parallel and, in many ways, more highly tuned to humanity and population health of animals. We all share the same Ice Age DNA and, as such, we all share a common cultural and biological dependency on hunting and fishing. It is harmful to both humans and the natural world to view hunting and fishing as vestiges of a bygone era. We cannot exempt ourselves from nature by pretending the industrialization of nutritional substance and culture will somehow preserve that which will otherwise be paved over or plowed under.

I could prattle on but, at the end of the day, there is a mentality that pretends it can exempt itself from reality and be better for it. Modern humankind cannot remove itself from its role as an apex predator without a profoundly deleterious effect on the natural environment. And while we may be statistical oddities, hunters are not the rapacious brutes culture fashion us to be. If anything, the calloused wantonness resides with the opposition.

oz

The other approach would be to talk about the challenges of hunting like what it really takes to kill a mature whitetail. Some people have no idea and think that you can just enter their habitat and kill them. I have a friend who was strongly anti-hunting until he accepted a challenge/bet to kill a mature whitetail buck with a bow. He is now a dedicated bow hunter and loves the game.

I am an ad guy (yes like MadMen) and being prepped and on-point will keep things clear and crisp.

I recently had to do this (5 mins) for all the senior leaders of one of our divisions who were from around the world. So I talked about how I am big into "Farm-to-Table" - since most were big foodies. It got laughs and conveyed the purpose of the 5 mins.

You could also talk about hunting is a tool used by biologist to ensure a healthy wildlife population. That if hunting were a company it would be seen as a Fortune 100 company driving over $50 billion in annual spending.

Honestly, I would talk about why it's important to you because you aren't going to have enough time to convey anything more than that.

Those are all points that show the benefit of hunting, that are pretty compelling. That said, they may not connect emotionally with people (listening to a bunch of statistics will feel like you're back in school!). One area that I think might do that would be around the adventure aspect of hunting, and the physical and mental challenge it presents. I'm sure you have countless stories across your Super Slam that you could tap into. I think that we are often fighting the beer drinking, gun-totin', shooting from the pickup perception from the non-hunting crowd. Describing chasing sheep with a bow at 12,000' or floating a river for moose in Alaska may stir those in the crowd that appreciate a good adventure and paints a picture of hunters that goes contrary to the one I described above.

Lastly, I think it's worthwhile connecting the organic meat aspect of wild game, particularly with your unique experience. I think there's a perception among many non hunters that the only animals hunters eat belong to the deer family, and that anything beyond that is trophy hunting and, therefore, bad. Reading your write up on your SS, I thought it was awesome you spoke to the edibility of every animal on the list. I think you can make it clear that "trophy hunting" (a term I hate that seems to mean more to the non hunting public than to hunters) means being selective in the animals you hunt and doesn't mean that the meat isn't consumed. Might also be worth bringing up wanton waste laws around game meat.

Those are some of the topics that I think might change some perspectives in a positive way.

Here are some points I would share based on the info you have provided:

1. Be yourself and gracious to be asked to speak 2. Know your audience 3. Talk to the audience- not down to the audience 4. Know your subject, but don't bore with statistics.

Don't start off telling people your not much of a speaker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37v-6Zs5T10

"Do you know who I am? I am a Super Slammer who took the four sheep slam in less than six months." Now, about conservation........................."

you have to get their attention quickly and that should do it.

Only thing I could really add would be to stay away from anything that sounded as an attack on the anti-hunters.... and anything that sounded as a DEFENSE of hunting.

That and any stories about cornfields....... heheheheh.....

Not sure if it was mentioned, but crop damage/ loss numbers may be of some use. I've read a guys posts who does depredation for elk. His stories are endless and the crop loss is astronomical.

Will the contributors to your thread be provided advance transcripts of your planned speech?

I say planned because there are always 3 speeches- the one you plan to give, the one you gave, and lastly, the one you wish you would have given.

I have done a fair amount of public speaking. Usually, with adequate planning, I don't regret my presentations, or wish for do overs. Besides, as previously stated, we're only talking about five minutes......perhaps a humorous opening story, one or two conservation minded "bullets" of information (I have many to choose from as a result of this thread), and a close. I won't have a transcript, I will have rehearsed it enough that I'll do it from memory......unless Obama donates his teleprompter....LOL

1. Hunters and the role they play in funding conservation and wildlife budgets.

2. The importance of how a hunting lifestyle makes you the person you are. It's not about trophies of inches or score, it's about what creates memorable experiences for you. Sharing a brief story of a hunt that gives you great memories or was a challenging/life affecting moment will quickly connect you with your audience.

3. If you like to eat wild game and are passionate about it, touch on the gourmet/healthy aspect of hunting to procure food. Hunting is experiencing a huge influx from the hipster/organic/eat local demographic. If you don't really enjoy eating wild meat and only eat it to properly salvage the animals you kill, I would avoid spending much time on this subject.

4. If possible touch on the community aspect of relationships with those you hunt with. The camaraderie of camps shared and experiences together makes for compelling stories. Including a compromising photo or story of Pat in your speech will be well received even if they don't know who Pat is. :)

Some of you mentioned Randy Newberg's message and I heartily concur. A topic in a complete different direction could be how that as public landowners every American is connected by wild places whether we hunt or not. We all have an incredible resource and opportunity for recreation within our public lands.

This is a topic that I have become very passionate about, primarily due to Randy's influence. A group of us actually filmed an episode for his show, highlighting how a hugely diverse group of individuals are connected by the internet and easily accessible public land. Randy was crazy and generous enough to host our episode on his platform taking on the expense and risk to his reputation. I've included the link to the episode (sorry for the hijack.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RHqYQZ7ACo&t=2s

Good luck. You will do well.

I jest with you. Your real presentation will be made mingling with the crowd and just being yourself. I know you will be totally prepared to the minute detail and do a great job. You will be a good spokesperson and representative for the bowhunting community.

Good luck.

To most people their everyday life is in fact very mundane and when they hear these stories, their eyes just light up. I feel sorry for most people actually, because you can tell they just wish they could experience something like we all do regularly, and I'm not sure if it is a lack of experience, or confidence that keeps them indoors.

You will do well as always!!!

Mark

I have put together my first blush of a speech.....which runs right at 5 minutes. I am going to post it here, so you guys can offer your thoughts. Remember, this is a first draft....

Here we go....

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have been hunting since SPAM was only known as a type of canned meat. Although my father passed away almost 50 years ago, I have able to learn a lot about the tradition of hunting from others that took me under their tutelage. Hunting is an excellent venue for parents and mentors to have the undivided attention of kids without a smartphone being required, while giving children an opportunity to receive a better appreciation for the great outdoors.

In this politically correct day and age, it troubles me to see and hear people speak of hunting in a negative light. Hunting is an effective method of conservation, and is strictly regulated by specific state and Federal agencies. The monies generated by hunting related activities (licenses, permits, tags, stamps, etc.) and hunting organizations (RMEF, DU, NWTF, P&Y, B&C, WSF, etc) provide the vast majority of funding for many wildlife related projects, including funding for law enforcement equipment to uphold game laws.

I have been fortunate to have pursued and taken every big game animal on the North American continent with a bow and arrow. With only one exception, every animal was eaten. Wild game is frequently recognized as being a healthier tablefare than meat bought in a grocery store because there are no growth hormones, GMOs, or antibiotics.

I have lost count of the number of times that I have heard uninformed people talk about hunting as if it were mean or cruel, only to watch these very same people buy meat in a local grocery store. Think about it for a minute.....wild animals have the opportunity to evade a hunter, unlike the cattle that are confined and raised strictly for consumption.The animals that we hunt in the wild control their own destiny, those in the stockyards do not. Don't get me wrong, I am not against cattle farming in any way; however, people that disapprove of hunting, but have no problem eating meat clearly exhibit some form of cognitive dissonance. For those that are opposed to hunting, and do NOT eat red meat; I would be willing to bet that they own a leather belt, leather shoes or boots, and maybe even a leather jacket. Many animals deaths are a result of their choice of attire. Are you a vegetarian or perhaps a vegan? Don't think for one minute that you are not responsible for some animal deaths. Farmers exercise rodent control just so you can enjoy your veggies and fruits. Besides, last time I checked, plants are living organisms, too.

For those of you favoring a religious lifestyle, you don't have to read very far into the bible before you realize that man is commanded to exert dominion over the animals, birds, and fish....that's conservation and game management, folks.

One observation that I have made is that the anti-hunting community focuses on trying to change the way that you FEEL. That is because their cause has no basis in fact. A year or two ago, a hunter killed a lion in Africa. Immediately, the anti-hunting community embraced a nickname that this animal was given. Anthropomorphism at its finest, "Cecil" became the rallying cry for animal rights activists, to the point where the hunter received death threats, and had his home and professional office vandalized. Both the hunter and the guide were acquitted of all charges....but you didn't hear THAT in the media, did you? Incidentally,since that lion fiasco occurred, Zimbabwae Park has announced that it is going to need to cull 200 lions...possibly caused in part, by the dramatic decline in lion hunters since the Cecil controversy. With lion hunting decreasing, lion numbers have apparently increased to the point where they now represent a significant threat to the others species living in the park. Without conservation, without hunting, the park loses balance.

Much of the general public's misunderstanding about nature is compounded by ridiculous cartoons and commercials. How many people have seen the Coca Cola commercial where the Polar Bear "dad" and the Polar Bear "son" offer a Coke to a penguin?....After all, it's Christmas....it's a time for sharing....just a few problems with this type of advertising......Polar Bear boars will eat cubs when given the opportunity to do so. Polar Bears live near the North Pole, penguin inhabit Antarctica, at the South Pole....but hey, it's only 12,712 kilometers (almost 8,000 miles)! ....and finally, c'mon people, what's going to REALLY happen, if and when a Polar Bear ever came upon a plump, flightless bird waddling around on the ice? They'd EAT it!!

Lastly - let's say that 10% of the population hunts, and 5%-10% are opposed to hunting. That means that 80% of the general population don't have a strong opinion either way. My goal as a responsible bowhunter and conservationist is to give that 80% as much logical/factual data as possible, to help make informed decisions.....rather than try to elicit an emotional response which is contrary to science and fact. By doing so, it is my hope that if you are a landowner, or if you become a landowner, and someone asks for permission to hunt on your property, you will understand the advantages of allowing them to do so.

My name is Jake Ensign, and I am proud to be a bowhunter.

"I am proud to be a bowhunter."

'Senator Jake'...

Good luck, Robb

Scar

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When does Gilibrand come up for reelection?

#1 Dress professionally. That means suit and tie. You are representing hunters and you want to break the mold of what others think of hunters. It gives you the high ground. Dr. King always wore a suit and tie even if it was 110F. He had the high ground and he never left it.

#2 Rehearse your speech and time your presentation. If you are on a time limit, ensure your statement is both impactful and concise. Avoid rambling, and "ums", and "uhs"

#3 Memorize your speech and look your listeners in the eye. Every time I see someone reading from a script, I look away. You have lost the listener.

#4 Ignore hecklers: If they are rude by booing, Pause in silence for effect. People will see you as the one taking the high ground. When order is restored resume your speech as if nothing has happened.

#5 Smile. People like people who smile!

#6 Practice in front of your family. Their input is important.

My Dad always told me a legal trial was won and lost before he entered the court room. He is right. Practice the speech until its apart of who you are.

Good luck my friend.

Your point about domestic animals being treated poorly is well-taken, but also accusatory. Are you saying that your audience is immoral because they eat farmed food? (I don't think you want to, but don't be surprised if it comes off that way.) Instead, maybe draw a parallel to something they already do, like gardening. Then you are letting them know how we are alike, rather than how we are different.

Just a few quick thoughts before work here -- I retain the right to re-think them!

His recordings were the best.

I have done quite a bit of public speaking, and I agree with every point that you mentioned. Trust me, I'll be ready. I haven't rehearsed it 100 times (yet)....but I am in the dozens.....My biggest personal challenge?....remembering to smile!!!

Deertick,

I agree with your comment about domestic cattle being slaughtered sounding accusatory. I don't mean that domestic cattle are treated poorly...the main point was that hunted animals control their own destiny, domestic cattle do not (I have now edited that comment somewhat) .....I am still trying to figure out a better way to word the hypocrisy that anti-hunting meat eaters exhibit. I want to focus on our positives, rather than dwell on the anti-hunters negatives....but I also felt the need to draw a line in the sand. I thought about mentioning that Mother Nature is far more cruel in how some animals die, but there is just no way to tastefully express that point....at least not in just one or two sentences. The comparison to gardening may prove useful.....

Kurt.....If you can provide a reference with some specific numbers, I might try to include a sentence about the Federal excise tax.....I haven't searched the internet yet for that data.

Luckily, this just a first draft, and I am eleven days away from go time. Since I will be driving to the Harrisburg Sports Show in the next day or two (a four hour drive each way), I will have lots of time to practice while on the road.

Perhaps mention the family bonds that form when hunting, relating some personal experience of a kid's first hunt or an older family member's last hunt.

A touch of humor can go a long way too. I've demonstrated the pervasive impact of nature and the importance outdoor activities in my life by explaining that my kids' middle names are actually two lakes and a trout stream. My wife wanted to include a sense of "place" in their names... where they "began". And they were baptized using water from these water sources with deep, personal connections. However... my buddies are more hesitant to take me up on an offer to go fishing these days.

I think that you've got a great speech going though and will do a fantastic job. You are a great representative of hunters. Have fun.

I could use a really decent, humorous "bullet" (excuse the pun).

I'd FAR rather live as a free creature up to the time of my death than a prisoner my entire life. Death will come to all of us. It's the part that comes before that really matters.

A game animal that lived a free existence until it was cleanly and quickly killed with a well placed bullet/broadhead instead of starvation and/or being torn apart by predators won the lottery.

Outstanding link.....I think that I am going to remove the paragraph about the couple being killed and eaten by lionesses, and refer to this follow up instead......now help me find that one with the hunting survey, and give me a humorous "bullet"....LOL!!

A baby seal walks into a club...

It's one thing to impose a ban on caviar because Sturgeon are on the verge of extinction, and something else entirely to ban caviar because you think eating fish eggs is Icky.

NOT trying to be a harse's arse, but for you to think about....

JMO...

Leave religion out of it. You're already talking about money & politics, so don't go for the trifecta!

Leave your pet peeves out of it. I know it ticks you off... ticks me off, too! But instead of stating that it makes you angry (which they will re-frame as you feeling personally attacked) , try expressing it as your concern over the fact that these people are - in an extreme display of hypocrisy - exploiting a lack of knowledge (also sometimes pronounced Ignorance, but them's fightin' words!) and deliberately and shamelessly spreading disinformation about hunting, and playing on emotion to shape PUBLIC POLICY and bring it into accordance with their own, personal belief system.

And you see what I did there? I just told you to leave Religion out of it, and here we are tap-dancing down that line... But have you ever met an Anti-Hunter who is NOT ALSO Pro-Choice? I haven't. Don't recall as I've met any who aren't in favor of equal opportunities and explicit protection for the LGBT community, either.

I love to hunt.

I understand that not everyone feels this way. I realize that some people find the thought of killing an animal to be not just offensive to their sensibilities, but morally repugnant.

And I recognize that I am extremely fortunate to have been born in a country where laws are based on reason, science, and individual liberties.

Therefore I do not expect Public Policy to be shaped around my own personal sensibilities, and I expect others to be as tolerant of my belief systems as they want me to be regarding theirs.

Other thoughts...

Leave the lion cull out of it; Antis will argue that those were all animals that were bred in captivity expressly to provide a steady stream of trophies for even more horrible, evil, disgusting, upper-middle-class, upper-middle-aged white men to kill to satisfy their evil desires and secure their bragging rights.

Acknowledge the importance of animal WELFARE. Not "rights", but welfare. If humans are going to eat animals, then those animals must first be killed (as a rule, anyway), and hunting is a way of taking direct responsibility for seeing to it that the animals that we eat have been killed in as humane a manner as possible. This might even be a good time to mention that animals hit with a properly-sharpened broadhead frequently show no significant reaction to the shot; not only do they die not knowing what hit them, they don't even know they've been hit!

And if anybody brings up animal "rights", you could simply ask them whether a wolf or a coyote has a "right" to kill and eat deer? What about a well-fed housecat (a species which kills (but does not necessarily eat) BILLIONS of songbirds every year here in the US)?

Your speech has come together very well!

A couple of quick thoughts:

1: I would reference our North American Wildlfie Model (driven by the hunter/conservationist) AND the success it has had at bringing many specie populations back from near extinction (or threatened) to growing and healthy levels....elk, deer, turkeys to name a few.

2: leave out the part about one (grizzly?) not being eaten as you don't want them to focus on that but rather stay focussed on your broader message.

3: I would insert something about the social nature of hunting with friends and family.....after all....it really boils down to the people in our lives and the relationships we Have with others.

Will this be filmed? We' love to see it as you're going to "kill it!!"

Mark

Good luck and smile a lot:)

I want to make sure that everyone knows that I eat what I kill. I felt the need to mention the exception, so that no one will think that I am not being completely honest. There are online references to the fact that I didn't eat the brown bear, and thus I felt the need to address it. I am still debating the use of that sentence.

I didn't eat the brown bear because he was full of tapeworms.

Good point about mentioning some of the successes of wildlife management, as it pertains to certain species......I'll work on including something to that effect. What would be the greatest success in your opinion...whitetail deer or wild turkey? They have both come a long way.....I am leaning towards deer....

Go Get 'Em!!!!

Mark

Humor and passion always hooks an audience a lot more than numbers, stats or advice. Be a "giver" when you speak - give the audience value and inspire them!! Speak slowly and try to make eye contact. Good luck!!

You wrote:

"In this politically correct day and age, it troubles me to see and hear people speak of hunting in a negative light. Hunting is an effective method of conservation, ...."

Instead, I'd change it to this:

"In this politically correct day and age, it troubles me to see and hear people speak of hunting in a negative light. Hunting is the only effective conservation tool to manage wildlife resources;...",

God Bless men

Pat....per your first comment ("you're trying too hard")....you're just now figuring that out?!! It's what I do....!

Pat's right. Five minutes is barely enough time to introduce yourself and tell a good joke.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have been hunting since Spam was only known as a type of canned meat.

Over the years, as a direct result of my passion for the great outdoors, .I have had the opportunity to meet some wonderful people, encounter some unique cultures, and experience some breath taking adventures and vistas. I have visited parts of the world that many people would only see on a National Geographic documentary or the Discovery channel.

I believe it is passion that makes a swimmer swim that extra lap, makes a runner run that extra mile, makes a basketball player practice those extra foul shots, or drive a bow hunter to climb that last mountain.

If my hunting adventures have taught me anything, it's that chance favors the prepared mind. Preparation and visualization are two processes that have the ability to transform outcomes....in all aspects of life.

To prepare for a muskox bow hunt, as well as some other arctic adventures, I bought a used walk-in freezer. For several months, to help me acclimate to extreme cold. I would strip down to my birthday suit, and enter the freezer (set at 44 degrees below zero) with nothing but a towel, a flashlight, a wooden stool, and the book “Atlas Shrugged”. Each week, my goal was to average one page more than the preceding week. By the end of my acclimating, I was reading 17 pages per session before shivering my way out of the freezer.....it probably also did wonders for my speed reading ability. LOL.

While actually in the arctic, my Inuit guides and I were caught in an unexpected storm. With windchill, the temperature plummeted to NEGATIVE 103 degrees (actually, it went off of the chart). The Inuits came to me and said that we can try to pitch camp here (in the middle of almost hurricane conditions), but if you can handle the cold, there is a fishing shanty about 10 km from here that would give us better shelter. I told them that I was cool, but not cold...let's try for the shanty.

I'll never forget the look that they gave to each other, and I know that the tone of the hunt changed in that moment. I was not just some client anymore. I was willing to push myself, and do whatever it took to make sure that we maximized our odds for survival....and I earned their respect. BTW, I have eaten every big game animal that I have tagged with archery gear....and muskox is still my favorite.

I am also a big fan of visualization. I always try to anticipate a desired outcome, and then mentally picture it happening. By using this method, I have found it to be easy to go into “auto-pilot” when others might falter in the same high pressure situation.

I have hundreds of hunting memories....some provide lessons, others are just humorous. On one hunt near the Norton Sound of Alaska, we put out two crab pots. When we later checked the traps, they were full of king crabs. We took the crabs back to camp, and cooked our catch. Halfway through a delicious dinner, we ran out of butter. I speak from experience when I tell you that if you are ever eating seafood and you run out of butter, try mayonnaise – you won't regret it (just don't make the mistake of returning home and telling your mother that you just had crabs!!)

Mountain Goat and sheep hunting are frequently done at high altitudes, and on extremely steep, life threatening slopes. To prepare for these hunts, I hiked steep inclines all summer with a backpack loaded with dry bags of cement, weighing as much as 135 pounds. If you ever decide to consider a similar training regimen, put your cement bags in a plastic garbage bag....initially, I did not....and I got caught in a rainstorm. When I got home, the bag weighed almost 180 pounds. I never made that mistake again.

Self reflection is a constant companion of most hunters. We may sit for hours, if not days, waiting for a single opportunity. During that time, you can learn a lot....about yourself, and about nature. I will frequently relive many adventures while sitting in a stand, just because the call of a certain songbird triggers a vivid memory.

There are about 13.7 million hunters in the US. There are approximately 750,000 resident and non-resident hunters in NYS state alone. While the archery Super Slam has only been completed by about 22 hunters, it isn't why I pick up a bow and go afield.

Humans are omnivores. We have stereoscopic vision (common in predators), short digestive tracts, and canine teeth. We were meant to eat meat. I enjoy the challenge of providing my own meals without the need of a grocery store. One additional benefit is that much of our meat does not contain growth hormones, GMOs, or antibiotics. I have enjoyed learning about the animals of North America, as much as I have enjoyed pursuing them. I have also enjoyed trying the different types of meat, and learning various ways of preparing them.

Lastly,my father passed away when I was young. I am mostly self-taught. I would have enjoyed more mentoring when I was young. As a result, I try to take young, or first time hunters out hunting as much as possible. For the conservation method to be most effective, we need to continue to pay it forward.

Thank you for your time.

You will review it every morning (and knowing you, probably more) and make only minor "tweaks" to it.

Now practice your positive mental visualization and go hammer this like you have hundreds of critters over the years!

Mark

That will be a great presentation and will probably encourage dialogue with attendees following the event.

Good Luck and Congratulations on a great speech.

Scar.

Nonetheless, composing the first speech was cathartic for me. I was able to document and catalog some points that I will keep in mind, should the occasion ever arise where I need to bitch slap some "anti's" with a few facts....lol

The Pope went on vacation for a few days to visit the rugged mountains of Alaska. He was driving along near a campground when he heard a frantic commotion just at the edge of the woods. He found a helpless Democrat wearing shorts, sandals, a 'Vote for Hillary' hat and a 'Save the Trees' shirt.

The man was screaming and struggling frantically, thrashing all about trying to free himself from the grasp of a 10-foot grizzly bear. As the Pope watched in horror, a group of Republican loggers wearing Go Trump shirts came racing up. One quickly fired a .44 magnum slug right into the bear's chest.

The two other men pulled the semiconscious Democrat from the bear's grasp. Then using baseball bats, the three loggers finished off the bear. Two of the men dragged the dead grizzly onto the bed of their pickup truck while the other tenderly placed the injured Democrat in the back seat.

As they began to leave, the Pope summoned all of them over to him. "I give you my blessing for your brave actions!" he proudly proclaimed. "I have heard there was bitter hatred between Republican loggers and Democratic environmental activists, but now I've seen with my own eyes that this is not true.

As the Pope drove off, one logger asked his buddies, "Who was that guy? "Dude, that was the Pope," another replied. "He's in direct contact with Heaven and has access to all wisdom.

"Well," the logger said, "he may have access to all wisdom, but he don't know squat about bear hunting. By the way, is the bait still alive or do we need to go back to California and get another one?