Women Hunters, Trophies, Hypocrisy, and Assholes

Cover photo from an article on Oregon Outdoor Council's website.

A couple of us here at RECOIL HQ started the morning by wondering just exactly what giraffe tastes like — or if even the Korowai could stomach Ricky Gervais.

The conversation eventually turned to the ongoing anti-hunting campaign most recently ginned up (though no means started by) one or more self-righteous and condescending celebrities. Everyone is entitled to their opinion — I know this to be true mostly because I feel like everyone (and I mean everyone) is entitled to mine. Having an opinion doesn't excuse you from being an asshole, however, and there have definitely been some assholes weighing in on this whole trophy-taking-selfie thing.

You can think what you want about hunting, that's your prerogative. But when you conflate hunting with poaching, when your disapproval translates into misogyny, vile torrents of profanity and threats of violence, that just proves what many people think already: you're a pretentious asshole. It certainly doesn't do much for your credibility or strength of your argument either, but why let a little rational discourse get in the way of your most recent excuse to be outraged?

Here's an idea! As long as you (and by you I mean any of the many thousands of people wishing hunters ill) are engaging in such smarmy tomfuckery, why don't you go ahead and be even more outraged when it's a pretty girl perpetrating such wanton carnage. It's bad enough when a Mossy Oak-clad quinquagenarian harvests an animal, but God forbid it's a hawt white girl with bewbs posing next to that hapless, slaughtered beast. She should be reviled publicly — in fact, let's revoke her right to vote and stick her back in front of the stove while we're at it. 

Bloodthirsty sluts.

Don't think this sort of thing is going on? Do a quick search, you'll find it pretty quickly. I won't dignify commentary urging torture, rape, or death with a link, but I have several female friends (hawt friends with bewbs even) who've received everything from tagged social media censure to death threats as a result of their love of hunting.

Death threats. Think about that for a minute.

Why is this the case? Good question. Kirstie Pike of Prois wonders the same thing.

“…why is it that the anti-hunting world deems a female hunter as more despicable or dastardly than a man?  It certainly cannot be as simple as that X vs Y chromosome?”

Huntress-writer-photographer Michelle Whitney Bodenheimer has some thoughts on the matter.

“Why does the anti-hunting community target women?  Your guess is as good as mine. I can surmise that they feel women should be nurturers, not “murderers” (as they like to accuse).  Or perhaps they are cowards and deem women as the weaker sex, thus making us an easy target?  I would venture to guess each individual anti-hunter’s motivation is as different as an individual hunter’s drive to hunt.  That being said, I quite honestly don’t care what the motivation is; whatever it is, the anger and hatred is misplaced.”

Here's a few examples of some of the more enlightened ‘meme commentary' floating around out there. They're truly done in fine Ira Einhorn tradition.

I understand the visceral aversion some people have to hunting. I realize some people are horrified from the best of intentions. However, even if I did agree with the “anti-hunters” I'd try to act like a grown-up about it.

I don't know what giraffe tastes like but I'm pretty sure I can recognize an asshole when I see one.

Happy  Earth Day!

Read more of Ms. Bodenheimer's excellent article The War Against the Woman Hunter right here. Read more of Ms. Pike's article Words are not just words right here.

Oh, and are you a woman hunter? Enter this contest.