I just received this message from Olivia Nalos on Facebook. She is appealing for help in fighting a tsunami of anti-hunting fanatics, who are trashing her photo as well as 16 other safari hunters.

CNN put these photos up without any accompanying text about the value of hunting to conservation. I think this is to stir the anti-hunters up enough to get them to call their Senators to support Charles Shumer's pending gun control legislation.

This is S.A. 2575, the Schumer "Magazine Ban" Amendment, which is coming to the floor of the U.S. Senate. Anti-gun Senators are attempting to tack it onto the "Cybersecurity Act," S. 3414. The Schumer "Magazine Ban" would give Eric Holder power to pass new regulations without Congressional approval, include serial number stamping and anyone "found" with one could be facing ten years in prison.


Here is Olivia's comment to me:


I was surprised to find that my photo (number 16) is on CNN World News! Check it out and please respond about the positives things hunters do for wildlife because there are a number of anti's commenting.

Tourist Trophy Hunters Chase African Wildlife


Editor's Note: You have to do a "mouse over" in the upper right hand corner of the photo to get the COMMENT button to pop up.

Another great demonstration why I don't publish trophy pics! BTW, blood does not belong in trophy pics. Anything you put on a website is public domain.

Why anyone would take, let alone publish, most of those photos totally escapes me...

Hunters/shooters sure keep our growing number of distractors well armed!

You could draw a cartoon of someone posing with a dead animal and that would be enough for the anti's to get excited.

The bottom line is that we have to keep fighting for our cause as long as they keep fighting for their's.

quote:

Another great demonstration why I don't publish trophy pics! BTW, blood does not belong in trophy pics. Anything you put on a website is public domain.

Quite the contrary.

If one takes the time to read through the story you will find these are not photos taken from the public domain. Instead,the gentleman is actually a photojournalist who took the photos himself and is publishing a book on hunting. Interestingly enough he is a vegatarian who, though he is conflicted at times, sees the advantages of allowing hunting in Africa to preserve the species and to help conservation efforts on the ground. He points out black rhinos as an example.

I also found noteworthy that his view of his hunting subjects not to be the stereotypical "brash, loud and overweight American crowd" but rather mechanics who had saved all their lives to experience their dreams, surgeons who could afford their treks for R&R and children accompanying their parents.

Also he mentioned stalking on tracks and the fitness required for the hunt.

I didn't find it a hatchet job at all... just an honest opinion from a non-hunter.

Now the twits that are commenting? You can't argue with the malacious, misinformed gaggle who make it their life's work trying to put a stop to hunting... why bother posting with that rabble?

Like the photo published here a few weeks ago of a young hunter biting the testicles of his dead springbok. Not smart!

http://forums.accuratereloadin...931049341#4931049341


From what I read on the link Alan posted the photographer spent 4 years photographing hunters. Click on "The Story" on the CNN thread next to comments, upper right.

Photo #2 was previously posted on AR for having won an award (see link).

quote:

You can't argue with the malacious, misinformed gaggle who make it their life's work trying to put a stop to hunting... why bother posting with that rabble?

Exactly. I can understand that Olivia is distressed at the comments, but it is a tempest in a teapot, the meaningless chatter of the ignorant internet crowd. Just ignore it. It will go away. they are powerless.

My fav; an awesome photo:

Steve that photo took home a 12K prize in UK a couple years ago

Here is the text with the photos.

Tourist trophy hunters chase African wildlife

The African hunting scene draws tourists from around the globe interested in chasing and killing some of the world’s most dangerous game. For four years, photographer David Chancellor has traveled with some of these hunters in sub-Saharan Africa.

Chancellor said his goal is to examine both legal and illegal forms of hunting.

These photos, from the first of three planned books on the subject, focus on legal hunting - in which guides are hired to help track animals and supervise hunters - and explore “the complex relationship that man has with animal, through the eyes of the tourist trophy hunter,” Chancellor’s website says.

During the project, Chancellor embedded with the hunters, sleeping on the floor of the bush and stalking animals with them, sometimes for up to two weeks. He said he worked to keep an open mind about hunting, even though he’s a vegetarian.

Members of the hunting party walk until they find tracks and judge the size of an animal, Chancellor said. If it’s deemed worthy of pursuing, the hunters will walk faster and catch up. But lions, for example, will realize they’re being tracked and turn around to face predators. Chancellor doesn’t carry a gun for protection.

Most of the people he followed were Americans, but “not necessarily that stereotypical brash, loud, slightly plump American.” He trekked with the likes of mechanics who had saved for years and surgeons on vacation. “It’s all about income,” he said. Sometimes children were among the hunting parties.

Among the animals hunted in Africa are black rhinos, even though they’re an endangered species. Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, 10 black rhinos a year - five each in South Africa and Namibia - are allowed to be hunted for trophies. It’s estimated that hunters pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the right to take home a black rhino trophy, and the governments said the money is used to help pay for conservation efforts. Only adult male surplus black rhinos are to be hunted.

Arguments for trophy hunting as a conservation tool include sustainability, generating high revenue from few hunters and the ability to reduce illegal hunting, according to a 2008 report (PDF) from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. And some countries such as Namibia have had success with increasing the numbers of its game through hunting and harvesting the animals, according The Economist.

“You have to meet in the middle,” Chancellor told CNN.

The hunters are achievers, Chancellor said, and they’re at the top of their game during the fatal moment.

As part of a tradition in many African tribes, the blood of a child’s first killed animal is painted on the youngster’s face. African guides will often follow the tradition when taking young trophy hunters into the wild. Different tribes paint various amounts of blood on the face; some children have it daubed on, while others have their entire faces painted, Chancellor said.

“The strongest portraits were directly after they’ve achieved, after they’ve killed the animal,” Chancellor said of the hunters. “They’re full of adrenaline; they’re ecstatic.”

But dealing with the deaths of these animals was hard for him to process.

“Seeing someone shoot Africa’s iconic animals for the reason of having it sitting in the living room,” he said, made it a difficult project for him.

Chancellor said he is hoping to raise funds through Kickstarter to publish his first book, “Hunters,” which will also include a smaller foldout book, “Elephant Story.”

– Elizabeth I. Johnson, CNN

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:
Steve that photo took home a 12K prize in UK a couple years ago

That is good to hear and the award is well-deserved. It's just a terrific photo and represents the kind of experience that every young person would have in a perfect world.

I just posted it at my facebook page with the comment: "The Good Life!"

Mike,

I agree! Blood adds nothing to a hunting picrure. Some of those pix are in the worst possible taste. A couple I could accept as artsy but most were just gross.

Mark

IMO you can see that the photographer is a PRO, some a bit much but I like the photo with the guy standing in blood chopping up the elephant. Animals bleed you know.

Anton,

Like I said a few I could see as artsy. That one you mentioned is the one that particularly comes to mind. The trophy pix with the blood all over and large wounds is absolutely wrong on so many levels.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Anton,

Like I said a few I could see as artsy. That one you mentioned is the one that particularly comes to mind. The trophy pix with the blood all over and large wounds is absolutely wrong on so many levels.

Mark

Yes I agree Mark as "trophy pix" bad but this guy are there to take photos that stir up emotions.

She got a pretty nice nyala!

Thanks to Bwanamrm and Ackley Improved User for clueing me in about the text. I was so fixated on the photos and the animal rights jabber I totally missed it. However, it is not exactly a ringing endorsement for hunting, and I am more than a little suspicious of a 'conflicted' vegetarian.

Although he may portray his portfolio as an attempt to present a fair report, I think the reader comments reflect the real agenda. These photos hammer down a lot of nails for CNN with their target market, but covers them with the aura of balanced journalism to deflect any criticism.

Everyone is right that arguing with the ARFs (animal rights fanatics) is a waste of time. However, it could be an opportunity to post some facts in the hope of reaching an intelligent, undecided mind with reason and logic. Granted that is probably just wishful thinking on my part.

However, you would have the satisfaction of REALLY pissing the ARFs off and jumping their screeching up to a higher decibel level.

bwanamrm-

Quite the contrary to what?

Try reading my post for what it says, not what you think it said. I never said the pics in question were taken from the internet public domain. I simply stated my position on publishing trophy pics.

WTF is your problem? Feel free to state your opinions but, please, don't quote me and then try to take me to task for your inability to read and comprehend what I write in plain english. Thanks.

Mark - I totally agree with your comment regarding the pics in question.

BTW, I did go to the site and reply; remains to be seen if CNN posts it.

quote:

WTF is your problem? Feel free to state your opinions but, please, don't quote me and then try to take me to task for your inability to read and comprehend what I write in plain english. Thanks.

Seriously? A bit touchy... I did read your post and it IMO implied the reason you didn't post your own photos were that they could end up on a site such as CNN's. I merely said they were the photojournalist's own photos. It was my opinion and I do feel free to post it.

My post was not a repudiation of yours. Maybe you should re-read my post a bit more slowly.

quote:

Originally posted by Ackley Improved User:
Here is the text with the photos.


“Seeing someone shoot Africa’s iconic animals for the reason of having it sitting in the living room,” he said, made it a difficult project for him.


– Elizabeth I. Johnson, CNN

That one statement reflects the true intent of this fellow. It completely ignores the conservation angle, the feeding of the local people, the complex nature of what hunting does for both the species as a whole and the relationship of that species with the local inhabitants such as livestock predation concerning lion and leopard, crop destruction in the case of elephant, etc. Sure, there were some platitudes elsewhere in the article, but this sentence focuses his true intent. That and the bloody pictures that are in bad taste, taken to "stir up emotions" as Anton puts it. Not to mention the statement of "not NECESSARILY THAT STEREOTYPICAL BRASH, LOUD, SLIGHTLY PLUMP AMERICAN"! I'm not buying it as anything other than a backdoor attempt at a hatchet job! You may read it differently, but it isn't a supportive argument on our behalf. We have to remain vigilant to attacks against hunting, even when the attacks are dressed up a bit with slightly smoother edges.

I do read it differently but again, just my opinion. For those who don't hunt what we do can be confusing... we say we want to conserve the very thing we seek to kill. Kind of a conundrum and difficult for those who don't share our experiences to wrap their heads around. At least this guy tried and didn't throw us under the bus...

In a country of almost 300 million people, only 16 million hunt. So regardless of what we feel about hunting, there are 284 million people who may not totally understand what we do and why we do it, much less the conservation angle. To believe otherwise and not try to see their point of view and where they come from is our folly... once we understand their position and step back from the name-calling and shrillness, we can engage in a two-way dialogue regarding the benefits of hunting and conserving our wild places.

I just don't see where posting amongst the venomous on a CNN blog does anyone any good.

I had to add this regarding Todd's comment on the characterization of hunters as brash, loud, etc... ever watch the Outdoor Channel? I am not sure we are doing ourselves any favors with those who don't share our sport when I see some of the programming there.

bwanamrm-

Implied? In your opinion? Really? Learn to quit when you're exposed for your inability to comprehend the written word, rather than posting a reply that removes all doubt.

Now, I must finish preparations for my latest Ele hunt departure in 66 hours, so you'll understand if I decline to play your silly game of mis-interpretation any further.

Hey Mike,
Good for you, I leave Saturday the 4th for the dark continent myself. Good luck to you.
Russell

Russell,

Wishing you the best of luck and safe passage.

CNN knew what it was doing posting those pic's. Pure pandering to the anti's and liberal know nothing do gooders. tried posting a reply but I could not find a reply button. All those ignoramouses that spend all their life commenting on things they know nothing about on the internet need to get a life. Hypocrisy is rampant. Pretending there is no blood or killing in hunting makes no sense to me but to each there own, although some of the pics are purely for stirring the pot

It's funny how the bunny hugging liberals that have posted comments on the CNN site support abortion, but go bat shit crazy over a dead springbok, etc.

Mike