Great NY Times Article-Yuppies Discover Shooting & Hunting

[inclinebench]

While I agree that it is nice to welcome new hunters to what we all do, I still have reservations. People who just start hunting because it is a trend will approach it differently than those who do it because that is what we grew up with, or it is a passion we have always had. I am always nervous about someone in the woods who is limited on experience, and does not have a proper mentor (parent etc.) by their side at the beginning. I am also nervouse about city folks who dont really understand or respect the rules about property and hunting etiquitte.
As a side, I noticed the picture of the guy on VA's opening day of general season...he isn't wearing his blaze orange. That is one rule right there he is breaking, with photo evidence none the less. How many other rules do you think he might be unfamiliar with?

 

[SWDoc]

No way for this article to be seen in any but a positive light. These are people, men and women, who perhaps knew of no legit use of firearms before being involved in these clubs. They are more closely bound to the outdoors now, not just on an intellectual level, but a visceral one. Is this the same as being committed to 2A rights? No. But they are closer than they were. And the irrational fear of firearms is being addressed. Easier for them to recognize firearms as tools.

I think it is all good.

Steve

 

[General Geoff]

These are people, men and women, who perhaps knew of no legit use of firearms before being involved in these clubs. They are more closely bound to the outdoors now, not just on an intellectual level, but a visceral one. Is this the same as being committed to 2A rights? No. But they are closer than they were. And the irrational fear of firearms is being addressed. Easier for them to recognize firearms as tools.

Give this gentleman a prize, he wins the thread.

 

[Werewolf]

Originally Posted by Werewolf
I wonder if the shot by hunter death rate will go up in the near future?

... Just sayin ...

Right .... because only rednecks and conservatives are professional enough to use a gun ....

Jeeze, the elitism is thick in this thread.

I was referring to those new to hunting. And that's who the article was pretty much referring to - those with little to no experience with firearms who just happen to be green weenies all ate up with the glory of organic.

In my experience those new to hunting, unless closely supervised, tend to shoot at anything that moves - even when it's covered in bright flourescent orange. Try hunting on a WMA for an experience you won't forget.

 

[Cosmoline]

FYI, yuppies went extinct in 90's.

 

[SuperNaut]

Yep, these are foodies and hipsters.

 

[achttung]

I too have my reservations about this. Talk to almost any local in upstate NY, or VT where I currently live, and they'll be uneasy about letting 'city folks' hunt their land... or anywhere near it. The level of safety just isn't there... not that the city types are blatantly breaking rules, they're just out of their element, and not always prepared.

 

[Speedo66]

Werewolf says " In my experience those new to hunting........tend to shoot at anything that moves."

In my experience, that applies to many experienced hunters as well. Slob hunters are not just newbies.

Achttung, there has always been a love-hate relationship between upstate and downstate New Yorkers, the upstaters want the downstaters money, they just don't want them around. There has never been a kind word said regardless of what the topic is. These would fall into the "country" (not urban) legend dept.

People here saying they 're afraid of more people in the woods, higher gun prices, etc., reek of selfishness, not advancement of the sport. The people in these classes may not have someone to take them out and show them what to do, so they're doing the next best thing by taking the time and expense to learn by taking classes. How is this a bad thing?

And whoever said they were afraid of "yankees with guns", these classes are in VA. Are they still yankees?

 

[rfwobbly]

I wonder if the shot by hunter death rate will go up in the near future?

NO !

Every inner-city yup knows that hunters and game wardens are high in cholesterol, loaded with antibiotics, and about the only thing in the woods that are not "free range".

 

[RS14]

And the irrational fear of firearms is being addressed. Easier for them to recognize firearms as tools.

I just spoke with my mother over the phone. A couple weeks ago, I sent her this article, and she thought it was quite interesting. It seems to have had quite an effect on her. Previously, she was quite firmly anti-gun. She had insisted on accompanying my stepfather and me on one of our trips to the range, but refused to shoot, and had disliked the experience (In hindsight, going to a public range was a poor choice). However, she does care quite a bit about her food, and seems to be quite open to hunting. She says she has taken a look at some of the resources on the DNR website, and might be interested in hunting turkeys, pheasants, and maybe wild pigs. (Deer and ducks, she thinks, would involve too much waiting). And she asked about places where one might learn to shoot and hunt. This was the first conversation I've had with her about guns where she hasn't seemed horrified. I'm really quite amazed.

Thanks, Speedo66, I never would have seen this otherwise.

 

[Zombie_Flesh]

I have been a shooter my whole life, tried hunting but failed miserably. I will be joining the DC chapter - I will also try to convert some these people into 2@ absolutists like myself.

 

[kidrice]

I think this is great. The more people getting involved in shooting is a good thing.

Many say that these hipsters or yuppies won't know about safety...well, lets teach them. How different are they as opposed to new youngsters to shooting.

The more we can teach them, then the more they will begin to understand our points of view.

 

[inclinebench]

I think they are very different than youngsters. For one, they are adults and probably not interested in having someone do something that in their eyes would be construed as "talking down to them". I also think that while it is nice to have more people accepting of guns and maybe even supportive of the 2A, these people are following a trend, and we all know that trends dont last very long. I will invest my time in teaching my own kids, and asking these people to stay away from me.

 

[danprkr]

Every inner-city yup knows that hunters and game wardens are high in cholesterol, loaded with antibiotics, and about the only thing in the woods that are not "free range".

Taste greasy too

Maybe if they learn and practice a little self reliance... that will affect their thinking in other areas of life.

I totally agree.

 

[rmfnla]

It really was just a matter of time once BMW started making 4WDs...

 

[svtruth]

What is the life expectancy

of a hunter not wearing orange?

 

[joshk-k]

I want to jump in again. As I said earlier, a lot about this story is reflective of my life. I am not what one would call a yuppie, and I am learning this on my own, instead of paying to take a class, but otherwise a lot of it feels familiar.

A couple points:

Making smart, concientious decisions about food is a true, lived lifestyle for many people, including my household. It is a hot, trendy thing right now, acknowledged, but there are lots of people who really understand that food choices is one of the few areas of agency that many people have. What you eat, where it comes from, how it was grown or harvested, etc. all have real, quantifiable connections to personal, environmental, and social health. For instance, in my household, we have bought a large portion of a pasture-raised buffalo from a ranch a few hours away. We do this because we know that buffalo is better for us health-wise than beef; that the raising of these buffalo had substantially less environmental impact than essentially all beef commercially available; and that supporting small, independent farmers who produce a quality product at affordable prices is better for our communities than buying beef from Costco, or even our local grocer. Some may end up experiencing eating well and being a "foodie" as a fad, but for many of us, this will be a lifelong, lifestyle choice.

Second: In my life, this is one of the principle justifications for firearms ownership and acceptance by my girlfriend and parents. She and I both come from anti- backgrounds, and firearms almost certainly wouldn't be a part of her life except for our partnership. I think that she has a hard time imagining self-defense uses of firearms, or their value in a SHTF situation, has never taken me up on the offers to bring her shooting, and still sometimes reacts pretty viscerally to the issue. But she understands the importance of my trying to harvest a game animal for us to eat. It's something she believes in and supports, and understands that that's one of the main reasons I own and use guns. I'm sure that it contributes to a greater acceptance on her part than she would have otherwise.

Josh

 

[jeff-10]

He left with the shop’s only rifle, a .308,

Wow, that is some gun shop, even for the Bay Area.

I actually would not mind joining a group like that. Me and my friends have tons of gun experience, much of it military/LEO experience, but none of us have any experience hunting as its very specialized here in South Florida.

 

[spartywrx]

I would love that type of group in my area. My grandparents hunted and my father's generation headed off to the city, breaking the tradition. Now I'm up to my neck in guns but I have no one to teach the skills and how to hunt to my generation. I can shoot my Garand, AR15, and pistols all day long but if you asked me where is the best spot to set up a tress stand I wouldn't have a clue (in a tree?).

It also helps that they have to buy a gun and take on that responsibility. Slowly moving them over to our side.

Also this was an awesome quote from the article

“They eat my garden, so I thought maybe I should eat them,” he said.

That's the mentality we need!

 

[Lazybones]

Nobody except me in my crew wears blaze. Most wear the traditional red/black plaid which looks black in low light. Some wear camo. I have a camo patterned blaze vest.

Most of us followed our dads around the woods for a few seasons before we even carried rifles and had the rules drilled into us.

This is the one thing that concerns me about hunting becoming trendy. Yes, many will do it right, but to expect that many won't "suit up" and jump in with both feet not knowing or caring what they are doing may be a bit naive.

 

[Speedo66]

I just spoke with my mother over the phone. A couple weeks ago, I sent her this article, and she thought it was quite interesting. It seems to have had quite an effect on her. Previously, she was quite firmly anti-gun. She had insisted on accompanying my stepfather and me on one of our trips to the range, but refused to shoot, and had disliked the experience (In hindsight, going to a public range was a poor choice). However, she does care quite a bit about her food, and seems to be quite open to hunting. She says she has taken a look at some of the resources on the DNR website, and might be interested in hunting turkeys, pheasants, and maybe wild pigs. (Deer and ducks, she thinks, would involve too much waiting). And she asked about places where one might learn to shoot and hunt. This was the first conversation I've had with her about guns where she hasn't seemed horrified. I'm really quite amazed.

Thanks, Speedo66, I never would have seen this otherwise.

My pleasure!!

I showed it to my wife also, but unfortunately, I didn't get the same reaction. She now enjoys my venison for good food reasons. But hunting? Not in this lifetime.

 

[Shadow Man]

With all of the attacks on our gun culture from main-stream America, it is easy to think of ourselves as a "dying breed" or a sort of "elite few" and look askance at those who attempt to join us late in the game. This, however, could not be more harmful to our cause. While I will be suspicious of anyone who undertakes something so serious as hunting and firearm ownership as a "fad" or as the newest way to be "green," it is our responsibilty as "old timers" in the field to make sure that the newbies get the proper education and exposure to make the experience enjoyable, and memorable. More gun owners can never be a bad thing, as long as they are knowledgable. And who better to educate them than us?

 

[Deckard]

no offense at all but this is one of those double edges swords we need to pay attention to.

all the "yuppies" i personally kow in my state, have the money and the stupidity(?) and eagerness to spend lots of money to purposely out do the joneses. I mean 50k trucks to pull the 50k tow behind camper, multiple cruises for spring break, summer, new years.
Sure its nice that more people suddenly like guns, but it means the limited supply is going to get more limited and far more expensive when the gundealers realize that they now have a new customer segment that considers it a privilege to spend 3 times on an object of the moment then its worth to prove that the "yuppie" is both rich, and worldly.

Even if there were to be a jump in prices it would be on guns that were already beyond the reach of us normal folks. They're gonna be buying 5k rifles to go with their 50k range rovers.

And for those folks still bemoaning the fact that these new affluent hunters will still be anti-RKBA...I totally agree, but its better to have these people more informed and sympathetic to the idea of firearms than totally anti-gun. It may be small, but progress usually is.