Originally Posted by
drwilly
I often wonder how often one would go, what their personal goals and parameters would be if they couldnt share stories or pics esp on the web of their duck hunts. If it was only for personal gratification. And of course I understand the joy of sharing your pics and stories before someone jumps on this. I suspect it would look alot different if people didnt feel they had something to prove to their buddies or the scducks audience.
I believe this website has taken a lot of not so well rounded hunters and shaped them into someone possibly worth sharing a blind with, or atleast shown many how to be a respectful duck hunter. Many of the members of this forum were not raised on the water by elder generations of hunters.
Without the tutelage, albeit cyber, of some of the older members of this site I think some scduckers may have grown to become another thorn in the side of public waterfowling.
To me, this is one of the better aspects of this forum.
On the other hand, it is possible that scducks has driven folks to only recognize other hunters as reputable due to the number of images posted under their screen name. I have watched this site morph into a cliques, as to where you are only reputable if you are in with a core group.
Some members are never questioned on their report regardless of images and others flat out called liars if no image is provided.
We could do with a little less of the latter.
In my opinion, duck hunting should be for personal gratification. I don't hunt ducks to prove anything. I do it because I have yet to find anything that turns my crank like the acrobatic display of a dozen greenwings twisting to their death, or the exact moment when a lone drake mallard has taken the bait and slowed his wing beat.
It is nice to see a well placed photo, worthy of placement in South Carolina Wildlife Magazine, but I don't think a tailgate shot of every duck you take should decide your status amoung other hunters.
I rarely take photos, and to some that questions my status as a hunters.
Thats ok with me, I post my reports for those that are interested, and those that I stay in contact with throughout the season.
My network on site is small, and most of them have been killing ducks with or along side me since before I could drive. These are the folks that know me and know how and why I hunt. My status to others has never mattered.
While I may not be able to define "IT" to the masses, I do know what "IT" is that Rubberhead speaks of.
These men seem to have wanted recognition for killing 6 ducks 500 times....if they hadn't they wouldn't have embroidered hats. They must need a pat on the back. Thats ok. I don't.
While they might not have done it for the pat on the back, they certainly displayed their conquest as proudly as a Pawnee would display his first scalp. A fat northern black mallard duck is my scalp, and I am always in complete awe when I get the chance to hold one, but I don't need to post a photo and 5 pages of "well done" for it to hold meaning to me.
A simple, "well done" from the old man will suffice.
As always, take it as you will.
Be proactive about improving public waterfowl habitat in South Carolina. It's not going to happen by itself, and our help is needed. We have the potential to winter thousands of waterfowl on public grounds if we fight for it.
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