Last October, my pal, The Hunter’s Wife, posted a photo of her husband with a buck that he arrowed. Except … it wasn’t the typical trophy photo. You know, the type with her husband crouched beside the animal, with his weapon of choice posed carefully and so on. No, instead of the usual field photo, her hubby is standing next to a hoisted buck on a gambrel in a shed somewhere. Or a garage. This is typically step three or four, after the field dressing, rinsing and hoisting is over.
I checked her post. You could tell that she wondered if she should have posted that photo. However, she received all positive comments. And kudos to you, Jody, for breaking the mold with that photo and for doing it in a positive way.
My husband has had a bit of a dry spell with hunting lately. He would have had the first bow-kill of his life a month ago, but that trigger finger release thingey knocked against his cheek too soon, and his arrow fired into the ground right beside a doe. Then, he wound up guiding family members a lot during the lean season for rifle hunting, and so, for his upcoming birthday, I bought him a spot at a Women in the Outdoors’ Doe Hunt in northwest Missouri. No, he didn’t have to dress in drag to go. This event allowed women to bring their significant others. (And he is significant and has been for almost 33 years of my life.) The hunt took place at Northwest Missouri Outfitters, near where (rumor has it) that Bill Jordan, of Realtree fame, likes to hunt when he comes to Missouri.
I can see why. Two years ago, I hunted there at a WITO-sponsored event there and took two does. One weighed 186 pounds after being field dressed.
He took two does, too. Except, he worked hard for his does and got to hunt the way he loves to hunt – on the stalk. While he searched for the first doe, who lay 150 yards away from where he shot her, another doe snuck up on him. Tag #2 got filled, too. Me? I stayed in place in a blind that overlooked the same field where I took those does earlier. But, no luck. None wandered into the area.
By the time we arrived in from the hunt, it was time for enchilada dinner and believe me, at this outfitter’s, you don’t keep the cook waiting. So, no pretty photos of hubby and his two does on the ground. Instead of that option, we went with The Hunter’s Wife version of a photo. So, the only photos I have of my hunter are him standing between two does hoisted.
But, back to the kitchen of the lodge … Tammy Frampton cooks her little old heart out in the kitchen area that is open to the dining and lounge areas. We enjoyed homemade fudge, sugar cookies, spaghetti and meat sauce, beef and vegetable soup, the aforementioned enchiladas and oh yeah, homemade, fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon rolls. Which is why I’ve been to the gym for the past two days and eating a lot of fruit.
However, is a photo like the one I have of hubby and two does hoisted simply realistic? Is it inappropriate? Or is it a fact of life? Of course, looking in the opposite way, I’ve never been a fan of photos of the birthing process, but always enjoy looking at the finished product after he or she has been cleaned up. So, what say you about hoisted harvest photos? To show or not to show?
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
Thanks, Stacey. Appreciate the compliment. From the “Queen of Tasteful Photos!”
I saw the comment. lol Congrats to him! Will let Mark know.
Amen, Jody. Thanks for chiming in and I thought you really pushed the old envelope of the outdoor blog world with your photo of Mark and his buck, btw. But, it was still tasteful, and I’m sure tasty. Not the photo, the buck. However, you might want to break it to Mark that my husband’s doe weighed 180 on the rack, after being field dressed. She a big girl.
I did have a hard time posting pictures like that. I’m not involved in any of the process and really don’t like seeing those photos. Does it make me not want to read a blog by an outdoor person because they shared the same type of photos? No. I guess in my situation, I do have quite a few readers that don’t hunt so I try to keep them in mind when posting more graphic photos. But there are days where I just say the heck with it. They don’t like it, I’m sorry. What can do. You will never please everyone.
You’re right, Julie … you can’t just go around worrying about whether you’ve offended someone all the time. It’s just a tricky situation. Just because we eat meat doesn’t mean we want to see it on the hook, but then again, the butchering process doesn’t bother me. In fact, I like to make sausages, bratwurst, you name it. And it just tastes better.
Thanks, Tammy.
Traci … I’ll send you the photo tomorrow.
Congrats on the does!
Great post, Barb. I always get a little nervous about posting hunting pics. What if some people are squeamish about the blood? On my solo pronghorn hunt I grabbed my knife to gut my buck to get him cooling before I snapped a photo with the camera. When I look at the photos I can’t help but look at the somewhat gory gaping hole, wondering if some will be offended. But that’s hunting…
It’s all part of the hunt!! The meat is actually better if hung up and allowed to drain properly, and the skinning process would be next to impossible if the deer wasn’t hanging.
Way to go, Jason, on the two does!
Show ’em! But I’m also just as happy looking at that cinnamon roll with rack!
Show or not.. for me, it totally depends on the photo.. and the taste behind it.. I have seen trophy shots that I don’t like, because there was no respect involved.. From what I know of Jason and you.. I bet the photos were taken very tastefully..