Under armour drops sponsorship for spearing bear

[Big_Holla]

Joe summed up the way I feel 100%

Michigan lost the right to dove hunt forever because hunters sat on their asses thinking well I don't care about doves or I'd never hunt them. No matter if you think its something you would never do or even raise your kids to try, the fact is it was a legal method to hunt with. That's all any of you hunters should see. Do I duck hunt? No, but I support your rights to do it if it's legal. Do I hunt with a long bow with flint tipped arrows? No, but I support your right if it's legal. Bear hunting over bait..... I can keep going on and on. Just because you don't agree with a legal method doesn't mean you have to do it, as a hunter you should always support it though because some day it may be a method you do choose that ends up in one of these discussions.

 

[Jackalope]

Joe summed up the way I feel 100%

Michigan lost the right to dove hunt forever because hunters sat on their asses thinking well I don't care about doves or I'd never hunt them. No matter if you think its something you would never do or even raise your kids to try, the fact is it was a legal method to hunt with. That's all any of you hunters should see. Do I duck hunt? No, but I support your rights to do it if it's legal. Do I hunt with a long bow with flint tipped arrows? No, but I support your right if it's legal. Bear hunting over bait..... I can keep going on and on. Just because you don't agree with a legal method doesn't mean you have to do it, as a hunter you should always support it though because some day it may be a method you do choose that ends up in one of these discussions.

Amen!

 

[bowhunter1023]

So I should support things I don't believe in for the greater good? Talk about slippery slopes.

 

[Jackalope]

So I should support things I don't believe in for the greater good? Talk about slippery slopes.

I'm not a big fan of bear hunting in general. I have zero desire to shoot one over a pile of doughnuts. Does that mean I should sit on my hands if PETA causes a state to consider banning bear hunting because of some bad press?

I'm not a fan of mechanical broadheads. Should I sit on my hands if the outdoor channel drops any show who uses one because PETA gave them some bad press.

There are those that aren't a fan of baiting Whitetails to include food plots. They see it as cheating, unethical, and unfair. Some of them are hunters themselves. What happens if they sit idly by while PETA tries to get it banned in Ohio.

Some people don't agree with crossbow hunting. Should they sit idly by if PETA attacks them and tries to get it banned.

Some people don't believe the 2a applies to assault rifles.

Longbows.

Dove hunting

Recurves and longbows

Using dogs to hunt animals.

The list could go on.

Sometimes it's not all about how you personally feel about a legal method of hunting, but rather the principal of refusing to allow our collective rights as hunters to be eroded by people who will not stop until everything to do with hunting is illegal. United we stand, divided we fall.

 

[at1010]

Maybe I am totally off on this but it seems like there are two different conversations here.

1. I 100% support any hunting activity that is legal within a state, province, etc. For the reasons mentioned above about losing other rights.
2. I believe the secondary topic here is would you support spear hunting with your company? Do you feel it is the best overall image? I see Mathews, Bowtech, and all the other companies out there supporting whitetail hunters who shoot deer over plots, bait, fixed blade heads, mechanical heads, etc. However I don't see them supporting guys hunting whitetails with dogs (although legal). I think there is a fine line between supporting your hunting heritage vs. antis and trying to define what a companies corporate image needs to be because we believe they should support every aspect of hunting. If UA was supporting a movement to outlaw spear hunting this conversation would be a lot different.

 

[Bigslam51]

I don't think the weapon of choice is a bow when running deer with dogs

 

[bowhunter1023]

Maybe I am totally off on this but it seems like there are two different conversations here.

1. I 100% support any hunting activity that is legal within a state, province, etc. For the reasons mentioned above about losing other rights.
2. I believe the secondary topic here is would you support spear hunting with your company? Do you feel it is the best overall image? I see Mathews, Bowtech, and all the other companies out there supporting whitetail hunters who shoot deer over plots, bait, fixed blade heads, mechanical heads, etc. However I don't see them supporting guys hunting whitetails with dogs (although legal). I think there is a fine line between supporting your hunting heritage vs. antis and trying to define what a companies corporate image needs to be because we believe they should support every aspect of hunting. If UA was supporting a movement to outlaw spear hunting this conversation would be a lot different.

I think this is a fair assessment. If you guys have read Cam Hanes' statement on the issue, he speaks along these same lines. I too support our rights to hunt. Same as I support our right to own gun. But I don't think we should open carry 45 long colts like we're Wyatt Earp either. To me, throwing pointy sticks at animals just because it's legal so we said we did it is as ridiculous as the wannabe Wyatt Earp.

 

[finelyshedded]

Very good points made on both sides but I agree with Beener,Joe,Chuck,Chad and anyone else that believes we need to stand up to PETA or every other anti-hunting org. trying to take away our freedom or legal right to pursuit game with different weapons no matter how primitive they might be. That's what Joe was trying to convey so I don't know why Dick responded he way he did unless he totally misread or misunderstood what he meant.

This is a discussion and we all are on the same team or at least we should be! If we hunters think that the anti's will stop pushing for weapon restrictions with spears we couldn't be more wrong!

Maybe UA shouldn't have sponsored any hunting personalities to begin with but regardless of the size of the hunting community it puts a substantial amount of green in their pockets. They caved to the majority which was what anyone should do if they have a lick of sense.

Like most of us on here I too have never heard of this hunting couple. He killed a bear legally and it died very quickly and ethically with a very primitive hunting method. He and his wife are being attacked by the anti-hunting community and have lost a sponsorship with UA because of it! We all know they won't stop there till ALL hunting is illegal. That to me, IS THE BOTTOM LINE!!!


Great discussion BTW!

 

[Jackalope]

Maybe I am totally off on this but it seems like there are two different conversations here.

1. I 100% support any hunting activity that is legal within a state, province, etc. For the reasons mentioned above about losing other rights.
2. I believe the secondary topic here is would you support spear hunting with your company? Do you feel it is the best overall image? I see Mathews, Bowtech, and all the other companies out there supporting whitetail hunters who shoot deer over plots, bait, fixed blade heads, mechanical heads, etc. However I don't see them supporting guys hunting whitetails with dogs (although legal). I think there is a fine line between supporting your hunting heritage vs. antis and trying to define what a companies corporate image needs to be because we believe they should support every aspect of hunting. If UA was supporting a movement to outlaw spear hunting this conversation would be a lot different.

They are. The same group that went after UA for their sponsorship went after the Canadian provence to make spear hunting illegal. Which they have said there going to outlaw shortly. By UA pulling their sponsorship they are in fact adding validity and siding with the group that has apparently succeeded in making it illegal. UA did not stand with hunters an choose to agree with and stand with the antis.

An attack on our hunting rights comes in many forms. Going after sponsors is a tactic the left takes as they've found great success with it in the political world targeting sponsors for people like Rush. It's the same tactic of going after supply lines in a war. If you can destroy your enemies supply lines then you can weaken them to a point where they can be destroyed more easily. It's all war, just a different tactic to achieve the same goal, it's all an attack on our rights as hunters. Rights which under armor obviously does not support. Support that we as hunters should not give to Under Armor who obviously only cares about their bottom line and has proven they will leave hunters out in the cold the moment something comes up. We as hunters need to align ourselves with companies who will not only take our money, but also stand beside us when we need it. Not companies that will throw you to the curb the moment the left rears their ugly head.

 

[Hortontoter]

This probably isn't the best analogy, but I'll make my reasoning simple and to the point. It is now legal for us men to marry men, should we all do it? How many on this site condone this, not many, but it is legal. Spearing an animal may be legal, but I don't agree with it being part of modern hunting. Same as men marrying men I don't agree with that either. We all have our own opinion like it or not. I still contend that the spearing of the bear was just a macho moment.

 

["J"]

That article that started the whole uproar on this was written by an anti that never even talked to spear guy.... UA sponsored the wife, not the spear Hunter.... The article was written so slanted I even hated the fucker lol.... Once that piece of trash article was written, no amount of follow up would change an anti leaning person at all....
We can debate all day long but perception is everything to the non hunting public.... And the thought of chucking spears at animals probably don't sit well with them.... If you're going to put out publicly said hunts get ready for the ramifications that come along.... Don't have to like it, it's just a fact of life...
General public could give two shits one way or another about hunting, that is until you get into their face about it... Images have lasting effect and all the antis have to do is show the stuff that's normal to us but not to them.....

 

[Boarhead]

This has been a nice debate you guys have going here,lots of good thought out responses.
Very nice! continue on.

 

[Hunter II]

It seemed that a big part of the antis problem was the fact the bear wasnt recovered until the next day. I hope they dont start watching the outdoor channel.

 

["J"]

It seemed that a big part of the antis problem was the fact the bear wasnt recovered until the next day. I hope they dont start watching the outdoor channel.

He explained to the article author what transpired, but only after it was written.... Estimated it died within 4-6 seconds after it was hit.... But the person didn't want to retract retract any of their statement .... Didn't want look bad I guess....

 

[Jackalope]

This probably isn't the best analogy, but I'll make my reasoning simple and to the point. It is now legal for us men to marry men, should we all do it? How many on this site condone this, not many, but it is legal. Spearing an animal may be legal, but I don't agree with it being part of modern hunting. Same as men marrying men I don't agree with that either. We all have our own opinion like it or not. I still contend that the spearing of the bear was just a macho moment.

I get what your saying, I just think its a dangerous stance on a slippery slope. Support for legal hunting methods should be supported and never thrown to the wolves because we personally don't like it.

Would you have the same stance if the antis were coming after crossbows? Keep in mind there is a large portion of the bowhunting world who don't like crossbows being legal to include our largest state bowhunting organization, and an even larger portion of the non hunting world who don't like archery hunting in general. Similar to how you look at a guy with a spear those people including hunters view you with your crossbow. Do you want those fellow hunters in your corner trying to protect your right to hunt even if they don't agree with you? Or do you want them hopping on the bandwagon of the antis agreeing with them because those hunters don't personally like crossbows? I'm certain your stance would be wildly different if the shoe was on the other foot. Make no mistake, the antis hunting agenda doesn't end with getting the spear banned. Any amount of support for them regardless of our reason for personally not liking a weapon strengthens their cause.

 

[Big_Holla]

Make no mistake, the antis hunting agenda doesn't end with getting the spear banned. Any amount of support for them regardless of our reason for personally not liking a weapon strengthens their cause.

Agreed and this part stands out the most. IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT A SPEAR.....it was an avenue they could see some jumping on board (unfortunately even fellow hunters) to condemn, it worked. Once they pressure one sponsor they now feel they have the strength and drive to pressure more, after sponsors then it's congressmen and women.... Trapping, bowhunting, you name it is next....what is so hard to understand you give an inch they take a mile.....IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT A SPEAR!

That is why I feel so strongly about a so called hunting sponsor bowing out when the heat gets hot and turning their backs on a LEGAL method of hunting. Doing it how it was done was a clear statement to you all, many just don't see it. Sure it's their right as a company but man when it's right in front of your face that they're in it to make money off of you but won't support you when things get tough it's time to look in the mirror. No one is saying pull all the UA stuff out of your closet and burn it, because I suspect that is where a large part of the push back is coming from. Hell I understand, you paid good money for that stuff...hard earned money. Just remember these conversations when you go to buy more is all most of us are saying.....

 

[brock ratcliff]

Spear hunting is or was legal as is gay marriage. Like gay marital relations, I don't want to see either on video.

Dave Embry put out bear spearing videos 20 years ago. I had the misfortune of watching them. It's the most grotesque thing I've ever seen filmed in the woods. It's legal in places, effective too, but no fool should be videoing that crap for the masses to watch. I gotta believe most would not enjoy the show.

 

["J"]

Spear hunting is or was legal as is gay marriage. Like gay marital relations, I don't want to see either on video.

Dave Embry put out bear spearing videos 20 years ago. I had the misfortune of watching them. It's the most grotesque thing I've ever seen filmed in the woods. It's legal in places, effective too, but no fool should be videoing that crap for the masses to watch. I gotta believe most would not enjoy the show.

Yep...

 

[bowhunter1023]

Spear hunting is or was legal as is gay marriage. Like gay marital relations, I don't want to see either on video.

Dave Embry put out bear spearing videos 20 years ago. I had the misfortune of watching them. It's the most grotesque thing I've ever seen filmed in the woods. It's legal in places, effective too, but no fool should be videoing that crap for the masses to watch. I gotta believe most would not enjoy the show.

:smiley_clap:

 

[finelyshedded]

Good points Chuck and I agree!

I'm with Beener with the fact another little win for the anti's along with more bickering amongst the hunting community. Anti's I'm sure love to see that!