Guys,
I’ve been on here for years, this is not some trick question. I’m doing a presentation for our beginning trappers workshop day on how posting distasteful pics on social media is now our biggest enemy instead of anti groups. I have seen many bad ones on Facebook since I joined it in September. We want to show good trapline pics and stuff that shouldn’t be put out there, you guys know what I’m talking about. If you run across any of these or maybe have some you’ve saved I could use them either sent to me on here or messenger on Facebook, Stephen Pickard. Thank you. I have not saved any of them and most, thank goodness, have been shamed to take down. This thing has gotten out of hand and I’m afraid too big to turn around. These new, young trappers seem to have to show and talk about everything publicly instead of a mentor our try to escalate shocking pics. I’m just doing what I can at our spring meet with my captive audience. Thank you.

Keep in mind a bad picture with a good explanation is a bad picture no matter what. That same bad picture is a weapon in the wrong hands the same goes with hunting photos I’ve seen we could do better it’s not a major deal thinking before taking a photo. On average a amateur is lucky to get a few photos out of every 100 that might be useable.

I’m seeing some very bad stuff on Facebook any more. It’s like “ look at me what happened”. If it’s graphic so much the better. I’m grabbing at straws I know. The ones that do it will just keep coming…..

Allowing those pics to be posted might be the plan send the poster a message explaining the issue but that might be the result they were looking for by posting that mess.

Explaining this to trappers is a good thing; however, there is a percentage who will never be reached. The, “I’m proud and have nothing to hide” type.

I don't like seeing trappers or trappers' children holding still trapped, live fox or coyotes by the tail. I don't like seeing horrendously bad taxidermy either. Have some respect for the animal.

Keith

Yea I understand.. Social media has long reaching hands and can be just as bad as good... My wife was lead teacher at a private school for 5 years before she changed jobs.. Social media caused a a ton of her "This is what can happen" speeches to her students.. I volunteered and boy Ive seen some real crap storms because of it..
That said there's nothing wrong about being proud of trapping but there needs to be some common sense used. No one wants to see "those" pics anymore than they want to see a buck with a 2 foot long gash in its ribs from a bad bow hit.. Yet, for some odd reason it gets posted..
I think that social media has not really been around long enough for folks to see the consequences of their actions yet.. I just hope they wise up before it comes time to pay the fiddler.. Ive seen some folks who have had to pay it, legally speaking already... I've seen folks in my career loose jobs over it too..
I've preached about it in hunters Ed classes too.. Luckily it seems like most understand why its not a good idea..

Yeeeeppp, can't tell you how many of those type will flood an anti page posting bloody pics tou gs hanging out eye balls popped out of the skull after a head shot thinking there " showing the libs" like no retard your legit just giving them what they want . It's honestly not even that hard to take a tasteful trapping pic. But so many will go full bore on some " I'm not woke" tirade trying to talk to them is friggen pointless. Names start getting called ,catches percentages get brought up , your selection for president always some how comes in...like dealing with a five year old

That all being said every picture can be good or bad. There some people who just plain with freak out over an animal in a trap regardless. That just a given but that's not a majority of people. Now have a picture where the animals is at the end up the chain looks like is cowering or something then is super easy for someone to make the jump to " o no poor baby " . You gotta be able to level and put yourself in the place of a lot of these people who honestly have no idea about trapping or wildlife to understand what would be good vs bad PR and honestly most trappers and outdoors people in general just plain can't , won't, or just don't care and it makes it a royal pain for the rest of us

But then you also have a lot of people who honestly just plain don't know any better . I've talked to a lot of younger people who posted stuff and they usually where really confused because grand dad or dad always told them stuff like coon chewing happs regardless and it's no big deal. Everyone knows about it ect.

The worst offenses I have to say come from non trappers trapping. Ie farmers who have a grudge with a coyote or something that took one of their chicken. They do not care and Lord have mercy

Honestly it also depends on who's posting stuff. Remember a while back Dave Canterbury ( remember the guy from dual survival) he did a trapping series on YouTube and he barely had any negative comments in his comments section,but it was the way he presented stuff.

[quote=Law Dog]Keep in mind a bad picture with a good explanation is a bad picture no matter what. That same bad picture is a weapon in the wrong hands


X2

There could certainly be distasteful pics grabbed in many other outdoor activities. We understand fully what’s going on and why. I’m telling you though. I’ve been trapping for 50 years and remember the staged pics of coons on a roadway in a new #2 Victor double long and other obvious staged stuff. It was anti groups then having to come up with graphic shots that would garner attention and money from the otherwise ignorant public. Now, everyone almost has Facebook and access to all sorts of others stupidity every day that will shape or form their opinion of us. New age “ trap setters” provide a hundred times more anti fodder than the anti trapping groups ever created for themselves and it’s all just a click away.

Ever think that some of those pictures could be staged and posted by Anti's. My wife had a friend that used to stage scenes of dogs supposedly bring abused and freezing but was caught staging them. The reason she was caught was by cutting down a coyote hanging nbeside a deer in a front yard during deer season. They filmed her dumping blood looking substance all over it for the picture.

Russ Carman’s book Illusions of Animal Rights is a must read for EVERYONE. It helps gain a lot of perspective. I loaned my copy to a buddy who is attending veterinary college and I probably won’t get it back. She loves it.

Just be careful about posting pictures but remember anti-trappers will do anything to make trappers look bad, even posting bad pictures. JMO

I rip everyone on FB that posts a bad trapping pic. An explain why ..it's a bad pic.

Alot of folks agree with my comments.

Young and dumb trappers.....

And yes it could be Antis posting pics.....think Niki Haley....

Set your FB page to friends only and control what friends can see it, pretty easy.
I post a lot of hunting and trapping pics, don't need anyone telling me what to post.
If someone doesn't like it I block them.
I also get the chance to explain why we trap and hunt the animals we do.

Don't post public stuff, keep it friends only.

I'm the Ethics Committee Chairman for the Missouri Trappers Association. I make it my job to call out those who post pictures or comments that are over the line and can only hurt trapping. I've been called a "Karen" and some other choice words. For the life of me, I can't understand the rationale for any of these types of posts. I believe that it's mostly new trappers of all age groups that want everyone to "look at me." This is in combination with the increasing predator control ethos that has taken over land stewardship conversations. That ethos believes that all coon, skunks, possums and coyotes are bad and should be destroyed (not managed). Respect for the individual animal is just about all out the window. That makes it easier to post tasteless items. Dispatch pictures and incidental catches also share a spot on the trapping wall of shame. I recently saw a video of a five-year-old girl dispatching a coon with a firearm. Her dad was behind her, helping her to aim and holding the gun. Imagine a group of mothers watching this in a room together. We can't keep our collective heads above water if this stuff continues. The sad part is that it will continue. We truly are our own worst enemies more times than not.

This!

Whatever your minds take is on this you must understand one thing.
When we trappers see this over the top stuff we can figure it out. When the general public sees this stuff with no trapper around to fully explain it then it will not go over well. It will be points against us.

The NTA Furtaker handbook had a whole section on photos. They said above all else allow the trapped animal as much dignity as possible .
Whether alive or dead.
Crucial for maintaining a good image.