Facebook is not our friend.

After reading multiple reports on the net and in hunting media, it seems like the anti-hunting crowd has a new Facebook scam they are running to harass hunters.

The antis are now taking screen shots of Facebook pages where hunters have posted pictures of the game they have harvested. The antis then Photoshop these screen shots with fake posts and comments that imply the game was taken by various illegal means or to make illegal offers such as the offer to sell the meat. The Photoshopped screen shots are then sent to various DNR tip lines to harass the hunter.

I’ve seen 5 legitimate firsthand accounts of this new harassment technique just this big game season and the Safari Club International posted a newsletter alert article about this scam as it’s been reported in 20 states so far. Apparently, this is an organized, multi-state effort by various anti-hunting groups with the goal being to harass hunters AND to tie up enforcement and investigation resources and waste funds.

Predictably, Facebook claims there is nothing they can do. Which, unfortunately, is somewhat true, although I hope that they will cooperate with law enforcement in investigating these false reports, which in itself is a crime.

But beyond that, as hunters (and I have to believe the scam will soon be tried on anglers as well), we have to wise up. Facebook and other social media are NOT our friends. Many hunters are unwittingly supplying the antis with endless sources of propaganda media in the form of kill shot photos and videos.

I think it’s great to talk on social media about the positive aspects of hunting. Nature, family, friends, the experience, the tradition. However. I think we all need to consider if we’re really doing ourselves and our sport any favors by sharing certain kinds of photos and media. There are plenty of other ways to do this that cut Facebook and the antis out.

I, for one, won’t be supplying the antis with any more scam ammo.

First, lock down your Facebook privacy settings! Make sure you know everyone on your friend list.

Secondly, recognize that these settings and how they control who sees what change almost monthly, so no photo or post can be guaranteed to be really private. Facebook is notorious for changing settings without any broad notification.

Finally, consider what you’re posting and consider a different way of sharing by cutting Facebook out of the picture. It’s a sad situation, but the antis have found an easy way to take advantage of Facebooks’ lax account creation standards.

Grouse

just one more reason to stay away from facebook

I think the key is awareness. Both in terms of fraud campaigns that the antis are obviously organizing, and the broader issue of the image of our sport. While some may say, “I don’t give a rat’s rear who approves of what I do.” the reality is that we benefit from a positive public image, or at the very least, keeping people who are neutral about hunting and fishing in that “neutral” mindset where they are not actively against us.

The reality is that what goes on Facebook CAN and IS being used against us.

Grouse

Anonymous wrote:

just one more reason to stay away from facebook

X2
Proud to be one of three people in the country not using it.

Chuck Melcher wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>MNice wrote:</div>
just one more reason to stay away from facebook

X2
Proud to be one of three people in the country not using it.

Make that 4 people. Never had an account, never will.

Grouse, thanks for the heads up!!

X5

X6

X7

X8

Maybe we should start a movement. Or should we wait til we get to X10?

Oh and thanks for the heads up on this scam. Sounds like an organized crime network by definition. I would think there are serious penalties for this???

All of this is very true but let’s remember that FB is a small tool that they are using to attack the hunting community. FB is a great way to keep up with classmates, family and friends across the world, that cannot be denied. The anti’s will continue to use social media as a tool to attack and if it went away they’d just move to the next tool…RR

Well said RR. I have my settings set to “friends only” when I post pictures on my Facebook. I know nothing on the internet is completely “private” but an anti-hunter with a FB profile can’t see my posts. I have a separate FB profile to manage my work’s FB account, so I can search for myself and see that I since I’m not friends with myself, I can’t see the photos I post (unless it’s a profile or cover photo – those are automatically public). I agree it’s a good idea to be wary of what you’re posting (so perhaps profile and cover photos aren’t the best place for harvested game pictures) but the anti’s of the world will always find a way to spread their nonsense.

How about nonfacebookerslivesmatter. Never had it never will.

X9.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

X9.

Almost there.

x10

No Facebook for me either never will.

I have FB, but certainly understand those of you who don’t! I post my hunting and fishing trips and harvests regularly. Having gone to a very Liberal Arts MIAC college, I am friends with a lot of “antis”. One of the big reasons why I keep FB and posting my harvests is to show them how it is honestly and ethically done, kind of to provide a contrasting perspective than they get on a daily basis. Similarly I try to cook and share my harvest with as many of our friends who aren’t accustomed to eating game. If any of them wanted to, I’m sure they could take my posts and run with it. And guess what? I don’t care. I’d rather be vocal about my past times and showing them in a positive light, despite it being under attack. Than I would be to try and hide it. I understand people wanting to shy away from it, or delete FB/Social Media due to these issues. But you don’t catch any shade, when you hide in the daylight! Just my .02

To be clear, I’m not advocating for or against using Facebook. For many it’s become a practical necessity, to not have Facebook in 2015 is akin to not having eMail in 2005. It’s just a way many of us have to communicate to reach our relatives, friends, etc because you have to go where the people are.

I think Sharon is right on with the excellent rundown on being aware of who can see what under what circumstances.

The only problem is that Facebook is constantly changing the rules with little or no notice. So literally tomorrow Facebook could decide to make your entire timeline public by default and there’s nothing you can do about it.

IMO the call to action here is what I tell my kids: Think before you do. In a perfect world everyone would “get” why we hunt and be on board. In this day and age, we are all part of the media because anything put on the web spreads like wildfire, so we are all responsible for the image of hunting. Therefore we all have to think, “What is posting this gong to do for our image?”

Grouse

I wouldn’t think it would be any more of a threat than posting pictures on IDO. Someone could easily take a screenshot from here, doctor it up and post it on an anti hunting facebook page or forum. Like previously mentioned, facebook has controls that can be set to limit who can actually see your post. Yes, the rules can change, but I don’t think we have that ability at all on here. Any photo posted on IDO is open to the world. Don’t even have to be a registered member of this site to view the photos that are posted.

Basically, be cautious of what you post anywhere! What you post on here is much less private than Facebook can be.

DOUBLE DIGITS!!
X11😜

X12

loonswail wrote:

DOUBLE DIGITS!!
X11😜

Awesome. First order of business is to open a social medial account. Any suggestions for an account username? How about #facebookdoesntmatter?

I don’t know about this hunting issue. Bit I look at several fishing Facebook sites that stay true to fishing – hunting and outdoors. No politics etc. I avoid the rest.

Harvesting game is only relative to those who can appreciate what it does for the community.

Unfortunately, our cities are growing quite fast with many people who’ve never had the experience of enjoying the bounty of nature on a level as a sportsman, or suffered the consequences of when you don’t.

Have a distant family relative who was kind of cautious on their large suburban lot of land of taking many deer, until they hit one with their car and totaled it and scared the $hit out of her. Now, she’d hire Rambo if she could. Same goes for geese and their eating habits for farmers and their poop piles in the metro, zeebs on the docks and boats, wolves taking down cattle, and many other situations us sportsmen all know well, but the masses don’t.

Most people just aren’t going to get the ethics of anything unless it hits their car at 70mph. What you post on FB, or any other social media site in regards to how “moral” you were in your killing will have no bearing on the ultimate outcome of this battle for hunters.

You know what will, just like EVERY SINGLE other issue this society has, take a kid out, and show them the outdoors, show them hunting/fishing. The kids are our future. And collectively they together can change the outlook of our passion. Until that happens, I say post whatever the hell you want on whatever site BC ain’t no fancy picture with you, your gun, a cleaned up less bloody photo of you and your game gonna fix anything.

So you non Facebookers, what’s your G+ account so I can add you to my circles?

I wonder how facebook feels about what the anti’s are doing, any chance they could post a rule that if someone is found to be using face book with I’ll intentions, like what their doing, that charges will be filed, maybe that might put an end to it.

X13 no Facebook for 3 years amazing how much time in the day you get back that you never realized you had! Not to mention DRAMA!

X14

Never had an account, never will.