If walking out of a public marsh with two daybreak wood ducks is a banner outing for you, your season, or even your waterfowling career, and you choose to post and tag all of your buddies, then do it! How you choose to highlight your day afield speaks volumes and in doing so shows your sense of accomplishment and pride. Just how you are the face of all hunters to any birdwatcher or hiker you meet at the parking lot or trailhead, what you post publicly online is material for, and the ‘face’ of hunters to those that aren’t hunting. If we like it not, this is the norm now with anything that is shared online and when posted is available to the world. There is a difference between how things look with your group of buddies and other hunters, and how it appears to the general public or non-hunters. There is a discount with the non-hunting public and the moments in the field, and it is on us to represent it as best as we can. Similar to when you are out chasing birds in the field and knocking on doors seeking permission, online representation comes with responsibility.

Not everyone is a professional photographer nor has the latest smartphone with the best camera, but there are ways to treat your kill with respect (and no you don’t need to look mournful or pious) and frame the shot so that you share the experience. Even if you are on a solo hunt, setting your bird on the blown-down tree you and your dog were leaning against, displaying the colors (and if you were lucky enough a band) shows more about the moment and more respect than sticking a duckbill in your choke tube.

As important as it is to recognize and share a good image, it is just as important to be able to stop and recognize one that isn’t. This isn’t advocating for ‘cancel culture’, but recognizing when choices can reflect poorly on not just the person capturing and sharing but also on the hunting community. Unfortunately, there have been more than one occasion this past season of videos going viral where birds were not dispatched quickly upon recovery or wanton waste of birds captured. These things go against the grain of what we were taught as hunters, and it is on those of us to explain why the bad apples are not accurate nor acceptable by others. Something to keep in mind is that roughly 95% of Americans don’t hunt although the majority of them do support hunting for food. Being disrespectful only garners negative attention to the sport.

When it comes time to cap a memorable hunt with your buddies, take an extra second to put the effort in of making that pile. The ‘grip and grin’ of full straps is a classic but you can always find a way to stand out or highlight your surroundings. This past season I had a fantastic day with close friends and a wonderful guide who is a good friend as well. With near limits of mallards and limits of ringneck ducks, we got out of the honey hole quickly to let the rest of the birds get in to feed. While back at the barns we rehashed the fast action of the afternoon. Looking around there was an old picnic table that would make a perfect setup. A wonderful day, smiling faces and great Eastern Shore scenery behind us. None of us will soon forget that day and taking an extra minute to set it up provides us with a snapshot worthy of hanging on the wall. There are a bunch of incredible waterfowl photographers out there to get ideas and pick their brains. Different lodges and outfits also mix up how they share their clients’ success as well. Give them a follow for some inspiration for the next season.

If you are taking a new hunter out for the first time, it is on you to pass on traditions, the safety, and fun of being out there as well as capturing those moments. For me, I like sneaking some candid shots of the newbie peeking from below the bill of the hat for circling birds. After that first volley, holding the bird in her hands, stretching a wing out to admire the speculum and covert feathers on a blue wing teal. Keeping these new hunters engaged and represented is critical to sustaining the life of the sport. How they view waterfowling and those of us that chase them is an important factor in hunter retention.

Within the hunting and waterfowling community, there is no ‘us’ versus ‘them’. If you choose to post and share your moments in the field or marsh, you are choosing to be a public representative of hunting. All of us can do a better job doing this while being an example to both veteran and future hunters alike.

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Pile Pics and the Power of the Post

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