"Beyond the Divide" WTF

Why have a show about hunting ? It's a bit of a first for us Aussie hunters, and there are enough of us to make it worthwhile in a TV/business sense. Not what you vegans want to watch - wow, change channels ! don't presume you can tell us what to watch, or that our culture shouldn't be respected, celebrated, and promoted because you don't like it. Do we try and impose our values on you ? We aren't out trying to recruit young activists to fight veganism, although perhaps we should.
Hunting is so much more than taking the life of an animal for our own purposes. I get so much out of hunting, I'm really fortunate that I have the opportunity to do it. Be it rabbit, fox or water buffalo, I'll hunt them as long as I am physically able...and serve them up with some vegies or salad on the side. Except for the fox - most people don't eat fox...

Keep digging Hellmansam.  

(apologies to the other folks, couldn't resist, ok, I'm out of here, as I can see this is going down a ridiculous path).

"You are not a target audience".

I'm sorry, but this is hilarious. Clearly, the show is not targeted at the animal liberationist/vegan demographic. It is for those who hunt and hopefully those interested in getting into hunting and would like to know more.

No one - neither the show's producers nor the intended audience - really cares what you guys think about it. It'd be like me ringing up Channel Seven and demanding 'Home and Awa'y be taken off air simply because it offends me. Because I have a brain and can't stand to watch morons acting moronically...

If you don't like the show, don't freaking watch it. Seriously. It's called freedom of choice.

'Beyond The Divide' is obscure show on an obscure channel that half the country can't even receive anyway. Perhaps if it was a commercial channel at 4pm then you might have half a reason to say "is this appropriate for kids to be watching", but given that many children hunt with their parents and have done so for the past 40,000 years, it would be at best a weak argument, destined to fill empty newspaper column inches and achieve little else.

Peace - Ben.

Err... how could promoting the safe, responsible use of firearms and ethical hunting techniques be considered a bad thing??

Given that the vast majority of television show these days portray firearms being used in illegal acts (ie. crime) and with little attention to safe handling by either the crims or the good guys (how many times have you seen an actor with their finger on the trigger when they're not about to take a shot? Baaadd.....) surely it would be beneficial for the masses to see how firearms should be utilised safely and in a positive manner?

The average person is pretty clueless when it comes to firearms. For many people, especially those who live in urban areas, their only exposure and knowledge comes from films and the TV - most of it is horribly inaccurate and unrealistic. So while the show is mostly aimed at hunters, non-hunting viewers might learn a thing or two too.

Hunting is humankind's oldest activity - it is in our DNA. Modern life has tempered that instinct, sure, and hunting for one's own food isn't the necessity it was 50-50,000 years ago. If you don't like hunting, that's fine, but be wary of subjecting your own ideology onto others. You don't have the right to do that.

By all means write letters to Channel 31, but be warned - I doubt they'll care. Beyond The Divide is proving *very* popular.

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If you don't like hunting, that's fine, but be wary of subjecting your own ideology onto others. You don't have the right to do that.

By all means write letters to Channel 31, but be warned - I doubt they'll care. Beyond The Divide is proving *very* popular.
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Wow, I'm now subjecting my own ideology on to others, how so?  I'm merely informing and sharing what I came across.

I don't have the right to do that?????  Do you think people are that dumb that they can't come up with their own conclusion?  I think you should give people on this forum some more credit, they can choose to disagree or agree if they want and that's their prerogative.  I can say and share whatever I like, just as you can.

"But be warned" you say, you seem quite angry and defensive, wow, I feel like I'm being hunted, are you going to get some more of your buddies to have a go?  If you're so confident about the popularity of the show, what's up with all the rage?  Really now, grow up.

People have the right to agree and disagree with whatever they like, don't come on here, giving warnings.  

"Home and Away" and "Beyond the Divide", yep, I can see the similarity actually, both are crap.  

*facepalm*

By all means have your little rant on a website filled with likeminded folk, if it makes you feel better. Vent your anger at tasty - sorry, beautiful - deer being shot. It's just your opinion, people can add in their own 2c, but no one's lives get affected whatsoever and the world carries on as-is.

However, suggesting that all and sundry contact the show's producers and supporting station to have it taken off air - just because it offends your own personal morality - *is* subjecting your ideology on others. More so, trying to derail a project that many people have invested significant time and money into simply because you "don't like it" is really petty. Just don't watch it. It's not like we're only limited to 2 or 3 TV channels these days.

I'm not sure if you're purposely trying to stereotype me as mentally unstable (trust me, I'm not... I wouldn't have a firearms licence otherwise) with your "be warned" nonsense, or just took it the wrong way... I was merely suggesting that your little protest emails would most likely fall on deaf ears, so don't be disappointed. As I said before, you're not the target audience. Just ignore it. I'd do the same if there was a TV show on veganism or militant animal rights activism.

Before I let this go for good, I'd like to take point with something in your original post, regarding hunting versus factory farming. Honestly - I don't think you have any idea what you're talking about. The two couldn't be any further removed from each other. The primary reason why I hunt is because I care about what I eat, and where it comes from. Wild game is the ultimate organic, free range meat; super-lean, completely free of chemicals and with zero-impact on the planet... actually, the environment benefits because deer, rabbit and (in Tasmania anyway) wallaby are all pest species who need their numbers reduced to limit the damage on the environment. A single head-shot from afar, unheard by the animal, is the most humane method of dispatch available... even the most coddled farm animals - and I've hand-raised orphaned lambs to slaughter-weight on several occasions - still have to be loaded on a truck and taken to an abattoir.

I realise I'm wasting my time for even suggesting it, but I'd recommend actually tagging along on a hunt to see how things actually go down in reality. You're letting your prejudices cloud your view of the bigger picture.

Cheers....

Even if to say 'I was subjecting my own ideology onto others' (as you would phrase it), everyone actually does it, it's human nature, take for example if I said 'you should watch this movie, it's awesome!'  Also I did specifically say in my initial entry on this "animal welfare" forum if you've come across this show and feel the same as I do feel free to vent your disapproval, I gave the audience the details of when the show airs so that they could come up with their own conclusion.  You should also note spreading one's ideology is exactly what you've been doing during your time thus far with your continues justification of hunting, which isn't actually the issue at hand, as I still get the impression you fail to realise I don't have an issue with ethical hunting which I stated clearly, though of course I wish there were other alternatives, but we've screwed up the planet to our own detriment.

I also was more than happy to completely agree with another hunter (for lack of a better word) that if the animal is shot 'cleanly' it 'yes' is probably more humane and poses less stress on the animal compared to factory farmed slaughter, I'm more than happy to take on board input from others, whoever they may be and correct any comments I made in error prior.

Making the statement along the lines of 'if I complain about this show I'm putting in jeopardy the livelihood of people who have created it.....etc' is in comparison to saying the dollar (greed) counts at all costs for the sake of ratings.  Shows have ceased to air and people have moved on, it's a weak and very unfair argument to say I'm responsible for people's livelihood.  I would also like to make the comparison that it's quite similar to the argument against 'live export' when people retaliate and mention 'well, what about the farmer's livelihood?'  In that situation there are solutions to the problem and it's not about being against or not supporting the farmers, but I digress.

The reasons I don't personlly approve of the show are because it highlights trophy hunting and exhibits speciesism, I have actually watched the show on several occasions since starting the thread as it's of course crucial before making any accusations.  I must say they do tend to pick the more glamorous and larger animals to hunt and wonder why not hunt feral cats or the like?  Unfortunately they're a massive problem that we need to try and control at best, perhaps not glamorous enough one can only assume, I guess they lack the head wear for example (large antlers) or a domineering stature.  You also have hunters who specifically target stags with large antlers (they don't pretend not to), they should tackle all vermin regardless the species, but it appears to me to be more about hunting trophies than culling.  The handling after the kill I found utterly offensive, yep, I get it's dead but I don't find it appropriate to lift a stag up by it's antlers for a substantial period of time while the hunter dribbles on about how thrilled he is with the size of the antlers, I don't deem it appropriate which I can voice as it's not being aired on paid television but public.

Also I should note if you're going to start nit picking about previous statements made by me, I'm alarmed that the producer mentioned in his reply email that there would be bow and arrow hunting segments in the future when it's been pointed out by one of the hunters themselves that sometimes there's a high chance that can only injure the animal without killing it.  Perhaps he better rethink that episode/s.

I also don't appreciate the patronising statement  'your little protest emails.'  You shouldn't really discourage predominantly young people or myself to voice their opinion just because in your eyes it wouldn't make a difference or you don't agree with it.

My only prejudice is with the show and we will continue to disagree and that's entirely fine.

Thanks

There's now a show on7Mate called American Stuffers, all about a family of taxidermists. Ew.

Wow that's disgusting....

I am a keen eradicator of feral animals in Australia. I don't do it for lust or the thrill i do it because i love the Australian outback. I love the native flora and fauna in Australia.

What sickens me about this webpage and i know you wont agree because none of you are from the land or have ever set foot on a farm and understood how things work outside of the city but feral pests eradicate and completely wipe out native wildlife. In Australia we have a number of introduced species which have had a sever impact upon the natural ecosystems.

Wild dog and cats are all from animals you most likely on. While you cant imagine your little pooch or cat killing whole populations of birds and wallabies but i assure you i have shot dogs after tracking their trail o destruction upon livestock and native animals.

It really annoys me that i read these posts about anti hunting and anti shooting. Where do you think your food comes from. What was your house built out of? Unless you live under  fern and eat detritus and wild fruits and berries. You are in fact being a hypocrite Your house uses wood, metal, fiber composite and other materials that have all impacted the environment. I'm sure its real easy to say how could someone shoot a deer or a pig, wild dog or cat, but how man of you have lived off the land. How many of you don't have readily available meat or fresh fruit and veg from your local woolies  I would b willing to put money on the fact that your all narrow minded city dwellers that have no idea about what farmers deal with everyday.

When one of you can come on here and realize that shooting feral animals in Australia is actually protecting the native flora and fauna of Australia ill take your group a bit more seriously but until then i have no respect for what your group stands for because you don't have all the facts, just an opinion which is misguided