BigGameHoundsmen.com

david wrote:This is an interesting topic and one I have thought about some. For me part of the issue is: how do we communicate truth? If you know something is true and you are telling someone else who may not know that it is true, how do you tell them what the truth is? If you are not persuasive and smooth in your presentation of the truth, does that make it less true? If the way you state the truth makes you sound arrogant, does that make it less true? If the way you state the truth causes everyone around you to reject the truth, does that make it less true?

It really is a complicated issue. I have often heard of hunters that are very humble, but I happen to know they have a huge trophy room. They are not really humble, they are just much more smooth about presenting the truth. Maybe they make you think you discovered the secret truth on your own and that makes it feel so much more true.

I have long struggled with these things and partly because of my faith. Jesus said "I and the father are one...no one comes to the father except through me". How could any one possibly be more arrogant than that? It is abrasive and offensive. So should he not have said that so people would not think he is arrogant and offensive? I mean a lot more people would like him if he could have padded the truth and hidden it in a trophy room some where.

So, I struggle myself with presenting things I know about bobcat hunting. I am sure i have come off as arrogant at times because sometimes I just say what I know instead of hiding it in a trophy room somewhere for you to discover some day. And I am aware that I dont know a lot compared to what can be known. BUT what little I know, I know very well and with not a doubt in my mind. There, now even that sounds arrogant.

So what that does to people that dont want to sound arrogant is this: it causes them to not share, or it causes them to have to be very careful and politically correct in the way they share. It takes them twice as long to get a point across because they have to hide it in a trophy room somewhere so you can feel like you discovered the secret on your own. Some people have enough patience to take twice as long to get a point across. Some people just wont even waste their time. As a very well known and very old bobcat hunter recently said to me: "to hell with them if they don't want to learn."

When a man like that offers something for free, and it is knowledge that cost him thousands of dollars and dozens of years to gain; you can see how he might not feel the need to present it in a politically correct fashion so as not to offend anyone. I am not speaking of Dewey, but another bobcat hunter much older than Dewey.

I dont really know Dewey all that well. I know there was a day or two we spent together twenty or thirty years ago. I know I learned more with him in those few hours than I have learned with any other houndman that I have spent hundreds of hours with. That is because he was not only knowledgeable, but he was very generous with that knowledge, and he was a gifted teacher. There is an old saying "them that can: do. Them that cant: teach. " It is so rare to find someone willing and able to teach who also very good at what he is teaching.

To me, I cant understand why any one like Dewey would want to be on here and open themselves up to the kind of criticism that is inevitable in a forum such as this. It is beyond me, and it is beyond anything I ever saw in any of the old time bobcat hunters. I think some one like Dewey has a gift and a drive toward teaching people. Again, I dont know why. But his teaching style is very direct. If you do not like getting a drink of water from a fire hydrant, you probably would not appreciate a day of instruction under Dewey. But you will learn faster if you can drink fast enough while you are back pedaling. And you will never forget it. Maybe that style of teaching does not translate very well to the electronic age. If not, I think it is too bad and a great loss on our part. I know if I was Dewey, I would not be coming back for more criticism. I am thankful he has thicker skin than me.

There is a lot to digest in this post.Sounds to me like you are saying that as long as a man speaks the truth,the delivery or motivation behind it, doesn't matter.Are ego,arrogance and condescension all acceptable forms of behavior as long as a man tells the truth ? I would suggest that if a man possesses these qualities in abundance then he probably has very little concept of what the Truth really is.These words of mine are directed at no one specifically just a general reply to Davids post.

slowandeasy wrote:david, i do not know you but would drop the dogs with you and enjoy the company anytime take care well said

thankyou for the invitation slowandeasy. Arizona is definately on my list. It is nice to know someone from there.

440BEAR wrote:Only been on here a couple weeks. I am just learning the ropes on here, and am a total green horn at anything to do with hounds.
Dewey is the one I've come to seek out. I hope to have some form of his tutelage, either on here or personally as I continue with my new dog.

You are wise to be seeking him out. I can see you live a long way from him, but it would save you money in the long run to fly out and spend a little time with him if he can fit you in.

I have wished Dewey would start a school for new bobcat hunters. That way, I would have a place to refer people that were serious about this. He should figure out what kind of money it would take to cover expenses and free him up from the other things he needs to do to survive financially. Then, let us cover those concerns by paying for it. I know many well known trappers have offered courses for groups and individuals. It seemed like they were asking a lot of money, but in the long run it saves people money, and these men need to make a living. How much money is five years or more worth? That is the kind of time someone like this can save you, if not more. Some of what they know has taken them a lifetime to learn. I think it would be even more true of cat hunting with dogs.

Thankyou to the others also for the friendly comments.

True Blue, You make a valid point. The Bible says "speak the truth in love". So if it is not spoken in love, is it still the truth? I think it probably is. I do not know how the truth could change into untruth simply because of the style of presentation. But I think God is probably interested in people receiving the truth rather than just hearing it and rejecting it because the messenger is distasteful. So Paul says "speak the truth in love". And as you might be implying, the truth of God is surrounded in love. If the truth is a water glass, it is drifting 50 fathoms deep in the ocean which is God's love. so maybe you are implying that if it was the truth, it would not be accompanied by what seems to you to be negative behavior.

The problem still is that everyone interprets love differently and interprets behaviors differently. There are unfortunate people that were abused by the one they love the most, (their father for example) and they confuse love with abuse. They seek out those who will abuse them because it reminds them of the one they love so much.

For most of us, obviously, certain styles of communication are un-acceptable. for us, the style of communication has the ability to cancel out any truth that may have been communicated. I think this is natural, and will depend on the background and culture that you come from. I will give you an example in my own life. If someone tells me the truth in the form of aggressive and verbally abusive rap music, I probably will completely miss any truth that may have been there. I was not raised in an aggressive and verbally abusive environment. Yet, someone from the culture that produces that music will find the truth expressed extremely meaningful. I just shrug my shoulders and shake my head.

For some of you, obviously, Deweys style of communication is un-acceptable. For you the style of communication has the ability to cancel out any truth that may have been communicated. I think this is natural and will depend ont he back ground and culture that you come from. It is true for you, but it is not true for me and a few others. There is enough difference in our background that what ever it is that you find offensive about it, we don't seem to find offensive.

Here is my advice to you: Dont read Deweys posts if they are so upsetting for you. I dont listen to rap music because it is upsetting to me. I tore my C.B. radio out of my truck for the same reason. You can take control of your environment in that way. There are plenty of young and old hunters that enjoy learning from Dewey and can see past his particular style of communication. That is just Dewey. I would not want him to change who he is just so you can swallow what he says. There are plenty of folks that like him just the way he is holes and all. If you are not one of those folks, well I am sure we would get along fine, but why do you torment yourself by reading Deweys posts?

This board was honestly quite dead until fur harvest season got over so Dewey and others could get on here and liven things up. Many of the best discussions on the board have been started or fueled by Deweys input. I am not sure what people hope to accomplish by criticizing him. Are you wanting him to go away? Are you wanting him to become someone else? Are you wishing the board could be rather stagnant and boring again?

For any young hunters that might be reading this, I will give you a hint that could help you get set up for a life of hunting: Find those men that may be disliked by other hound hunters. Go ahead and listen to the criticism if you want, but do not buy into it. There is always a reason the most powerful individuals in hunting circles are also the most criticized.

It is true of every walk of life. People who accomplish nothing are rarely if ever criticized. The more a man accomplishes, the more he will be criticized. If you can develop the skill to look past a mans faults for a while, you may find a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. And you may find a man who is more than willing to help you just because he knows you accept him for who he is.

This has been powerfully true in my own life. I could give you examples, but this is already too long. I will just say that I have learned tons from folks who were not popular with other hunters. Find out for yourself. Make it a mission to make your own judgments about a man apart from the input of others. Figure out what it is people dont like, and then look past it if you possibly can. You will find that mans trophy room, and you will share in that mans trophys.

Trueblue wrote:These words of mine are directed at no one specifically just a general reply to Davids post.

Like I said already David.My post was directed at no one.It was just a reply to your statements to see if I was understanding you correctly.

I don't know Dewey. But there are about 10 people on here that I read every post they write because I know i'm going to learn something every time and Dewey is one of them. Weather I like his style or not its true. If I dont like it I can choose to not read it. But the man knows cats and dogs and its my choice. I just hope I can fill a thimble full of knowledge for my kids one day about cats...but if not they can get on here and learn from some of the best. These guys are worth more than gold.

hunterdk1 wrote:These guys are worth more than gold.

Thank you for those words hunterdk1. It helps put a finger on what I hate about my posts above, and it is this: The posts make it sound like "Dewey is a hard guy to get along with, but you should because of the great benefits". But the fact is, my memory of my time with Dewey was that he was one of the most easily likeable people I have met. He was well liked by everyone I knew of that knew the man personally. I never heard a negative word about him. And I never heard a negative word from him about anyone else; Have you? He was kind, considerate, polite, and giving besides all the other qualities we have already pointed out. Something is really getting lost in this electronic format I think. We are missing context, tone and para-dime. I am sorry to see it happen. It is a sad thing to me honestly.

david, i have said that a million times as good as the electronic age is it is just as bad! it is amazing how many things you can say to someone at a coon club or game dinner and not ruffle one feather. i guess the computer just has no personality. take care