EP 732. Rethinking the Trophy Narrative
Oct 12, 2026 · 1 hr 45 min · 32 segments
What determines "trophy"--a number, an animal, or the hunt effort? Boone and Crockett Club's Tony Schooner and Mike Opitz join Ramsey to challenge modern trophy…
Oct 12, 2026 · 1 hr 45 min · 32 segments
What determines "trophy"--a number, an animal, or the hunt effort? Boone and Crockett Club's Tony Schooner and Mike Opitz join Ramsey to challenge modern trophy…
W- we're gonna talk about everything in depth, 'cause I, I mean, you just covered a...
You just gave an overview of what we're fixing to talk about, and I think everybody needs to listen to it because, uh, number one, trophy ha- has become a, uh, a demonized word-
And, and, uh, even in Little League sports it's become a bad word it seems like, let alone in the hunting community, as, as understood by the modern-day public that may not hunt or even, even have ever hunted or have a daddy anymore.
You know, you realize we're three or four generations of Americans from that generation that grew up on a farm and walked out and chopped a, a head off a chicken to eat dinner.
And, uh, but, but now you're, both of y'all already have talked about the concept of fair chase.
You, you've talked about it as the foundation and, and the cornerstone of Boone and Crockett Club.
So Mike, in plain English, what does fair chase mean to the hunter? And, and I mean, w- we...
It could be up on the top of a remote mountain range shooting sheep or it could be a, a guy soft footing it through the woods for squirrels or, or wearing waders shooting ducks.
Um, I, I wanna, and I'd like to come back and I wanna add a couple things to Tony's story, but to answer your question, uh, fair chase ultimately to me means having a respect for the animal and not giving the hunter any unfair advantage over the animal during the pursuit.
Yeah, and, and that animal should be able to use all of its senses of sight and smell and, and what they can hear and its instincts to be able to, uh, escape.
Boy, when you explain it like that, it just, it just made me think that we're not, it's not really man versus animal, it's man versus nature.
W- we're gonna talk about everything in depth, 'cause I, I mean, you just covered a...
You just gave an overview of what we're fixing to talk about, and I think everybody needs to listen to it because, uh, number one, trophy ha- has become a, uh, a demonized word-
And, and, uh, even in Little League sports it's become a bad word it seems like, let alone in the hunting community, as, as understood by the modern-day public that may not hunt or even, even have ever hunted or have a daddy anymore.
You know, you realize we're three or four generations of Americans from that generation that grew up on a farm and walked out and chopped a, a head off a chicken to eat dinner.
And, uh, but, but now you're, both of y'all already have talked about the concept of fair chase.
You, you've talked about it as the foundation and, and the cornerstone of Boone and Crockett Club.
So Mike, in plain English, what does fair chase mean to the hunter? And, and I mean, w- we...
It could be up on the top of a remote mountain range shooting sheep or it could be a, a guy soft footing it through the woods for squirrels or, or wearing waders shooting ducks.
Um, I, I wanna, and I'd like to come back and I wanna add a couple things to Tony's story, but to answer your question, uh, fair chase ultimately to me means having a respect for the animal and not giving the hunter any unfair advantage over the animal during the pursuit.
Yeah, and, and that animal should be able to use all of its senses of sight and smell and, and what they can hear and its instincts to be able to, uh, escape.
Boy, when you explain it like that, it just, it just made me think that we're not, it's not really man versus animal, it's man versus nature.
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