4 Ways To Deal With Deer Shaming Trolls

In hunting, just like in life, there’s no shortage of people willing to tell you how you should be doing things. Most of them are from behind a keyboard. They’ll critique your setups, question your tactics, and mock your success (or lack thereof). The worst part is that these aren’t people who even know you. They don’t see the miles you put in, the work you do, or the lessons you’ve learned the hard way.

The Deer Woods don’t care about their opinions.

The Deer Woods don’t grade you based on internet validation.

The Deer Woods will teach you everything you need to know so long as you have the patience to listen.

The Stoic emperor Marcus Aurelius (AKA the Philosopher King) never sat in a tree stand, never stalked a deer across windblown ridges, he did actually hunt boar, and, more importantly, he knew plenty about dealing with people who talk more than they act. His wisdom, hard-earned on battlefields and in politics, applies just as well to the hunting community today. Here’s how you can impart his wisdom to drown out the keyboard cowboys and let the only teacher that matters, the Deer Woods, shape you into the hunter you want to be.

1. Ignore the Noise and Hunt Your Own Hunt

“I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Hunting is personal. The decisions you make, where you hunt, what gear you use, what deer you decide to shoot are yours alone. Of course, we know all this, and yet, many hunters spend more time worrying about the opinions of others than trusting their own experiences.

You pass on a shooter buck? Someone online will say you should have taken it.

You take the shot? Someone will say you should have let it walk.

No matter what you do, someone will have something to say.

But here’s the thing: None of them were there. They weren’t in your boots, reading the wind or feeling the weight of the moment as time slowed down at full draw. Their opinions are worth nothing, and the moment you stop seeking their approval, you’ll be free to fully enjoy every aspect of the hunt.

2. Let Your Actions Speak Louder Than Their Words

“The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Social media is full of self-proclaimed experts who love nothing more than tearing others down. If you’ve ever joined a hunter Facebook group, you know what I’m talking about. They’ll call you a lazy if you hunt private land with a side-by-side or a “wannabe” if you hunt public… you get the idea. 

Believe me, it’s tempting to fire back, to prove them wrong, to argue, to show them why they don’t know what they’re talking about.

Don’t.

Nothing rattles a loudmouth more than being ignored. Nothing undercuts their words like continuing to do what you do, improving in silence, letting success and experience be your rebuttal.

They talk. You hunt.

They criticize. You learn.

They argue. You climb the tree, pick your spot, and make the shot.

In the end, your silence will say more than their shouting ever could.

3. Ask Yourself: Do These People Even Matter?

“When another blames you or hates you, or people voice similar criticisms, go to their souls, penetrate inside and see what sort of people they are. You will realize that there is no need to be racked with anxiety that they should hold any particular opinion about you.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

If a guy at the local archery range who’s been hunting for 30 years gives you advice, maybe you listen. He’s probably got some great stories anyway. If someone who’s consistently successful in the type of hunting you do shares a tip, maybe you take notes.

But a random a-hole online with a superiority complex?

Why would their opinion carry any weight? It shouldn’t. 

Before you let their aimless criticism get under your skin, ask yourself who’s talking. Are they a respected voice, or just someone who loves to hear themselves type? Have they actually done the things they claim to be experts in? Chances are slim. Remember, genuinely successful people don't tear you down; they lift you up.

The woods will teach you more in one season than any of these people will in a lifetime of trolling. You certainly do not need their approval. You just need experience. And that can’t be downloaded from social media or any hunting app.

4. Stay Calm, Stay Focused, and Keep Learning

“Keep this thought handy when you feel a fit of rage coming on—it isn’t manly to be enraged. Rather, gentleness and civility are more human, and therefore manlier. A real man doesn’t give way to anger and discontent, and such a person has strength, courage, and endurance—unlike the angry and complaining. The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

It’s easy to get caught up in the nonsense. The debates over hunting styles, the endless arguments about what’s “right” or “wrong.” It’s easy to get angry when someone talks down to you. I’m guilty of it. I’ve locked antlers with some of these yahoos in the past. It’s a waste of my time and steals the energy I could put towards better things. 

But anger doesn’t make you a better hunter.

Experience does.

The more time you spend defending yourself, the less time you spend improving. The more you argue with people who don’t matter, the less you focus on what does. Keep your head down, keep hunting, keep learning.

At the end of the day, when you’re out in the woods, listening to the wind blow through the pines, waiting for that perfect moment, none of their words will matter; I promise. 

All that will matter is what you’ve learned.

And the woods (and some failure) will always be the best teacher.

Bonus Tip: The Power of No Opinion

“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Not every social media post needs your response. Not every bad take deserves your correction. Not every idiot on the internet is worth your energy.

One of the most powerful skills a hunter, or anyone for that matter, can develop is the ability to let things go. To see something dumb online, shrug, and move on. To read a comment meant to provoke and not give it a second thought.

Because the second you engage, you’ve already lost. You become complacent in them affecting you. 

The best hunters aren’t just good at staying still in a tree, my bet is they’re also good at staying still in life. They don’t let outside noise shake their focus. They don’t let someone else’s opinion affect their confidence. They don’t let every little thing pull them off track.

So when you feel the pull to react, to argue, to defend yourself, remember that you don’t have to.

You always own the option of having no opinion.

And that’s one of the strongest opinions you can have.

 

Eric Clark, Okayest Hunter