How come nobody looks happy??

[hattrk4me]

Because everybody has that "just one more cast or another 15 min, then we'll go" mindset. By the time they shot or Caught something they are 2-3 hrs late. They are not smiling because they are thinking of excuses and figuring out how to calm the wife/girlfriend so they don't have to sleep on the couch that night.

[GullGuide]

Gonzo said something that caught my eye..."stoic".
It could be that somewhere in some of our subconciousness that we are trying to recapture the look of the "good old days". Take a look at old, and I'm talking pre-1940's photos, even more so the turn of the century photos, of sportsmen/women posing with their game. I have yet to see one where the folks are smiling.
These were photos in magazines, family collections, etc, which formed our mindset that this was the way a "true sportsman" should look- stoic, brave, rugged.
I'm not saying this is THE reason, but it's something to think about.
Maybe the poor guy/gal is just plain beat from hiking all day, dragging their game to the road or whatever!
Side note- in almost all of MY pics, you'll see me grinning from ear to ear

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[Swill]

Every hunting and fishing picture my buddy is in he as a big chew under his lip. LOL
It is clasic! Every dang one and there is a lot!

[Guest]

I think GullGuide is on to something. That makes sense now that I think about all those really old black and whites, the muskie massacre is a classic example.....though I wouldnt have been too happy killing all those muskie either.

I think it is an ego thing myself....too much testosterone.

Swill I got a good laugh about your buddy and is chaw, I know the type.

morriscode

[Guest]

Maybe it is that if they don't look happy, cause they really are unhappy. On the point of trophy big game particularly, after you paid the money to the outfitter, bought new gear, travelled, etc, etc. A guy has shelled out a few grand, after the hunt, all he has is a pile of meat and a big rack, perhaps it wasn't the experience they were really looking for, and now that they've had it, there is an air of regret.

I know that in all of the pictures I have holding trophy fish, I am smiling ear to ear, satisfied cause I did it all for myself, no guide or outfitter held my hand or told me where to fish. I am proud that I have released most in good condition, after the fight of a lifetime, a clean landing, a quick photo, and gently back into the water to live out the rest of their life. If you can't find happiness in that, maybe you can find it in a bottle of Prozac...

[Fish On]

you got to look mean while holding your shotgun in front of a pile of big northern mallards

[Guest]

think of it this way,.....
If its quite common for you to catch/shoot/harvest the game your picured with you have nothing to be so excited about. right? Although everyone gets excited and is happy about they're catch/kill, we want to appear as If "its all in a days work" So by appearing as if we're not happy or excited, its showing that we're big nuts with nothing to prove.

[This message has been edited by Bigguns1 (edited 01-17-2003).]

[Dano2]

hmmm,I had to go look at all mine too, not one smile, just trying to look studly I guess.

This one is kind of funny, the deer didn't look funny but if you knew the guy, you'd think its funny, or perhaps he's a physco,
A guy I work with and have hunted with lead a deer to far this season and about blew its face off, he didn't mean to slaughter it like that, just lead it to far, and ofcourse the over kill of the 7 mm with his fancy thunderbird (or whatever) $85 a box shells, made a slight mess to say the least,
anyway, this guy never smiles, if you seen him you would say "attitude" well , I dont know why anyone would want their picture taken with this deer, but I have never seen such a huge smile as this in any photo,
hmmm, maybe I rest my case, he IS physco , heh, heh!

[Dano2]

psycho, korekt spelin

[Swill]

Yeah but sometimes when you are in a picture with you buddies and you do smile and they don't you look like a fruit cake! I was in a couple and they said" Look at happy pants...gezz it must be take a kid fishing day!"
Ohh but they are the best...

[NINETOE]

coldone ???? Man o man leaps and bounds! A pretty innocent topic and wham!

Dont break your arm patting yourself on the back.

[Guest]

I would like to see a couple of those pictures containing MR. happy pants! I bet you look like a giggling school girl
Thanks for the laugh

[Guest]

I just thank God I am able to get out and hunt/fish. The experience alone puts a smile on my face. When I harvest an animal big or small I am just happy to be able to have done it. I shoot a deer every year, shoot ducks/geese almost every time I go out, dont always catch fish but you will still see me smiling.

It is all in a days work, but when the work is done, and I have fish/birds I am happy. You wont ever see me mad to leave work, thats a sure thing, I am always happy when that comes around.

morriscode

[Guest]

Mr. happy pants...giddy as a school girl...you're killin' me here

[slick2526]

I know when i caught my 45in muskie. I was more amazed than anything. I had a mad look on my face in the picture. But I never really thought about smiling. I was so thrilled by it because it was the last thing i was expecting to catch.

[Guest]

Try looking at someone's face the instant they pull a nice fish out of the water. They're not posing for a picture. They might not be smiling, either, but there's a heckuva lot of excitement.

[Guest]

Take a look at my face when I lose a 29er at the hole, now thats what peoples faces look like in their posing pictures

[metrojoe]

Man, the sixties su##ed, dang babyboomers.

[Guest]

Yes, I have noticed these different postures,Grimaces,smiles.Seems I have viewed billions of pictures over the years,(ok,I aggagerate slightly) (Trillions). You have to consider the experience the person has had before the catch/kill. Perhaps it was a lifetime achievment for this person,or they got up at 2:30 A.M. to get to their destination.Who knows!!! In my pictures I make an effort to smile no matter what for I want anyone viewing these pictures to see how important and precious the sport is for me.Naw, I don't have a lot of trohpys on the wall, But they are all important to me. Yes I do see the machioism in some of the pictures,you got to feel good when you see children with their 1st fish. That always makes my day!!!

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[Flipnripem]

IF you lood close at the huge eye taken at night. The guy just spent 45min untangling 150ft of line in the dark. Lost power to the lighting system when the fish hit. Man what a mess, and when they finally got her in the net that big ole crank was firmaly wedged in the thumb meat on his hook set hand. OUCH! Not too happy. Mabey not or possibility?

[Guest]

Being a subscriber to just about every hunting and fishing magazine made, I have noticed people while posing with thier catch/kill dont look happy. Some of these guys are holding huge walleyes and monster bucks, slob muskies etc. that have taken years of hard work, time, money, patience to get. Yet in well over half of the pictures I have ever seen of trophy game these guys look either pi$$ed off or sleeping.

Why is this?? I have noticed that hunting (especially big game) is the most common. When I caught my biggest walleye I have a picture of me smiling and it is displayed on the fridge. All the deer I have shot I have been happy with so why not smile a little?? This stuff aint easy to do (capturing trophies) so why not relax and smile for your picture....be happy you got something some people never get. Whats the deal?

I am interested in hearing everyones opinions

morriscode

[Tonka Boy]

Maybe it is just pure amazement???

[upnorth]

You can't look cool with a big stupid grin on your face

[Guest]

Its an ego thing. you can't look like a stud smiling like a little school girl

[This message has been edited by Bigguns1 (edited 01-17-2003).]

[Gonzo]

My wife pointed out that I was never smiling in the pictures of me with fish and game. I looked through a few years worth, and she was right. While looking through those pictures, I also saw many pictures of our kids with sunnie, teal, grouse, etc. - and they were smiling in every one of them. I guess i was "trying to look cool" or calm or stoic or whatever, but I sure didn't look like I was having as much fun as the kids did, even though I was. Ever since, I've always looked as natural as I can for an outdoors picture, and even though I'm still an ugly mug, you can tell I'm having fun, because I'm smiling. Naturally!