13 Hunting Slang Terms You Should Stop Using

by Doug Howlett • November 29, 2011 • 39 comments

Since first appearing in 1893 as a derogatory term to describe less educated, rural, lower-class Southern whites, the word “redneck” continues to serve as a slanderous putdown by some, and worn as a badge of country pride and honor by others. From Jeff Foxworthy’s famed “You might be a redneck” lines to Charlie Daniels singing about the world needing “a few more rednecks,” the prideful declaration that one is a redneck has expanded far beyond the South to describe folks of rural nature and proclivities across all of America.

But still, whether you consider yourself a redneck, hillbilly, good ole’ boy, country girl or whatnot, there remains a number of terms used — particularly in conjunction with hunting or while in camp — that, well, probably quite simply just should not be. But then, who better than the hunters of America to make that decision? Here then are 13 hunting slang terms that we think are best left at the gate to the trailer park when you head for the woods.

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"Asti"

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Example: “Man, it’s hotter en seven hails out there. Think I’ll have a col’ glass of dat sweet asti.”

Not a refined, urbane alternative to the drinking of champagne as in “asti spumante,” but rather the regional drink of the South made from brewed tea leaves, served over ice and available in every household, diner and hunt camp from Virginia to Texas. Oh, and if you buy it anywhere from Virginia to Texas, you can bet its default preparation will include half a bag of sugar. Go in the wrong place and ask for asti and you’re going to get carded.

In Featured, Lists, Petersen's Hunting • Tagged , , , , ,

39 Responses

  1. Hjm

    Yep, (including all the below slang) I guess that's in order with the Souths hunting tactics (tree houses, bait piles, food plots, show me where they are, and maybe shoot it for me too). Also comes to mind that maybe genetics have a presence also. (Where as in– one gets a divorce and is still probably related) Southerners need a bit of Northwestern genes implanted. Lets hear it for fair chase and competent hunting tactics! The Outdoor Channel is getting sicker and sicker and far from ethical hunting tactics. ENOUGH SAID!

    On December 1, 2011 at 12:22 am • Reply
    • Ben

      If your vaunted Northwestern genes were worthy, the South would have already acquired them. There's a reason for the saying: "American by birth, Southern by the Grace of God." Those who stereotype Southerners will never understand that, but bless your little heart, anyway.
      PS – Cultured Southern folk know proper use of apostrophes ("Souths" [sic]), and that "whereas" is one word. I happen to know North-westerners who use proper English, so I suspect that you are an anomaly.
      I'm a hillbilly music banjo playing board certified physician who has been an invited speaker on topics in my specialty on four continents. Stereotype that.

      On December 1, 2011 at 2:33 am • Reply
      • Nancy

        Ben, not only are you correct, you are a gentleman and a scholar…thank you so much. It is really not very entertaining for an accent and colloquialisms to be ridiculed. We say grace and we say ma'am, and we will preach on!

        On December 1, 2011 at 3:12 pm • Reply
    • Bob

      The good news is that idiots like Hjm will stay up North!
      Lots of good folks in the North, though — they are not all like this ignorant ya-hoo.
      And I bet this guy can't hunt his way out of a paper bag. He probably phones for Daddy to bring him a drink to he field — if he ever gets out of his truck while hunting.

      On February 13, 2012 at 1:55 pm • Reply
  2. Don

    Are you yankee sons-of-bitches trying to tell me how to talk?

    On December 1, 2011 at 2:30 am • Reply
    • Ron

      Just trying to help bring you to civilization.

      On December 1, 2011 at 1:44 pm • Reply
      • Georgia Ranger

        having lived in yankeeland, thanks for the offer but I prefer southern civilization. Curiously, no other region in the country identifies with itself like we do down here in God's country.

        On December 1, 2011 at 2:42 pm • Reply
  3. Jack

    We have too many damn yankees already but ONE (1) would be too many.

    On December 1, 2011 at 12:11 pm • Reply
  4. David

    Difference between a Yankee and a damn Yankee…..a Yankee goes back home a damn Yankee stays in the south and continues to try to change us!!

    On December 1, 2011 at 2:07 pm • Reply
    • scott

      A friend once said the reason us yankees come down south is to see what we won!

      On December 1, 2011 at 2:56 pm • Reply
  5. David

    Hjm……you hunt how you like and I'll hunt how I like……if you hunted in the south you would hunt out of a treehouse as you call it on a food plot because the rest of the ground is either in crops growing food for people to eat or in pine plantations growing lumber for people to use as paper or building material. If we lived there we would traipse around the mountains hoping to actually see a deer just like you!!

    On December 1, 2011 at 2:15 pm • Reply
  6. darabbit

    if they don't like the lingo others use then they can cover their ears. They censor everything else, but they can't take my slang. If I want to cut my words short or combine words to form new words than it's my privilege. If someone else out there understands me then that's all I need to have a conversation. Hunting is a time for your gun to be accurate not you mouth.

    On December 1, 2011 at 10:09 pm • Reply
  7. Undy

    We live in the north . And we're red necks we hunt &fish eat every thing we catch . I'm a lobsterman That was my nephew who shot that black bear I was there. What a accomplishment. We're all Americans be proud .

    On December 2, 2011 at 1:45 am • Reply
  8. grant

    my ma done told me never speak ill of ya'll yankees, and she done learned me good manners, so i ain't. if'un ya'll don't like the way we hunt then don't do it. we ain't never told ya'll to mind yer manners, say yes ma'am and yes sir,salute the flag, and love America.

    On December 2, 2011 at 3:32 pm • Reply
  9. Chequamegon Guy

    Sorry to break your heart, Georgia Ranger, but God's country is up North. Bergmann's rule.The deer really are bigger. And we paddle our rivers without Burt Reynolds. And if you're over 6' and better than 200# you get better looking to women the colder it gets. Down in your 99% humidity and 103 degrees…

    On December 2, 2011 at 11:33 pm • Reply
    • Guest

      Hey, if ya cain't take the heat, get out of the kitchen fat boy. With your polar bear lookin women… ;)

      On January 12, 2012 at 10:03 am • Reply
  10. Rich

    I can't believe that a magazine would print an article like this. How dare you try and tell decent god fearing people how they should talk. Things are just fine here in the south. We don't try and change people up north because we don't give a damn how they do things. I will never read, promote, subscribe, or ever consider this worthless site again. How dare you!

    On December 3, 2011 at 1:52 pm • Reply
    • David

      Cool down man, it is just for fun. I can't believe anyone on here is serious. We all love hunting, guns, fishing, and all the people all over the country that do it. My mom was from Louisiana and my Dad from Ohio, and I have grown up in Wyoming. I love to fish and hunt with my brother in Louisiana, and my dad has hunted pheasants with a shotgun and walking on a crutch, and he thinks his wheel chair is 4 wheel drive. He even tried to buy chains for it. Nuff said. God bless our Military all over the world.

      On December 10, 2011 at 1:59 pm • Reply
  11. Bayouboygto

    Why would an author write such a divisive article about people whom speak with a "Southern Accent"?

    I know that all hunters from the aouth are not trash hunters. Though I do know hunters whom live North of Possum Valleu Arkansas that are excellent Woodsmen and Ladies.

    I believe the author must have had a bad case of Writers Block and decided to rile up all of us hunters up (bad grammar intentional " by appealing to the "Yankee versus Johnny Reb" stereotypes.

    This did not work on me. I respect good hunters where ever they are from.

    May your next hunt be a safe and fruitful one.

    On December 4, 2011 at 12:50 am • Reply
  12. Kevin Mallow

    All I can say is WOW! You are so stupid that you would write this and alienate a large part of your readership. My subcription dollars will be reserved for a publication that is not used to denegrate it's readers.

    On December 4, 2011 at 4:10 am • Reply
  13. Rob

    You're offended by this?! You toook this seriously?! Really?! I think all of you need to step back and take a deep breath. This is ridiculous! What has happened to the sense of humor in this country?! I'd like to think some of you make fun of yourselves, (or maybe you take yourself too seriously) but you'll be damned if somebody else does! How can you laugh at others when you can't laugh at yourself? If you can't see the humor in this, I feel sorry for you. I think you all need to grow thicker skin, and not be so easily offended!

    On December 4, 2011 at 7:27 am • Reply
  14. Bob

    WOW I can see that folks have lost their sense of humor. If you do a quick google search on Howlett (the author), it is easy to see he is a born and bred southerner, past NWTF Editor and have lived 99% of his life below the mason dixon line. Can I say tounge in cheek?

    On December 7, 2011 at 3:17 pm • Reply
  15. elk hunter

    As you can see, southerners are haters; and since they relive the civil war every day, they're losers.
    Get over it.!! Stupid in-bred incorrigible people!

    On December 8, 2011 at 7:03 pm • Reply
    • David

      You Suck

      On December 10, 2011 at 2:02 pm • Reply
    • Nancy

      Hmmmmm, you must have some southern blood creeping out there, elk hunter, you sound rather hateful there…. better to be polite….

      On December 14, 2011 at 1:26 am • Reply
    • Clint

      Did you think of that all by yourself? you must be a genius, just yesterday i was thinking about killing me a yankee…. You are a true blue bastard! Why don't you shut your damn mouth, prick!

      On December 14, 2011 at 8:13 am • Reply
  16. Robert

    I will endeavor to use all of the above mentioned slang terms as often as possible now. I'm fixin' to drink a co-cola down near my sweet honey hole lookin for some hawgs. I'll be packin my scattergun filled with whistlin bills! Hail YA!

    On December 9, 2011 at 6:07 pm • Reply
  17. G-Rod

    Fixin' is a word Howlett. We'll have to argue this one at SHOT.

    On December 19, 2011 at 11:57 pm • Reply
  18. Bob

    People from the North are like hemorrhoids. If they come down, and then go back up they are marginally tolerable. But when they stay around, they are an insufferable pain in the a**.

    On December 21, 2011 at 1:06 am • Reply
  19. Dhoovak

    I grew up a Yankee from New York, or as the yankees say, "Nyawk". Fortunately, I had the good sense to move south about 45 years ago. While y'all have a good time making some fun of the way language is supposed to sound, I'm fixin to have some venison steaks with some fried taters, then I'll cut out the lights and get some zzzzzz's.

    On December 27, 2011 at 11:20 pm • Reply
  20. Alaska Seth

    My least favorite hunting terms are as follows!

    Harvest. In my humble opinion this is something you do with corn not elk, deer, gemsbok, bears, ibex, pheasants, grouse, capercaillie, wildboars, or moose.

    Further your lack of United States Geography is incredible. The United States is broken up into several regions. The concept that Peterson's Hunting pays you a salary for being a gun scribe, shows a huge lack of judgement on their side.

    Prior to the Civil War (that the Northern States won, incase your were taught otherwise) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_Secession_ma… only 3 Western States were part of the United States; California, Oregon, and Kansas were actually states during the time of the War. Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri and Delaware all allowed Slavery but were Union states. I can't tell you how many times I have heard uneducated people from Missouri and Kentucky call someone an Yankee.

    My point being to classify someone from the West as a Yankee shows a very uneducated concept of reality. As among the Western States only 3 had anyone that was pro Union. The rest of the states were not formed, or were like the Oklahoma Territory, not really part of anything.

    A lot of ink has been spilled by Southerners calling other people Yankees. But the term as it applies today refers to all Americans, when used by the other English speakers on the planet.

    I don't hate any part of our great Nation. I do think that the Northern Rockies and Alaska have the best combination of variety and quantity of game. We don't have a lot of deer, most western states have less than 400,000 deer. Which doesn't sound like very many compared to Mid-Western states like Minnesota, or Southern States like South Carolina. Collectively when we combine all of our different game species into the head count we still fall far short of what most states east of the big river have. Most western states have around 300,000 hunters, so when you add in a very large population of out of state hunters our ability to hunt the lands we live in is quickly shrinking, public land or not.

    As for regions I talked about earlier, here's my take on America. Some states fall into several regions.

    West Coast; California, Oregon, Washington

    Pacific Northwest; Oregon, Washington, Alaska

    South West; California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Texas

    Northern Rockies; Montana, Wyoming, Idaho

    Southern Rockies; New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Arizona

    Great Plains; Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota,

    North Woods; Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin

    Mid-West; Minnesota, Michigan, Wisonsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas

    New England; New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Mass, Rhode Island.

    Of course what remains is either the South or the East.

    Have lived in 13 States; Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Washington, Washington DC, Florida, Maine, and Texas. And having travelled to all but Vermont I consider myself to be fairly well travelled.

    It is stupid to argue semantics about redneck culture and linguistics. Rednecks are America, doesn't matter if they are from Alaska, Florida, Maine, or California or anyplace in between.

    On January 11, 2012 at 11:05 am • Reply
  21. Ron

    I can't wait to see the 13 inner city drug dealer slang terms that need to stop being used.. I mean the writer wants to treat everyone equally right?

    On January 18, 2012 at 10:39 pm • Reply
  22. guest

    i'm from tn and i was a frequent subscribe til i read this. i'm ending all my subscriptions and telling. everyone i know to do the same.we don't like spending our hard earned money on sterotype reinforcement.

    On January 21, 2012 at 1:31 am • Reply
  23. br549

    Very well said! I am not from the South, born and raised in the hills of Oregon. But I do agree with ya! ~ lets go hunt!!!!

    On January 26, 2012 at 12:58 am • Reply
  24. Paul Wood

    Cheers, Huzzahs, Hoo Rah, Boola Boola and a big Cowabunga for Dr. Ben ( 8 weeks back ) who plays hillbilly banjo and speaks on his profession in four continents. Slang vernacular has it's place, even for board certified physicians, "Get 'er Done" Doc.

    On February 1, 2012 at 8:48 pm • Reply
  25. Paul Wood

    Not to discount or refute the authors information on the origins of the term "REDNECK" but I first encountered the term in mid 1960's from the hippies. ( I was not even close to gravitating toward that sub human status, but they, "hippies", much like northeastern yankee white trash liberals, were infiltrating everywhere. A redneck was one without long hair and beaded necklaces which allowed for plentiful vitamin D producing sunlight to redden and tan the back of ones neck. Hence those non hippy types, were termed rednecks who also practiced a higher level of personal hygiene than the more slothful drug loving types called hippies.. Now the whole scenario has been so convoluted it no longer makes any real sense. Go figure.

    On February 1, 2012 at 9:20 pm • Reply
  26. Doug

    Wow, in the paraphrasing of Rodney King, can't "y'all" or "you uns" or "yous" or "yous guys" or "yuhs" (take your pick) just get along! Haha. This was all totally in fun and for the record "dandy" was a northern term I've come across, definitely not southern as it stated in the article. A southerner would get slapped if he used it.

    It's true as Bob so wisely pointed out that I am a proud born and bred Southerner, but I enjoy hunting South, North, East and West–wherever the game is in season and the folks enjoy having some fun outside together. I lived on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line, 99% percent of it below and 1% percent in enemy territory as my Southern art director told me before I moved up there, but where I truly enjoyed during my time there. I once wrote an article on why hunting is better than fishing too, though I actually enjoy both (of course hunting gets the edge!)

    For this piece, I probably pulled from many more Southern colloquiallisms (sp?) and words I've heard because I myself have used them all at one time or another! In other words, "I knows, cuz I is one." Love the article or hate it, thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. I always appreciate the feedback. Now, if y'all don't mind, I'm fixin' to go write another equally divisive article on which is better Ford trucks or Chevrolets or maybe what is the best tasting pie: Boston Creme or pecan.

    Let the comments fly!

    On February 23, 2012 at 8:36 pm • Reply
    • Diana

      Boston Cream!!!!

      On April 25, 2012 at 12:06 am • Reply
  27. Darryl

    Though I find some of these terms entertaining, I view this article as a direct attack on people from the South. I am originally from TN but now live in AK. I will be returning to my roots back in "God's Great South" and I am very proud to be a Southerner. I have lived all over this great nation and have found no better, kinder, politer people in the country or any other part of the world which i have visited than in the South. I was considering subscribing to this site, but I will not be returning due to the biased and discriminatory views of the authors of the site. If you don't like the south, stay out and find your game in the rude and unforgiving places you come from and don't try to push your yankee views on us Southerners, we don't push ours on you.

    On March 8, 2012 at 6:24 pm • Reply