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+--- Thread: Are you an ethical hunter? (/showthread.php?tid=367821)
Are you an ethical hunter? - FishNews - 10-09-2007
It's a cool fall afternoon, and you've been hiking all day. You've decided to hike farther than the rest of your hunting party because you're looking for a big buck deer. You've shot several small deer in the past. Now you want a "trophy."
The country you're hiking in is prime deer country, and you've seen a lot of fresh signs. The terrain is rugged-just the kind of place where an elusive, mature buck would hide. You left camp several hours ago. Now the short fall day is coming to an end.<br />
Then you see him across the canyon. It's him! The buck you've pictured in your mind for hours as you've hiked to reach an area few other hunters would be willing to go.<br />
As you kneel down and survey the situation, thoughts begin to race through your mind. You don't have time to sneak up on him. By the time you get close to him-if you can get close to him-it will be too dark to shoot.<br />
You could shoot at him from where you're at, but the shot will be well over 300 yards. Most of your shooting practice has been at targets not more than 200 yards away. If you hit and injure him, you'll never be able to track and find him. It will be dark by then.<br />
Do you take the shot and risk wounding the buck and never finding him? Or do you let him go and return to camp with another story about the one that got away?
Defining ethics<br />
One of the things young hunters are taught today is the importance of being ethical. Teaching young hunters about ethics can result in several positive outcomes. One of those outcomes is helping ensure that a positive image of hunting continues into the future. That image will help ensure hunting isn't tarnished in the eyes of those who either oppose hunting or simply chose not to participate themselves.<br />
While the idea of ethical hunting isn't new, what is and isn't considered ethical behavior has changed over time.<br />
To better understand what it means to be an ethical hunter, we must first define what "ethical" means.<br />
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines ethical as...
Re: [FishNews] Are you an ethical hunter? - CROSSINEYES - 10-09-2007
WHAT ABOUT THE HARD CORE OPTION? HIKE OVER THE RIDGE FIND A SPOT BUILD A SMALL FIRE HEAT SOME STONES AND TUFF IT OUT. IVE DONE IT MOORE THAN ONCE. SO DO ALOT OF OTHER HARD CORE HUNTERS. WE BACK PACK AND SLEEP ON THEM. ME I WOULD HAVE SHOT THE DEER BACK WHEN I HUNTED WITH POWDER AND A SCOPE. LONG SHOTS GOT AS EASY AS SHORT ONES SO I QUIT. O AND BOUGHT A BOW. LOL
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