Ethics and Fair Chase

FAIR CHASE STATEMENT FAIR CHASE, as defined by the Boone and Crockett Club, is the ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging* wild, native North American big game animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper advantage over such animals. HUNTER ETHICS Fundamental to all hunting is the concept of conservation of natural resources. Hunting in today's world involves the regulated harvest of individual animals in a manner that conserves, protects, and perpetuates the hunted population. The hunter engages in a one-to-one relationship with the quarry and his or her hunting should be guided by a hierarchy of ethics related to hunting, which includes the following tenets: 1. Obey all applicable laws and regulations. 2. Respect the customs of the locale where the hunting occurs. 3. Exercise a personal code of behavior that reflects favorably on your abilities and sensibilities as a hunter. 4. Attain and maintain the skills necessary to make the kill as certain and quick as possible. 5. Behave in a way that will bring no dishonor to either the hunter, the hunted, or the environment. 6. Recognize that these tenets are intended to enhance the hunter's experience of the relationship between predator and prey, which is one of the most fundamental relationships of humans and their environment. * Free-ranging as defined by the Boone and Crockett Club is any native North American big game animal that is unrestricted within its biological home range, has adequate protective cover, and reasonable opportunity to elude the hunter.

As my friends all know by now, my grandfather taught me archery, and how to hunt with bow and arrow. His very first archery rule was "Never aim at anything you don't intend to eat!" Believe it or not, that simple statement has become the foundation of hunting ethics for me. The rest has been most aptly put by my friends at The Pope and Young Club and  The Boone and Crockett Club.  I have taken the liberty of  including parts of their Ethics and Fair Chase Rules below.

HUNTER ETHICS Recreational hunting is under attack as never before. A principle target is the image of the "unethical hunter," a person without respect for wildlife, land, or other wildlife users. In response, a major Club intent under the "Fair Chase Code" is to advocate an ethic of respect in all hunters for wildlife, land, and other users of wildlife.

ETHICS ENSURE THE FUTURE "Voluntary adherence to an ethical code elevates the self respect of the sportsman, but it should not be forgotten that voluntary disregard of the code degenerates and depraves him."                                                                       Aldo Leopold                                                                       From A sand County Almanac Fair Chase is defined as the ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit of free-ranging wild game animals in a manner which does not give the hunter an improper or unfair advantage over the animal.                                                                                                                                              Pope and Young Club

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