Ethics
Ethics is defined as the moral principals that govern a persons behavior or conducting of an activity. Hunting has a recently adopted a different definition of ethics. Unlike most other sports or activities, the ethics of hunting are determined in the public eye. Ethics are determined by people who most likely never have hunted. Hunters need to be very self conscious of how they present their passion to the outside world.
Hunter Shaming
Most of the people who regularly view hunting sites and blogs are pro-hunting already and have a deep set passion for the sport. (I can already see a lot of you cringing at the fact I just called it a sport) In fact social media is the playing the main role in hunter shaming. When a distant relative posts a photo of his/her trophy and you immediately feel bad for the animal that-unknowingly-is posing for a photo with it’s tongue hanging out and blood still dripping from their lips. You are generally going to side with an animal rights organization such as PETA over the issue. There is nothing wrong with this at all and most hunters know this is the case for many. I personally try to encourage people to take the most ethical photo possible with their animal, it can make a huge difference in the long run. What is damaging the reputation of hunters however is when you add a nasty comment to their photo or publicly shame them over something they enjoy. More often than not we tend to overlook the fact that that person’s passion for hunting likely stems beyond the kill. Just as you cherish the days you would spend going to the park or out to eat with your parents, hunters cherish memories spent in the woods with their families. There is nothing like a day learning the ropes from your old man, .22 rifle in hand, and more often than not those lessons will be passed down to generations for years to come.
Sport v. Survival
Hunting in the name of survival has been part of mankind’s lifestyle since the beginning, hunting for sport however has been more recently adopted. One thing however is very different about this commonly disputed topic is often a major argument between hunters themselves, “You cant eat antlers” may be one of the most used terms in the hunting world. There are usually two sides the traditionalist or “family man”, and the sportsman. The traditionalist/family man would be your common survivalist.Traditionalist: Hunting is done in order to obtain meat from the animal for survival means. Family man: Provides himself and his family with meat on the table at the end of the season, doesn’t generally agree with either side. Possibly would like to but doesn’t have the time to hunt that monster, but in the end he really only needs the meat. Sportsman: Works his but off for that wall ornament. Wants nothing more than to outsmart the biggest trophy animal in the wild.
Personal Opinion…
I hunt for sport. I hunt for fun. I love hunting. When people ask me why I hunt I can raise my right hand and swear to the fact that I love the animals. I love the hunt more than kill hands down. Yes, there is always that regret in the back of my mind and I sometimes wonder why I do it, but I challenge you to sit in a goose pit or walk a bluff line in southern Minnesota and you will gain a tremendous amount of respect for the animals. When you step foot into the woods or the field you are entering their arena, they know the land, the smells, and how to survive better than we could ever dream of. For me hunting is just as or even more fun watching the animals in their environment. It is something you don’t see when they are standing on the side of the road or even strolling through your yard. Watching a 3 point yearling buck strut up to a group of does with all the confidence in the world, or three fawns playing together year after year outweighs pulling the trigger 99% of the time. Why do the animals have to die? you may ask. The answer is simple, population control is necessary in a group of wild animals. In Minnesota we do not have enough land to sustain a flourishing herd of deer during the harsh winters. Unfortunately the hard reality is that its not the adult deer that will die during the winter, it is generally going to be the fawn or the babies. The larger deer chase them off the food sources they do have, and in order to do this we have to control the population. So next time you cringe at a hunters newest photo, give them a chance, be happy for them and remember there is probably sometimes more behind those pheasants sitting on a tailgate, because they probably like seeing those beautiful animals just as much as you do.