Ethical Hunters

[fisherman66]

Ethical hunters leave a piece land better than they found it. They eat what they shoot or donate it to someone who will. They abide by the rules, even the ones they think are stupid (doe days :barf. Ethical hunters introduce new people (especially the fence sitters) to the activity either through conversation or invitation and keep their cool with the soy boys and even worse, hypocrites. Ethical hunters don't drive around town with a bloody dead deer in the back of the pickup showing all their buddies while the meat starts to sour. Ethical hunters prepare great food for friends and family. They use appropriate skill and weapons for the task in an attempt to make a quick and humane kill. Ethical hunters botch shots as well, but make an honest attempt to recover any fatally wounded animal.

ramblin' man...

[JagFarlane]

Ethical hunters also ask permission before they hunt on private land, as well as don't spotlight along roads over other peoples farms [pet peeve since this happens to the gf's familys farms]

[fisherman66]

That's part of

They abide by the rules

[cat9x]

well said indeed

[JagFarlane]

Mmm sometimes its necessary to clarify the rules. By the way how do you quote?

[fisherman66]

By the way how do you quote?

When you respond use the character balloon right next to the pound sign in the toolbar.

[Double Naught Spy]

Ethical hunters botch shots as well, but make an honest attempt to recover any fatally wounded animal.

Ethical hunters make an honest attempt to put down non-fatally wounded animals they have shot as well so as to put a cessation to the suffering.

[hogdogs]

From the moment my brain decides to pull the trigger all of my concentration is the kill or lack there of... i try (not perfectly) to see the bullet enter and exit to decide if that was a proper shot. I then settle immediately into the blood trail duty. A game animal suffering at my hand is un acceptable to me...
Brent

[fisherman66]

A game animal suffering at my hand is un acceptable to me...

Agreed. I haven't botched a shot yet on anything other than a 'yote at get outta town speed, but I've trailed with other fellas that have botched a shot. It's one miserable feeling to be tracking rumen instead of blood.

[shortwave]

"Kudo`s" to you fisherman for a superb thread. Ethical hunting is taught and threads like these are great for all sportsmen(women) to review and think about. Thanks!

[Trapp]

even the ones they think are stupid (doe days )

Care to elaborate?

[LateNightFlight]

"Kudo`s" to you fisherman for a superb thread. Ethical hunting is taught and threads like these are great for all sportsmen(women) to review and think about. Thanks!

Mega dittos!

[12GaugeShuggoth]

Ethical hunters also don't leave the remains of their kills in the woods wrapped in black garbage bags.......I mention because I've found this in our woods before.....lazy SOB's.

[Jseime]

I try for heart lung shots every time and wont take bad angles or shots I know I cant make. I know that I am out there to take an animal but I know I have to do it as quickly and painlessly as I can.

I like for the animal not to see it coming and not to feel it happen, one shot, one kill, no need for tracking, no need for finishing shots. Of course I know that it cant happen like that but it's what I strive for.

I think that caliber and shot selection have as much to do with ethical hunting as anything else. You have to use enough gun for the situation and you have to select shots that you know you can make consistently.

[Kreyzhorse]

Ethical hunters also respect other hunters by practicing safe gun handling and by not disturbing other hunters.

[Gbro]

Ethical hunter goes way beyond

They abide by the rules, even the ones they think are stupid,

They hunt with the attitude that every thing they do is being overseen by those they hold as their most influential mentors.
They want to be proud of everything they did this day in the field.
When they look to the wall and see a proudly displayed trophy that they were fortunate enough to take, They can feel good and not be reminded of something that happened in this, or any other hunt that shouldn't have been done.
For a trophy can mean so much more than a particular day in the field, It may become the summary of all your years hunting and will in many cases be handed down to your beloved family.

[fisherman66]

Quote:
even the ones they think are stupid (doe days )

Care to elaborate?

In several east Texas counties there is a "special" weekend where does are permissible to shoot (from Thanksgiving to that Sunday). Other than that; bucks only. As a freezer stocker that strikes me as about as sharp as a bowl of jello. I counted 14 does in a couple hours one day break and one immature buck that came within petting distance. Latter that day I jumped half a dozen more does.

I try for heart lung shots every time and wont take bad angles or shots I know I cant make. I know that I am out there to take an animal but I know I have to do it as quickly and painlessly as I can.

*

I think that caliber and shot selection have as much to do with ethical hunting as anything else. You have to use enough gun for the situation and you have to select shots that you know you can make consistently.

*I removed a paragraph that's not central to my point.

Part of the reason I started this thread is the constant "always put the lead in the H/L area" and "bring enough gun" threads.

While it's not bad advice, there are plenty of hunters that can execute a neck or other CNS shots just fine (I don't do headshots; self imposed limit but I don't apply my rules to other capable shooters). Those shots are doable with much less powerful guns. If you understand the ballistics of your weapon, build of the bullet and the body structure of your quarry then a clean kill is obtainable or it's too marginal. If the hunter has the skill to make that shot and a clean kill, I see no problem. That's not an ethical issue. Wounding game on the other hand is.

Ethical hunters also don't leave the remains of their kills in the woods wrapped in black garbage bags

Well, someone blew out their pilot light. Why bring a garbage bag? Mother nature takes care of that offal and viscera post haste.

[Desertfox]

Chances are, it's in a garbage bag because they field dressed it elsewhere. Probably did that because they shot it illegally somewhere else (on the road or at night) and hurried away from the scene of the crime.
Too bad they didn't get their head stuck in a similar bag.