What is Ethical Hunting?

The key element of ethical hunting is recognizing that conversation around how the hunt is being done and why it matters is important. Three key things along with in-field elements are taught when someone’s learning to hunt. These are: Understanding the situation and knowing if the shot is safe. Legal aspects of the situation and the shot. Understanding if the shot and situation are ethical and responsible. There are some key aspects of ethical hunting that every hunter should be aware of and they should certainly adhere to these. Know and Respect the Law For good reasons, each state has set its own rules and regulations around the game of hunting. The departments of state parks are dedicatedly making the best decisions that are underlying these rules & regulations based on the first-hand information they have got. Game laws are developed based on qualitative and quantitative data and are not arbitrary for protecting the game from over-harvesting. The key component of conserving the wildlife is maintaining the ecosystem balance based on the regions. These rules & regulations are there for a reason. Breaking the laws is inherently unethical. This doesn’t mean all legal hunting is ethical. Some of the examples of illegal hunting are trespassing, exceeding bag limits or poaching, and not adhering to the seasons of hunting. Last Chapter Kill It is very important for a responsible and ethical to understand how quick & clean kill is the need of hunting. The hunter should have the proper skillset, caliber, and ammunition to take the shot so that their hunt is killed quickly and there is no unnecessary suffering for the animal on target. Chest and headshots are the 2 key kill zones that lead to rapid & humane death. In case the animal is wounded and not killed, a quick-kill shot should be taken by the hunter. Fair Chase Ethical hunting involves giving a fair chase to the animal. The hunter should not have an unfair advantage over their hunt. There are a set of rules that responsible hunters follow like not pursuing a tied-up, caged, cornered, lured, drugged, or treed animal. Also, one must know that food is the primary reason for hunting. Hunters should use the entire animal and should never leave the remains of their hunt behind, out of respect for that animal.