Hunter Ethics

While hunting laws preserve wildlife, ethics preserve the hunter’s opportunity to hunt. Because ethics generally govern behavior that affects public opinion of hunters, ethical behavior ensures that hunters are welcome and hunting areas stay open.

Ethics generally cover behavior that has to do with issues of fairness, respect, and responsibility not covered by laws. For instance, it’s not illegal to be rude to a landowner when hunting on his or her property or to be careless and fail to close a pasture gate after opening it, but most hunters agree that discourteous and irresponsible behavior is unethical.

Then there are ethical issues that are just between the hunter and nature. For example, an animal appears beyond a hunter’s effective range for a clean kill. Should the hunter take the shot anyway and hope to get lucky? Ethical hunters would say no.

ethics: Moral principles or values that distinguish between right and wrong; they are unwritten rules that society expects to be followed.

How to Behave if Confronted by Anti-Hunter Protesters

• Remain calm and polite, and do not engage in arguments—never lose your temper.
• Never touch an anti-hunter or use any physical force, and especially never threaten an anti-hunter with your firearm.
• Report hunter harassment to law enforcement authorities. If possible, record the vehicle license number of harassers.

Hunting is a privilege and can be taken away if hunters fail to act responsibly.