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In our humble opinion …......
Hunting Fishing Fair Chase/Sportsmanship
"The ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild, native north American big game animals in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper advantage over such animals."
The same holds true – substituting “game fish” for big game animals. Over the past few years there have been many changes in hunting and fishing philosophy and equipment. One would get the idea that we are fighting a war against our game and fish with all the new baits, guns, innovations in equipment. Laser sights on guns, knock down power that would stop a tank, etc.. Black powder rifles that are now just a bit less than a standard breech loader with their pre-packaged loads, mounted again with laser sights or scopes. ATVs' to take you far afield into the peaceful wilderness where we have gotten too lazy or old to hike or walk. But I suppose this is all necessary ( or at least the marketing managers have convinced us it is ) to take out these animals and fish we must rid ourselves of. In all seriousness, it seems anything to do with sportsmanship or ethics when hunting or fishing has been lost to the marketing managers and their ability to change the attitude of todays hunters and fishermen. Take the game by any means within or marginally within the law is now the aim of the game ( no pun intended ). For instance the new umbrella-style rig being sold as a blessing to bass fishing. First – it eliminates catch and release since a fish hooked on this rig will most surely also encounter entanglement with the other hooks. A perforated fish is unlikely to survive. Second – catching a 2 or 3 lb bass with this rig hanging from its mouth virtually eliminates any fight from the fish – more like pulling in a clump of weeds or grass. The fight was supposed to be the idea behind fishing. Bed fishing for bass because it gives big photo ops and paychecks is another issue. Anyone with knowledge of bass fishing knows that any object thrown in a bass bed will be removed. You only need attach a treble hook and jerk when the fish has it in his/her mouth. Yet there are “pros” that try to convince us it takes real skill and special baits to take these fish. Not only does it, in most likelihood, cause the already stressed fish to die but also destroys the eggs or fry as other fish consume them. Sunday Hunting. Having hunted for some 60 odd years , I never found it necessary to hunt on Sunday. The argument you hear is the hunters have so much invested in equipment they should have another day to use it. I can't remember any law forcing them to buy $7 – 8000 ATVs', $1200 guns and all the other paraphenalia they accrue. Plus there is a moral/ethics issue here. The “road hunting” methods used in so many areas would not set well with folks on the way to church with the kids, passing a truck with bloody deer hanging from the back and a group of hunters with guns standing around gabbing. Really teaches moral values.
Now is this really the heritage you want to leave your children and grandchildren ?
“ We are “the other constituency” that four senators, a delegate and the board of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries are overlooking. “
Our aim is to help bring legitimate/ethical “sport” back to hunting and fishing by making the outdoorsmen/women aware of what is occurring. We are certainly “not” against new innovations in hunting and fishing equipment, but innovations that result in less than “fair chase” principals in taking game and fish should not be used.
I have often said there should someday be a day of mourning set aside for words that have lost their meaning in todays' society, like “ethics”, “honesty”, “morality”, “values”, “sportsmanship”, “integrity”, “responsibility”, ”self respect” and a few others. Seems that day may have come.
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"We need, in the interest of the community at large, a rigid system of game-laws rigidly enforced, and it is not only admissible, but one may almost say necessary, to establish, under the control of the State, great national forests reserves which shall also be breeding-grounds and nurseries for wild game; but I should much regret to see grow up in this country a system of large private game-preserves kept for the enjoyment of the very rich. One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." Theodore Roosevelt
HUNTING Fair chase allows the hunter to pursue game, using hunting skills, knowledge of wildlife and outdoor savvy, without putting game at an unfair disadvantage. Following the rules of fair chase makes you more than a hunter, it makes you a "sportsman." Some actions may be legal and still be unfair, based on your abilities, your equipment and the animals' abilities to get away. Sportsmen respect wildlife and will never do anything that doesn't "feel right." Whenever hunters doubt whether actions are legal, responsible or safe, they must give the advantage to wildlife.
FISHING “In this view, the catch is the exception and escape is the rule. Simply put, a chase is fair if the fish has a reasonable chance of escaping the pursuit unharmed. If the fish has little or no chance, the chase is not fair. Fair chase demands a balance of power between angler and target: the angler's ability to track, pursue, and acquire a trophy must not be greater than the trophy fish abilities to elude capture or death.” LINKS
This site was created through a cooperative effort between individuals, companies, and organizations that care deeply about our hunting heritage, our wildlife, and wildlife habitat.
It is the mission of the Boone and Crockett Club to promote the conservation and management of wildlife, especially big game, and its habitat, to preserve and encourage hunting and to maintain the highest ethical standards of fair chase and sportsmanship in North America.*
October 07, 2011 by Craig Dougherty OutdoorLife I recently published a piece criticizing deer farmers for creating "freak show" bucks through genetic manipulation. Apart from a few deer breeders who were critical of the post, it seemed like most readers shared my concern. It was my most widely read post so far on OutdoorLife.com and it really got some folks fired up. Non-hunters deserve Sunday peace
By: Marlene A. Condon | Albemarle County Several bills (four in the Senate and one in the House) have been introduced in the Virginia legislature that would make hunting on Sunday legal. It’s understandable that some folks would want to engage in Sunday hunting, but non-hunters need a day to enjoy the outdoors as well. During hunting season, many hikers, bikers, birders, joggers, wildlife photographers, etc., feel forced to avoid natural areas from Monday through Saturday to reduce their chances of being mistakenly shot.
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