Unfortunately, we have a wide variety of ethical standards in our hunting circles. I know folks that would drop a buck/bull that was entangled in a fence or locked in battle and brag about it. I also know others that would gather up a group of buckaroos, stretch the critter out, cut him free, release it, and take anyone to task that took advantage of the situation.
As to archery... That group used to be a scarce and dedicated lot that was seldom seen. With advent of the drawing system for scarce rifle tags, we now have a large group that I call "alternative archers." At least in Oregon, those unsuccessful for rifle draws, can still buy across the counter archery tags, and with a few exceptions, can pretty much hunt the whole state. These are the ones that are running the roads morning and evening with 4 bass boat seats in the rear of a pickup (each holding a ready to draw shooter), tarping over select water holes, and attempting to post guzzlers and tanks on public land for their exclusive use. Since their endeavors are essentially silent, there are some that sit over water all night at full moon intervals.
While there is broad base support to force hunters to select their method for the year prior to a drawing, I suspect the additional tag income is stalling our commission's action on such a move. The issue with ethics is that they can not be mandated.
Last edited by 1minute; 01/09/10.
