I think the real mistake all of us too easily make is to judge any ethical standard through the prism of our own environment or experience. In much of Europe, and somewhat recently, some ranches/ farms in the States, the emphasis is on the quality of the herd rather than the "sport" involved in the shot. Potting "management" deer over a feeder allows fairly certain aging and scoring prior to a shot. Indeed, most German hunters would tell you that the highest ethic is ensuring a quick clean kill. Others in this country, who grew up with a different set of experiences, believe an ethical hunt entails a cross-canyon poke at a running deer (read any Jack O). Or the same German who might be appalled by the above, has no trouble participating in driven hunts for wild boar where precise shot placement is anything but a science. I think the wisest course is to try and fully understand the ethics of the area in which you are hunting and conform to the extent your personal red lines will allow you to do so.
