I still sit upon the fence regarding when "hunting" ends and "shooting" begins. I'm loathe, however, to judge someone else who ethically takes an animal through any means lawful and within the personal zone of confidence each individual has with his tools.
I take issue with anyone who does not use their tools in a manner likely to kill prey as quickly and humanely as possible. As stewards of the land, it is our duty to show compassion and respect to any and all animals we place in our crosshairs, iron sights, or whatever manner of weapon we choose. A quick kill devoid of suffering is the ultimate show of respect to the animal. Causing injury to any animal without this requisite intent is wrong. Purposefully injuring the animal with the intent to incite a charge, slow it down or any other end state is wrong. You have taken the honor out of the hunt and interjected your own selfish ego-driven agenda.
I realize poor shots occur and good people make mistakes. I fully realize some animals can take a massive amount of damage and continue to function. I'm not so naive as to think every shot I make will be devoid of suffering upon impact. Regardless, that is my goal.
As such, regardless of your opinion whether LRH is truly "hunting", any time a hunter honors his prey with a quick death, he/she is to be commended. Whether this occurs at 10 yards or 1000 is of little consequence.
