Hey PBLR,
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<br>If you read my post it explains my logic fairly carefully. Specifically, I don't think sniping an animal which has no ability to use its natural defenses by a gang of hunters using computers and spotting for the shooter meets MY concept of fair chase. Now, is that clear enough for you? But I don't mind stepping on your toes, because you are obviously not interested in discussing the issue, assuming you are capable of a logical discussion, but of trying to denigrate someone else's position because it does not agree with yours. Does the phrase"doth protest too much" ring a bell? Somewhere, deep in your hunter's heart, some of you understand that it ain't fair, and react defensively to any questions on that issue. Now, if you want to explain why LR killing meets your concept of fair chase then I will be glad to listen and respond. And, I want to point out that I did NOT say you should not do it, just that I don't agree with it and you ain't going to do it on my ranch. Whether that makes me Mr. Ethics or not is not too clear to me, but it certainly brings up the question of what your ethical values are.
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<br>At any rate, since the topic of this thread is hunter ethics, in an attempt to educate some of the interested readers and promote a discussion of the issue I am going to quote selectively from a forum about this question of fair chase as it relates to wildlife management organized by a professor at Michigan State and another individual in 1994. I am quoting because I don't profess to be a professional author, ethicist, or anything but a personal philosopher. If anyone cares to read the whole text the site is:
http://www.fw.msu.edu/faculty/peyton/ethicsforum98.html <br>
<br>All of the following are quotes but not necessarily from the same speaker, and, while I might not agree with every word or phrase it gives us a basis or starting point for discussing the concept of fair chase:
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<br>The purpose of this continuing education forum was to examine the role of fish and wildlife management agencies in fair chase controversies--a growing ethical and management consideration for fish and wildlife agencies.
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<br>Ethics: Rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular group or culture and ranging in significance from rules of etiquette to moral standards.
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<br>Fair Chase: A set of hunting conditions in which the individual decision-maker judges the taking of prey as acceptably uncertain and difficult for the hunter.
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<br>It is important to highlight the range of principles embodied by "ethics" and to note that ethics are tied to specific groups or cultures. It is also important to point out the key role of the decision-maker in defining what is fair chase. If fair chase is in the eyes of the beholder, the question is not whether certain hunting methods reflect fair chase, but rather who should determine whether the fairness of chase is acceptable: the hunter, the agency, or the nonhunter?
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<br>Like it or not, definition of fair chase is no longer the concern of only the individual hunter.
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<br>For the hunter, fair chase serves at least two purposes. For one thing, fair chase helps define the hunter's relationship with the prey as one of respect for the organism and the species. A second purpose is to define the extent of the challenge associated with the hunt and therefore help to determine the benefits (satisfaction) to be derived from the experience.
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<br>Hunters define the quality of the experience in their own way based on their individual motivations for certain benefits they can receive from hunting. Let's focus on four categories of motivations that have been found to be associated with hunting: desire to harvest; desire to practice/experience use of hunting-related skills; desire to experience challenge; and desire to meet ethical standards.
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<br>Desire to experience challenge is more complex. Challenge may be created by decisions regarding choice of equipment, choice of method (stalking, still hunting, etc.) or conditions, and choice of the prey animal (restricting to large buck, etc.). A notion of fair chase is intricately linked to this motivation.
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<br>Desire to meet ethical standards is also complex. Fair chase is one such ethical standard which reflects a value and respect for the prey, as well as defining the challenge and contributing to that motivation. Another ethical standard is concern for the welfare of the animal. Other ethical standards relate to hunting within the legal constraints, respect for other hunters and nonhunters, etc.
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<br>These motivations are not independent and the hunter must decide on suitable tradeoffs among them
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<br>I think that most reasonable people would agree that, while "ethical hunting" certainly invokes duties to other humans, "fair chase" necessarily implies direct duties of hunters and anglers to the animals they pursue.
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<br>but unfair hunting and angling practices don't always result in more pain and suffering than do fair chase practices.
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<br>Despite past and current efforts to legislate basic principles of fair chase, much of what constitutes fair chase will remain subject to the consciences of individual hunters and anglers.
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<br>End Quoted text.
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