Sealsniper, yes, we are the public. But we are still outnumbered considerably. Ok, I think I see the ethical question here. Well, I used to hunt squirrels with my shotgun, but it seemed like every time there was one within 30 yards and I shot, a dead squirrel was a guarentee. I much prefer a .22. Why? More challenge, more misses, more enjoyment. And less to skin. I don't see the use of limiting on squirrels, they are a pain in the ass to skin. So, let's say I had a super long range rifle, with the most accurate scope in the world. There is a small grove of oaks about 400 yards away swarming with squirrels. The set up is accurate and can be fully utilized by a decent shot. So, if a guy is making 9 shots out of every 10 he shoots at a squirrel, and hitting them in the head without ruining any meat, is that squirrel 'hunting' per se? Of course, he can only shoot at non moving squirrel, but at that range, they have no clue he is around. With my .22, if I miss, I'm not likely to get another shot at that squirrel any time soon, due to the short ranges involved.
<br> Now, with the deer 3/4 of a mile away, and you there with a super long range gun specialized for such work, you can make a killing shot 99 out of 100 times say when you shoot. Am I right? The deer obviously have no clue you are there, or if they do, they think you are well out of their danger zone. So much so that when you shoot, they go over and stick their noses in the ground where it hit. Even if you missed 10 times, the deer would not likely panic, am I right? I am not saying you are likely to miss the same deer that many times, but I'm saying if you did, it would still be there. Now, looking at it this way, you have not defeated the deer's senses, you are merely out of range of them. So, in my view, it is not the same as a hunter in camoflauge and a no scent suit sitting in the woods. If he moves, he can still be caught. If he is in a blind, he can still screw up with noise. You are out of range of the deer's hearing, nose, and while not out of range of his eyes, the deer still doesn't see you as a threat with how far away you are. I do not condemn it is a sin, and do accept what you do since you do it responsibly. However, it is not really fair chase as I would define it. I am not flaming you, just stating my views for my case.
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