From the time I first picked up a gun and went afield in pursuit of wild game I have heard much ado about that supposed guiding philosophy that sustains our sporting traditions. The key word has always been “ethics”.
Technically, the word represents personal discipline. We, as ethical individuals, recognize the difference between good and bad and choose our actions accordingly. In a deeper sense, the word has significance regarding our moral duty and obligations. The concept is that an ethical approach to hunting, fishing and life is not so much a recommendation as it is a requirement.
Less personal but no less important is the notion that there exists an accepted standard of conduct within our community. As a whole, we agree upon certain principles and this conviction gives those principles strength.
There is an inverse relationship, however, because as the populace puts less emphasis upon personal responsibility, the individual is less inclined to recognize accountability. As wrongdoings go unpunished, they become more acceptable.
This problem compounds itself from one generation to the next, each getting moving further from the strength of its foundation than the last.
I wonder, at times, if sportsmen comprehend the fact that “slob hunters” are no longer the odd men out. They have become a well-established and significant portion of our population.
Unfortunately, the sporting community remains relatively silent and our Code of Ethics appears to be deteriorating quickly.
Some may think this an unfair condemnation but it is the topic of this article specifically because of sportsmen in the news. Over a period of the last couple weeks I found numerous stories that paint a bleak picture of where we stand today as a hunting community.
First was the story of a man in Colorado who faces 21 felony and 26 misdemeanor charges for falsifying applications in order to receive deer, elk and antelope hunting licenses over a four-year time period. This is one of the more serious individual cases of which I have read, but it is far from being an unusual set of circumstances.
In fact, only one week later, news came out of New Mexico where state police and Game and Fish officers seized counterfeit elk licenses and are investigating additional allegations of illegal outfitting.
Fraud is becoming commonplace and it isn’t restricted to hunting.
That brings me to another news item, entitled “Hooking the cheaters”, which was written for the Ledger-Enquirer by Bryan Brasher. Here is a quote from that story:
“During the past 30 years, fishing tournaments have evolved from friendly weekend gatherings into massive cutthroat competitions with thousands of dollars at stake. Not surprisingly, that kind of money has been known to provoke cheating.
To discourage cheaters – and to safeguard the anglers who are playing by the rules – there is no greater watchdog tool for tournament organizers than the polygraph machine.”
Sadly, the use of this “tool” is becoming commonplace.
Yet another article outlined the problem of illegal radio use to pursue game. According to Jim Kropp, chief of law enforcement for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, “It’s a problem that continues to grow.”
Many sportsmen don’t see this as being a good law – after all, what harm can simple radio communication do? Kropp was quoted explaining it like this, “It’s simply a fair chase rule,” he said. “In today’s world, hunters have the ability to overwhelm wildlife with technology and that’s what we’re trying to avoid.”
Fair chase and ethics are two words that seem to go hand-in-hand. Both seem to be suffering the same fate.
Two days later, the Salt Lake Tribune headline read “Forest rangers battle illegal off-road-vehicle use.” The article points out that hunters are not alone in violating these laws, however, we can always depend upon the media to paint sportsmen with a broad brush.
Here is a quote from this article:
“Kenealy is among an overwhelmed and overextended cadre of rangers fighting the increasing problem of illegal off-road vehicle use on national forests and other public lands, which is typically at its worst during hunting season.”
Contrary to popular belief, this is not merely a problem in the western states. The very next day I came across an article dealing with ATVs trespassing on private property in Illinois.
The day after that news story was unearthed, the Salt Lake Tribune provided me with another example of indiscretion on the part of outdoorsmen through its article entitled “Fishermen’s dispute leads to ‘river rage’ faceoff”.
Here is an excerpt from that story:
About 9 a.m. Saturday, an angler fishing atop a rock became upset when a boat came near his perch and between him and the river bank. The angler fired a warning cast over the bow of the dory to show his displeasure.
“One of the fellows on the boat broke the line. [The man on the rock] wasn’t happy about that, so he waded out to the boat and stopped it,” Harrison said.
A heated discussion followed and eventually the angler on the front of the boat asked the man rowing the dory to pull the gun out from a bag.
Ah, threatened gunplay due to a territorial dispute over a fishing spot – river rage, indeed!
Then, just yesterday, my local radio station dispatched a request by local enforcement agencies that citizens assist in locating a subject. They broadcast a description of the individual and his vehicle. Apparently the “hunter” (he was, after all, wearing blaze orange) stopped his vehicle along the road, put a bullet in a cow moose he’d spotted some distance from the road, walked out to claim his prize and realized it was not the elk he was after. He then drove off leaving the animal behind. Oh, and I should probably mention that this occurred within the boundaries of a National Park.
Of course, my list would not be complete without the story published by The Kansas City Star entitled “Family seeks law against hunting while drinking.”
This is how the story begins:
A former Missouri couple has petitioned the state Legislature to stiffen the laws against hunting and drinking. Their 18-year-old son, David McQuinley of Lebanon, Mo., died four years ago when his friend’s father – who had been drinking – shot him to death on a deer-hunting trip.
The man, William Ludlow of Waynesville, told authorities he drank three beers that day. Ludlow, who is stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, aimed his rifle at what he said he thought was a wild pig. He shot McQuinley, who died instantly.
This represents just one more issue, among many issues, that hurt the sporting community as a whole.
The disgusting thing about this collection of tales, at least from this writer’s perspective, is that they all appeared in the news during an 11-day period of time.
Can there be any doubt as to why sportsmen have a bad reputation?
There is no question that we have a public relations problem. Gun control advocates, anti-hunters and animal-rights activists have waged war on our sporting traditions and our way of life for a very long time. Of late, we have offered them plenty of fodder for their cannons.
Over the last several decades we have used our proud history as our best defense, and for good reason.
No other group has done more for wildlife, habitat and our natural resources than hunters and fishermen. Our dollars have funded the vast majority of conservation programs, habitat projects and private organizations that spearhead natural resource protection initiatives. In many instances, we have been in the forefront in passing legislation to protect and preserve these things we love.
At the foundation has always been a sense of ethics – doing what’s right because it was right.
However, I must beg the question: Has that changed?
The answer cannot be arrived at through a committee meeting, a ballot referendum or a congressional caucus. Where the rubber meets the road, it all comes down to individual choices.
When you take to the fields, the waterways and the timbers in pursuit of the outdoor traditions – what choices will you make?