pedator hunting is it ethical

tanka · 02-14-2003, 11:43 AM

I am thinking of taking up predator hunting so i can hunt some in the summer. is it ethical to shoot fox and just leave them lay in the field.thanks

IrishLad32 · 02-14-2003, 12:13 PM

Hey, Tanka. It depends on where you' re coming from. There' s not unethical about predator hunting, everything needs to be balanced out, but I don' t think leaving it lie in a field is right. Do something with it! Even if you just gut it it' s still doing something. Other predators and scavengers will come for the guts. So even if you don' t sell the hide or eat it, you' re still feeding another predator by leaving the guts behind. I know there are people who raise animals and that foxes try to get after chickens and coyotes will get after sheep and other livestock. In that situation I wouldn' t see anything wrong with shooting ' em and living em lie ' cause it' s messing with the people' s livelihood. Even if you aren' t a farmer there' s still the conservation side of it. You may take up predator hunting from more of a sporting view, but when you get down to it it' s still conservation. Aside from predator hunting (i.e. coyotes, foxes, and bobcats) there' s woodchucks that can be an equal nuisance to farmers. Their holes can wreck farmers' equipment, plus they' re vegetarians so their edible. I don' t know what all of your opportunities are where you live, but whatever they are have fun with them.

Brandan

SMITTY03 · 02-14-2003, 12:28 PM

We have a bunch of Yotes on my lease. I have no problem with shooting them and not doing anything with them. I don' t have anything to do with a coyote, but i' m not going to pass on the chance to let him pass because he is going to just keep eating my fawns.

basserman · 02-14-2003, 01:01 PM

" is it ethical to shoot fox and just leave them lay in the field"

In my mind it is not! Yotes IMO are one thing even though I skin all of them. Red Fox left layin' no way![:@]

kodiakhuntmaster · 02-14-2003, 09:18 PM

It' s up to the individual hunter to decide what is ethical for him or herself. If you are just hunting to manage the wildlife in your area then there isn' t much wrong with leaving it there. I don' t suppose your going to eat it anyway, might as well let something else do it for you.

But I always skin mine unless it' s a coyote in the summer when thier coat is all screwed up and smelly. I always take pictures too. Then I save the skull. After that, I leave the body in the woods for the possums.

(Except bobcats which are mighty tastey).

I love tanning hides and making stuff with them. So if I were you I would at least save the hides in case one day you wanted to have them tanned.

Josh Sorensen · 02-15-2003, 01:14 AM

I always skin all my predators. It is very fun to tan the hides and make decorations out of them as well as clean and decorate the skulls. I sell the best of what I get to different cloth and hat manufacturers.

trapperDave · 02-15-2003, 08:10 AM

Red fox are one of the few furs selling at a good price,about $35 I believe. Why would you shoot them in the summer to leave em lay when you can make money off em in the winter?

coyoteseeker · 02-15-2003, 04:01 PM

i' m with trapper dave on this one.for me,if i shoot it i have to use it in some way.its just thew way i was brought up to hunt,use what you kill.

RonM · 02-15-2003, 04:43 PM

In Delaware you cant pick it up. yiu have to leqve it lying in the field. Predator hunting is not only ethical it should be required. The foxes eat all the rabbits, quail. pheasants. They must be kept in check.

trapperDave · 02-15-2003, 07:02 PM

[quote]In Delaware you cant pick it up. yiu have to leqve it lying in the field. [/qu
ote]

Why?