Although I agree with you EkM that nothing is automatic and absolute without exceptions. How would you know that those unethical hunters in your examplewere "short range hunters"? I submit that a person,who, may bewilling to shoot at long range, for whatever reason (skill, excitement, lack of ethics(?)), won't normally beprecluded from shooting at shorter rangesif the opportunity presents itself. Long range would never be exclusive of short range. An unethical hunter is unethical, no matter what the range of his current target.

Although as distance increases, a particular shot will eventually cross the "ethical threshold" for everyone, just at different points.