FAIR CHASE
, as defined by the Boone and Crockett Club, is the ethical,
sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild game animal in
a manner that does not give the hunter an improper or unfair advantage over such
game animals.
Use of any of the following methods in the taking of game shall be deemed
UNFAIR
CHASE
and unsportsmanlike:
1. Spotting or herding same from the air, followed by landing in its vicinity for the
purpose of pursuit and shooting;
2. Herding, pursuing, or shooting game from any motorboat or motor vehicle;
3. Use of electronic devices for attracting, locating, or observing game, or for
guiding the hunter to such game;
4. Hunting game confined by artificial barriers, including escape-proof fenced
enclosures, or hunting game transplanted solely for the purpose of commercial
shooting;
5. Taking of game in a manner not in full compliance with the game laws or
regulations of the federal government or of any state, province, territory, or tribal
council on reservations or tribal lands;
6. Or as may otherwise be deemed unfair or unsportsmanlike by the Executive
Committee of the Boone & Crockett Club.
So a pen raised deer released on free range certainly wouldn't qualify. High fences are clearly out. I wonder how the club looks upon baiting, even where legal. I wonder how the club applys rules no. 3 and 6. I wonder how the club feels about the use of trail cameras & similar devices. I believe that in Texas the restrictions on baitingare very few or none. What about a free range situation where the herd is three or four times what the land would support if not for supplemental feeding?
I believe almost every hunter bends the rules just slightly somewhere along the line. Do you walk in the field before or after shooting light with your bow uncased? Is this legal? Do you break branches or otherwise damage natural vegetation on public land for shooting lanes?
I don't really care about the record books, I'll probably never go there anyway. But I do care about fair chase, and I hate what is happening to this sport. As far as I'm concerned every big buck is tainted unless I have first hand knowledge of the hunter or the circumstances. As Tred says: "there's lotta stuff that's legal that ain't fair chase".