bigboar23

I hunt hogs year round now, but I'm glad that there is a deer season. It allows me to look foward to something. I agree that you could burn out if everything was available. I would definitlty become more selective and wait for even more ethical shots if the opportunity was always there. I would love to do that with the hogs I shoot now, but if I don't HARVEST them, they are left to rot. I'm forced to shoot everything I see cause other guys see them as a nuisance and shoot and leave them. To avoid this, I shoot'em all and put them to good use. In my mind I feel that I'm giving the one's I can, an honorable death.

dkhamner

I would not think a person is unethical. I myself would not shoot everything I saw. As for deer, i really don't care to shoot does, but i do it for the meat. this last year i passed up several bucks because i want a wall hanger. i would still do the same. But for me, i do hunt year round. I hunt hogs evrey chance i get. there is no limit, no specifications on sex, i can hunt day or night with a spot light etc... I agree with you, i would hunt actual game animals as i needed for meat.

Duffy

First of all I must say that I am opposed to the situation in Alberta that you are refering to. Allowing a group of people to have special "privilages" to hunt and fish in this day and age is not right. Maybe I shouldn't of even mentiond this as I wold guess you don't want to get into a big discussion on the specifics of it.


However I love hunting deer. Particularly big white-tail bucks. Last fall I shot a buck on opening day that was not as big as I thought he was. I was happy to get him and to have him in the freezer. But I would have liked the opportunity to be able to hunt for another white-tail buck in the areas I normally hunt. If I could legally hunt more than one white-tail on a general tag in all of Alberta I would do so. There is no shortage of white-tails in Alberta at this time and I don't think harvesting some more bucks would hurt the over-all population.

MinnFinn

My answer is no I wouldn't hunt year round. Like another said, spring brings the dropping and raising of young. Animals coming out of winter in the North need 4-5 mos. of good browsing in the woods just to get back in full form. They can be pretty worn down by end of winter here. Those in mixed ag. land come back sooner. But I have no desire to go out in the hot weather and shoot big game or birds for that matter. You also come into the problem of how do you cool off and keep a large animal once you kill it, if it's not at least down near freezing.

I'd hate like anything to get a nice deer, moose, Elk, whatever and not be able to cool it down and it spoil before I could get it processed.

Fall and early winter up in the North seem made just for hunting and keeping big game. I love going out in the cold and snow hunting for them then. That's my view.

Alaskan Fun

For any ethical Hunter worth his or her salt, I believe greater freedom would immediately trigger a greater sense of personal responsibility. Your scenario would likely increase my time afield but not my quantities or selections.

mlo3135127

I agree with MinnFinn. Give wildlife a little break, give them time to renew life. Antlers are still growing, raising young etc... I truely love and respect all wildlife, I wouldnt like to see them pursued all year long. Although I love to hunt, when I started photographing wildlife I learned a deep respect for all creatures. www.pbase.com/mlo3135127

Standingpipe

One set of rules for me and a different set of rules for everyone else... are you calling me a Democrat.. I suggest you take that back... No way... I hunt when everyone else does Thank You...

ShatoDavis

I know where you're going with this. I have to totally disagree with the situation in Alberta. I don't think anyone should have those rights. We as humans are selfish and history supports me here. Look at our records people. Look at the buffalo, look at the elk populations in the eastern US. Look at all wildlife in general. We can't help ourselves. Before game laws we nearly wiped out every single animal on the continent.

I can sit here and tell you that if given those rights I would be the most ethical hunter you ever saw. the problem with that is: With no Boundaries or guideline or as we call them laws, who is to say what is ethical and what is not. Heck, with no boundaries who's to say that shooting a nursing doe is unethical. Hell, what if I was really hungery. What if my freezer is empty. I would hope that I would keep my morals, but who is to say. If our history has proven anything, its proven that we as a race can not be trusted to self regulate. Its a pandora's box people, better left unopened. There I said it. I quarantee you that the wildlife populations and populations of trophy animals in particular will be depleted if not seriously damaged.

ShatoDavis

As long as we are discussing this lets dig a bit deeper:
Lets assume that you have these rights. So after a year or two of hunting "ethically" your wife suddenly loses her job. Its the start of a long winter and as a construction worker you prospects of work over the winter are slim. You're a proud man and accepting welfare is out of the question. There is a herd of animals that winter close to you. Are you going to remain ethical, and let your family suffer? Or say you know of a man who will pay top dollar for trophy horns. What are you likely to do? Its an awful temptation. So you justify selling one set of horns. Then school starts. Your wife hasn't found a new job. Your kids don't have new clothes or shoes. What are you going to do? Heck, whats one more set of horns? Heck, its better than your kids doing without. Now lets say that your oldest is accepted to college. He/she has a chance at a better life than you ever had. But, you can't afford to pay for college. What to do?

I know these are all grave examples. But, none are out of the realm of possibilities. Food for thought.