Zaks post got me thinking.

What has determined your ethics? Why do you follow the ones you do?
Legality dictated? That's how you were raised? Arbitrary decision about something you've never experienced? Other people's influence? Years of experience that has led you to follow a certain path? I think this is just as curious a question as actually knowing what your ethics are. It's interesting to know HOW you arrived at those ethics.

How I was raised is a big part of it. But stiff penalties and the possibility of going to jail gives a lot of people their ethics. I would love to hunt trophy bucks into February but of course its illegal so I don’t. I have had two really nice ones come out on me while hog hunting in February. I wanted to shoot them badly but I did not. My ethics came from the game laws on those two occasions.

KINDERGARTEN Everything important that you need to know in life, you learn in K

I have to agree with MB that how I was raised is a big part of it. My ethics have developed past what I was taught and mostly it's out of respect for the animals I hunt. Hunting to me isn't just killing animals. It's about trying to outsmart one of the wittiest creatures to walk our earth.

Without the deer I hunt I am not a bow hunter, I am little more then an archer.

When I was younger it was a fear of legal retribution. Then it was influenced by those I hunted with. Now I realize that what I do is a reflection on not only my character, but that of other hunters as well. So, I do what I believe to be right so hunting and hunters aren't put into a negative light. If someday, God forbid, hunting is outlawed I want to be able to say it's not because of anything I did or didn't do.

I think that upbringing plays a large part in what we will and won't do. Another is experience. If I see something done and I don't know if it is quite right. I am not likely to do it. Some is those I associate with. My friends, family and I discuss issues and we may arrive at different conclusions but it forms how I will respond to a given situation. There is no short and simple answer to this question. Good thread!

BINGO.......... My ethics are much stronger today than they were 15 years ago.

Ethics are learned, discovered, taught, theorized ......... lots can effect ethics, and ethics can change. Ethics and legal are NOT the same thing either.

Each person developes (or should) their ethics as they grow older. Its an ever changing, evolving thing.

I can say my personal ethics are structured in such a way that I dont ever want to have to look back and feel bad for doing something.

Datamax, whats that bird thing?

QTompkins2005

i got no idea .......... I try to change my sign avatar every day or two, found that one and added it