At what point does it become UNETHICAL?
04-17-2008, 07:51 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast Alabama
Posts: 1,625
At what point does it become UNETHICAL?
The 890 yard deer thread got me thiking. Many people say long range hunting is unethical but at what yardage does that happen? At what point does your equipment become an unfair advantage?
Is it when you put a high power scope on your rifle or when your bullet travels 3200 fps or is it when you pick-up a rifle instead of a rock?
I think is when the next guy can shoot farther then you alot of the time. Long range hunting takes as much time, energy, practice, and money as bow hunting. It requiresnew skills that every average joe doesn't have and patience to spot your game and wait for the right shot.
Yes there are the idiots that make long range hunting look bad by shooting to far and not practicing, or having the right equipment,these aren't the type of hunters I am talking about.
I haven't been able to do any long range hunting myself but I intend to, but first I have some steps to accomplish. I am now looking for the right caliber and rifle to make a custom built for myself, next I need to begin handloading to creat a consistant quality of ammo, then optics that can handle and adjust the distance and and finally practice, practice, practice. I estimate I will be ready in 3 years. True hunters will only take the shot they know they can and take a animal cleanly out of respect for it,I AM A TRUE HUNTER. Am I unethical?
Is it when you put a high power scope on your rifle or when your bullet travels 3200 fps or is it when you pick-up a rifle instead of a rock?
I think is when the next guy can shoot farther then you alot of the time. Long range hunting takes as much time, energy, practice, and money as bow hunting. It requiresnew skills that every average joe doesn't have and patience to spot your game and wait for the right shot.
Yes there are the idiots that make long range hunting look bad by shooting to far and not practicing, or having the right equipment,these aren't the type of hunters I am talking about.
I haven't been able to do any long range hunting myself but I intend to, but first I have some steps to accomplish. I am now looking for the right caliber and rifle to make a custom built for myself, next I need to begin handloading to creat a consistant quality of ammo, then optics that can handle and adjust the distance and and finally practice, practice, practice. I estimate I will be ready in 3 years. True hunters will only take the shot they know they can and take a animal cleanly out of respect for it,I AM A TRUE HUNTER. Am I unethical?
04-17-2008, 07:57 AM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Southwest Ohio
Posts: 10,277
RE: At what point does it become UNETHICAL?
We've got deer feeders, deer scent, hi-tech stands and blinds, muzzle loaders that shoot like a 30-30, compound bows that damn near shoot like a muzzle loader, etc., etc., etc. But, since I don't plan on going out with a sharpened stick,its not my place to say what a fair or unfair advantage is. If the deer is dead then it was a good shot.
04-17-2008, 09:30 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 595
RE: At what point does it become UNETHICAL?
This is where the general hunting community gets off track a little bit. They allow thier own personal feelings to get involved. We have laws in place to protect ethics. Such as sunup-sunset, allowable calibers, and the amount of game and the manner of how we can harvest. Heres an example from me, I hate deer drives. A 12 pt in the back of a truck with 8 guys that was pushed all day for a week straight doesn't impress me. Where I live we have guys that push day in day out, Its legal buts I think it borderlines harrassing to the deer. But I guess its ethical.[:@][:@][:'(]
04-17-2008, 10:05 AM
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
RE: At what point does it become UNETHICAL?
While I may see some other things as unethical, long range shooting isn't one of them. To me that takes some skill to accomplish without it being a lucky shot.....and again shooting 5 shots at 800yds and maybe hitting it in the butt isn't skill, I'm talking placing that shot at long range in the target.
Personally depending on the day/wind, and the animal/gun/caliber in hand, I think 500-600yds I'd take the shot if it were ideal. past that I'd have to have practiced at that exact yardage to know what my bullet's doing. To me 500-600yds is plenty long though, I know they say 400yds is the new 300yds. will it eventually be 500yds is the new 300?
Its amazing out west, particularly antelope country.....how close 500yds is.....you can see them from a mile or two or more away, and getting into 500yds may seem close!
Personally depending on the day/wind, and the animal/gun/caliber in hand, I think 500-600yds I'd take the shot if it were ideal. past that I'd have to have practiced at that exact yardage to know what my bullet's doing. To me 500-600yds is plenty long though, I know they say 400yds is the new 300yds. will it eventually be 500yds is the new 300?
Its amazing out west, particularly antelope country.....how close 500yds is.....you can see them from a mile or two or more away, and getting into 500yds may seem close!
04-17-2008, 03:18 PM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blissfield MI USA
Posts: 5,293
RE: At what point does it become UNETHICAL?
Depends on what your ethics are. Ethics are different for every person, if your not comfortable with it then it isn't ethical for you to do. Doesn't mean it's not ethical for someone else as long as it doesn't bother them.
Paul
Paul
04-17-2008, 03:24 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,832
RE: At what point does it become UNETHICAL?
ORIGINAL: RugerM77.270
The 890 yard deer thread got me thiking. Many people say long range hunting is unethical but at what yardage does that happen? At what point does your equipment become an unfair advantage?
Is it when you put a high power scope on your rifle or when your bullet travels 3200 fps or is it when you pick-up a rifle instead of a rock?
I think is when the next guy can shoot farther then you alot of the time. Long range hunting takes as much time, energy, practice, and money as bow hunting. It requiresnew skills that every average joe doesn't have and patience to spot your game and wait for the right shot.
Yes there are the idiots that make long range hunting look bad by shooting to far and not practicing, or having the right equipment,these aren't the type of hunters I am talking about.
I haven't been able to do any long range hunting myself but I intend to, but first I have some steps to accomplish. I am now looking for the right caliber and rifle to make a custom built for myself, next I need to begin handloading to creat a consistant quality of ammo, then optics that can handle and adjust the distance and and finally practice, practice, practice. I estimate I will be ready in 3 years. True hunters will only take the shot they know they can and take a animal cleanly out of respect for it,I AM A TRUE HUNTER. Am I unethical?
The 890 yard deer thread got me thiking. Many people say long range hunting is unethical but at what yardage does that happen? At what point does your equipment become an unfair advantage?
Is it when you put a high power scope on your rifle or when your bullet travels 3200 fps or is it when you pick-up a rifle instead of a rock?
I think is when the next guy can shoot farther then you alot of the time. Long range hunting takes as much time, energy, practice, and money as bow hunting. It requiresnew skills that every average joe doesn't have and patience to spot your game and wait for the right shot.
Yes there are the idiots that make long range hunting look bad by shooting to far and not practicing, or having the right equipment,these aren't the type of hunters I am talking about.
I haven't been able to do any long range hunting myself but I intend to, but first I have some steps to accomplish. I am now looking for the right caliber and rifle to make a custom built for myself, next I need to begin handloading to creat a consistant quality of ammo, then optics that can handle and adjust the distance and and finally practice, practice, practice. I estimate I will be ready in 3 years. True hunters will only take the shot they know they can and take a animal cleanly out of respect for it,I AM A TRUE HUNTER. Am I unethical?
Respect for the animal has more of an ethics issue than long range shooting..
I'm sure if you shot one at that range you'd have respect to get up there right away field dress it, hang it, consume it
and mount it.
Weather or not those shooters in the video had enough respect for the animals they killed like field dreesing it before
it started to go sour, hang it, consume all of it.
I don't know.Can only hope they did.
04-17-2008, 04:35 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: North Central, Iowa
Posts: 1,900
RE: At what point does it become UNETHICAL?
ORIGINAL: WNYhunter
This is where the general hunting community gets off track a little bit. They allow thier own personal feelings to get involved. We have laws in place to protect ethics. Such as sunup-sunset, allowable calibers, and the amount of game and the manner of how we can harvest. Heres an example from me, I hate deer drives. A 12 pt in the back of a truck with 8 guys that was pushed all day for a week straight doesn't impress me. Where I live we have guys that push day in day out, Its legal buts I think it borderlines harrassing to the deer. But I guess its ethical.[:@][:@][:'(]
This is where the general hunting community gets off track a little bit. They allow thier own personal feelings to get involved. We have laws in place to protect ethics. Such as sunup-sunset, allowable calibers, and the amount of game and the manner of how we can harvest. Heres an example from me, I hate deer drives. A 12 pt in the back of a truck with 8 guys that was pushed all day for a week straight doesn't impress me. Where I live we have guys that push day in day out, Its legal buts I think it borderlines harrassing to the deer. But I guess its ethical.[:@][:@][:'(]
04-17-2008, 07:19 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Winnipeg, Mb, Canada
Posts: 1,309
RE: At what point does it become UNETHICAL?
To me it is more about the hunt than just the harvest. The harvest is the bonus to the entire experience. Some prefer to bow hunt, being up close and personal where others hone their skills at the range, perfecting their hunting skills at 500 yards plus. I understand both positions very well. Each year I bow, ML, and rifle shoot for deer. Each provides a different experience which I enjoy. I honestly can not say whether it is more enjoyable or fulfilling to harvest an animal with a bow at 15 yards or with a rifle at 400 yards. Each hunting situation requires a different set of hunting skills which I practise and have been developing over 3 decades. The bows that I used 30 years ago are of no comparison to the bows I use today. The first compound bows had virtually no let off when compared to the technological advantages that today's compount bows have. This is not even considering all the other equipment such as sights, triggers, and arrows. Has these advancements made the bow hunters of today unethical? No just more efficient. It is the same for both ML and rifle hunting. What is unethical is poaching, hunting private land without permission, sitting in some one else's stand, as well as the unprepared and un-practised hunter that wounds the animal instead waiting for the right shot that allows a clean and fast kill.And this occurs from 10 to 800 yards plus.
04-17-2008, 08:13 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast Alabama
Posts: 1,625
RE: At what point does it become UNETHICAL?
ORIGINAL: whitetaildreamer
To me it is more about the hunt than just the harvest. The harvest is the bonus to the entire experience. Some prefer to bow hunt, being up close and personal where others hone their skills at the range, perfecting their hunting skills at 500 yards plus. I understand both positions very well. Each year I bow, ML, and rifle shoot for deer. Each provides a different experience which I enjoy. I honestly can not say whether it is more enjoyable or fulfilling to harvest an animal with a bow at 15 yards or with a rifle at 400 yards. Each hunting situation requires a different set of hunting skills which I practise and have been developing over 3 decades. The bows that I used 30 years ago are of no comparison to the bows I use today. The first compound bows had virtually no let off when compared to the technological advantages that today's compount bows have. This is not even considering all the other equipment such as sights, triggers, and arrows. Has these advancements made the bow hunters of today unethical? No just more efficient. It is the same for both ML and rifle hunting. What is unethical is poaching, hunting private land without permission, sitting in some one else's stand, as well as the unprepared and un-practised hunter that wounds the animal instead waiting for the right shot that allows a clean and fast kill.And this occurs from 10 to 800 yards plus.
To me it is more about the hunt than just the harvest. The harvest is the bonus to the entire experience. Some prefer to bow hunt, being up close and personal where others hone their skills at the range, perfecting their hunting skills at 500 yards plus. I understand both positions very well. Each year I bow, ML, and rifle shoot for deer. Each provides a different experience which I enjoy. I honestly can not say whether it is more enjoyable or fulfilling to harvest an animal with a bow at 15 yards or with a rifle at 400 yards. Each hunting situation requires a different set of hunting skills which I practise and have been developing over 3 decades. The bows that I used 30 years ago are of no comparison to the bows I use today. The first compound bows had virtually no let off when compared to the technological advantages that today's compount bows have. This is not even considering all the other equipment such as sights, triggers, and arrows. Has these advancements made the bow hunters of today unethical? No just more efficient. It is the same for both ML and rifle hunting. What is unethical is poaching, hunting private land without permission, sitting in some one else's stand, as well as the unprepared and un-practised hunter that wounds the animal instead waiting for the right shot that allows a clean and fast kill.And this occurs from 10 to 800 yards plus.