Refuge Notebook
Article
December 24, 2004
Hunting Ethics
By Kelly Modla
As a Refuge officer, I see quite a variety of hunting ethics in the
field. For some, it’s doing the right thing when no one is around;
packing out trash, picking up litter carelessly left behind, and following
the rules and regulations related to the hunt. For a small percentage,
however, hunting ethics are not important; it’s doing whatever
you want, when you think no one is looking.
The 2004 moose hunting season on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
was not much different from previous years that I have seen. Several
legal bull moose were taken out along the Swanson River and Swan Lake
Road areas. Five sub legal bulls were also taken. Three of these were
self turn-ins, one a wanton waste, and one an illegal take from the
field.
The three hunters who turned-in their moose each thought they had
shot a legal bull. This is a mistake typical of the last week of moose
hunting season. Ultimately, responsibility falls on the hunter to take
the time to determine if the animal is legal. Unfortunately, these three
bulls will not be available for future harvest. However, these hunters
did the right thing by turning themselves in.
The ‘hunter,’ who shot and left a bull moose to waste
along Swanson River road, robs ethical hunters of game and promotes
a distasteful image of hunters to the public. This hunter failed to
determine the legal status of the bull, or perhaps was just poaching
and left the moose because of fear of unknown consequences such as fines,
jail time, or forfeitures.
In the final case, the hunter removed the illegal bull from the field.
Observation and concern by an ethical group of hunters regarding the
legal status of the bull led to successful apprehension of the violator.
Each of these examples shows different ethical values. In the case
of the turn-ins the hunters accepted responsibility for their mistakes
and contacted authorities. As a practical matter, penalties for violations
that are self-reported are often less than if a person tries to hide
the violation and is later discovered by the authorities. The wanton
waste case is the epitome of a game thief, whose conduct is perceived
by all as unbecoming of a hunter. Still the misdeed did not go unnoticed,
due to the action of another hunter who knew that this behavior was
illegal, inappropriate and unethical. In the final case, the hunter
chose to attempt to keep the sub-legal bull, hide it and elevate the
unethical behavior. The hunter did not anticipate someone else was watching,
someone who possessed different ethics.
The best way to avoid shooting a sub legal bull is to watch the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game video titled, “Is this moose legal?”
The video gives the hunter the opportunity to see spectacular footage
of legal and sub legal bulls in various field conditions. The rules
are a bit complex, and it helps to see some good concrete examples of
what is legal and what is not.
A subcategory of hunting ethics is the fair chase ethic. Fair chase
as defined by the Boone and Crocket Club is, “the ethical, sportsmanlike,
and lawful pursuit, and taking of free-ranging wild animals in a manner
that does not give the hunter an improper or unfair advantage over them.”
I was reminded of the fair chase ethic during a recent contact. One
hunter had placed a loaded firearm in his pickup truck, muzzle down,
alongside the passenger’s leg. Firearm safety was not on their
minds. Under State law it is legal to have a loaded firearm in an automobile.
On the other hand, I have yet to find a hunter education manual condoning
the practice of operating an automobile with a loaded firearm lying
on the front seat. A loaded weapon takes on a distinct meaning when
road hunting and it is far from the notion of fair-chase. The hunter
complied with my request to unload the firearm, but stated that doing
so would mean he would not get a moose this year because the gun was
unloaded. The hunter may not have taken a moose because shooting from,
on, or across the roadway is illegal, unethical, and not fair chase.
Driving with a loaded firearm is commonly practiced the on the Kenai
National Wildlife Refuge. Out of several dozen vehicle stops of road
hunters this season, only two hunters did not have loaded weapons in
their vehicles. (By “loaded” I mean having ammunition in
the magazine or chamber.) I take my hat off to the hunters who do not
drive with loaded weapons in their vehicles.
Unfortunately, there are no laws prohibiting a hunter from taking
a poor shot. This is where skill or voluntary restraint steps in. Wounding
an animal is every hunter’s disappointment. Well-placed shots
decrease an animal’s suffering, show respect for the resource,
and show care for the meat. Be responsible while in the field and accept
the responsibility of your actions. Unlike voting, hunting is a privilege
and not a right, so let’s not let ballot initiatives nibble away
at our hunting privileges. Hunting attracts the attention of many different
people. Make the difference.
In a quote from his book A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold sums
it up best; “A peculiar virtue in wildlife ethics is that the
hunter ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct.
Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience, rather than
a mob of onlookers. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of
this fact”.
Respect for the resource and a desire to protect and conserve it are
what motivates people to get involved in organizations like Ducks Unlimited,
the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Trout Unlimited, and the list goes
on.
I have had the pleasure of talking with many hunters in the field.
These are often men and women who have a passion for the hunt, a feeling
that nurtures their souls. On some level, I think we all desire this.
Let’s treat the resource with respect, promote stewardship and
accept nothing less from our fellow hunters.
Kelly Modla has been a Refuge officer for the Kenai National Wildlife
Refuge for the past seven years. Kelly and her husband Robert live with
their son Jacob, age 18 months, in Sterling. Previous Refuge Notebook
articles can be viewed on the newly remodeled Refuge website at http://kenai.fws.gov/.
The staff of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge wishes all our readers
and visitors a Merry Christmas!
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