get a grip
This is the most ridiculous thread I have ever seen on any forum. "ethical hunting" what is that? I love to hunt and shoot just as much as the next guy I respect the animals so to speak. In the sense that I have to outsmart them on their terms. Taking an animal is a satisfying feat in itself. HOWEVER if your all wanting to be fair to these animals, then the High Fencers are UNethical hunters, the animals cant leave. Aalso people who go out on a farm where the deer are used to seeing the farmer every morning are UNethical hunters because that deer never expected that in a million years (much like that deer at 1000 yards) that farmer John was just biding his time till the day he could come out with the ole’ 06 and blast one of those little furry fellers. Ppeople who hunt over feeders... again UNethical. You might as well start feeding the neighbors cat till he gets comfortable with you then blast him with a shotgun at 5 yards. Dont even get me started on bow hunters! A bow hunter is restricted the vital zone on an animal and can only take a broadside or quartering shot. Sometimes they can pull off a facing shot and sometimes an arrow in the shoulder will put one down (Deer and antelope) probably not an elk. And arrows are so affected by wind at all ranges how can that be an ethical weapon of choice? At least with my rifle I can break the shoulders if that’s the only shot or if heaven forbid I wound an animal I can put one up the tail pipe and put them down as they are gimping away. How many follow up shots can be made on a wounded animal with a bow? Dont tell me its all about shot placement because that has already been shot down with the long range debate. (you cant rely on shot placement because there are too many variables) like wind! right bow hunters? My point is what defines "ethical hunting"? The person as an individual! I know people that shouldnt take 200 yard shots with a rifle from a dead rest. They go out the day before opening morning and shoot a little rock on a hill to check their zero and call it good. I personally feel comfortable taking an animal at 1000 yards I shoot my rifles all the time and I know what my limitations are. I only take the shot IF the conditions are right. just because I know I can do it doesnt mean I am going to take the shot every time. the conditions need to be pretty good for me to attempt this shot. but there are tricks to the trade, although not fool proof, they are very effective. First thing I do is find an animal and I want it to be standing still or laying down. then I evaluate the conditions at my location using a wind meter that also measures temperature, elevation, humidity, pressure etc,, then i use my optics to evaluate vegetation and mirage if present. then if possible (which it usually is), I check vegetation, mirage etc. between me and my target. then i input all this information into a ballistics program which calculates drop, wind drif, spin drift coriolis effect. and I dial that into my scope adjustments. and I practice this on a weekly basis. And I have done it enough to know my limitations. To top it off I use a 300 grain sierra match king with a ballistic coefficient of .765 to help make up for my short comings in evaluating the conditions. How many of you put all that effort into your shots? No body wants to wound an animal, but it happens weather you are a bow hunter, handgun hunter, or rifle hunter, long, short or medium range. its all in your ability. and the only way to measure your ability is to practice not just at the range but in hunting type scenarios. So to all of you “ethical” hunters out there, Get Over Yourself! It is a ridiculous argument. Nobody follows all the rules all the time because as we can all agree some of them are absolutely ridiculous. So Apparently none of us are ethical.
Mike
