Why Are We Focused On Hunter Ethics and Fair Chase?
Because hunting is too important to be lost over misconceptions and a poor public image due to the unethical behavior of a few.
Over 100 years have passed since sportsmen first adopted a new approach to hunting called “fair chase” that changed hunting forever. We have changed. Technology has changed. Our society has changed. What was once a predominately rural society that hunted and understood the benefits of hunting is now predominantly an urban one, where fewer people have any real contact with the land and its wildlife. We also live in a democracy where the voice of the majority rules. Today, the majority of people that do not hunt or understanding hunting, thankfully still do not oppose hunting. This too, can and is changing. If the hunting traditions we cherish, and our systems of wildlife conservation and management that depend on hunting are to remain, what we do now and the image we project will either positively or negatively affect this future.
North American sportsmen were the original conservationists and are credited with the most successful wildlife recovery and conservation system in the history of mankind. Pubic stewardship works because those closest to our natural resources have taken responsibility for these resources. These articles are intended to celebrate these successes, as well as be a resource for all hunters to:
Bring forward the special nature of hunting, share what it means both personally and the responsibilities that go with being a hunter
Offer perspectives on hunting and the concept of fair chase as it relates to an overall conservation ethic
To have the conversation on why how we hunt matters