Hunting Ethics and Morals

I have read and listened to podcasts about "hunter ethics and moral" The ethical shot, catch and release fishing (which is a whole other topic), Hunt just for meat, trophy hunt, hunt for fur or just to get rid of varmints.

I know for me when I started hunting a year ago this ran though my head many times. Was I gonna be even able to kill a deer? Duck, birds,no problem I thought. First time duck hunting on my property, there was not a lot of duck that opening morning. But my hunting partner Steve was sure to take the first shot at any that came by that day, so I really didn't have to deal with it. One morning I wandered out by myself and came up on 2 ducks, easy shot....raised my Winchester SXP and..........pulled out my phone and took a picture.

I did eventually shoot a Mallard and cooked him up. It was a dam good duck and just like that I am past this moral hurtle and ready for Deer season and any other season which I am gonna be able to "fill the freezer". I didn't get to test it as no deer came by in our five cold days of the controlled deer hunt. But I am sure I am good to go. Up next turkey season

Now Shane feels I have a Coyote problem and we need to hunt them. Help the deer/rabbit and grouse population, not to mention keeping my own dogs safe. See ....dogs...I like dogs....Coyotes are beautiful dogs......And there it is......a moral and ethical issue for me. You don't eat them. I don't "trophy hunt". Can't shoot a coyote.

Skip forward a year......Community Facebook page has lots of people complaining about missing cats. Then I came within 20 feet of 2 large coyotes at 11am while grouse hunting just behind my house. Week later on a stroll with my beautiful wife, GingerMom and bamb! there he is 20 feet away staring at us this time around 3 pm. Now in both cases the coyotes turned and ran away when it was clear I had seen them. But what if I had been walking my dogs? GingerMom likes TV shows about the past. Vikings, Outlander that sort of time. And she has mentioned to me more than once now that she would like a coyote shall or rug. Hmmm seems my Coyote hunting "Ethics and Morals" have changed once again.

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When we talk about ethical shots we are referring to making sure you have a good clean kill shot. That nothing else will get hurt from it. Making sure that you don't just injure the animal and it gets away. I hope we all have that in our head before we pull the trigger or release the bow. We talk about the "Trophy Hunt", well for me the trophy is the time I spend in nature, the things I see and hear. The time spent with close friends and the deafening sound of being out there alone. For others it is filling the freezer or mounting the rack on the wall.

I have listen to numerous podcasts and shows like Meateater and they have talked about this topic with their guests. It always seems as if they all have opinions on Hunter ethics and morals but they also all have slightly different ethics and morals depending on their situation or need at the time.

I guess what it comes down to is that we all have different "Hunter ethics and morals" depending on where we are in life and our need at the time. It definitely does not mean your ethics are right and mine are wrong. As long as we give full respect to the hunted animal it is what it is.

Doug Taylor