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It's goes beyond just ethics...
Posted by ucohokie on Feb 08 2006
I'll warn you up front this is a long post, I just kind of got going.
Caged or canned hunts have been with us for quite awhile. While not nearly as redneck as depicted in the video, European hunting especially the British/German style would probably be considered canned or unethical by many North American hunters. However, that is the way many choose to hunt in that part of the world, and they take their tradition quite seriously and no doubt consider their sport to be both humane and ethical. I don't care for it, because it's a rich man's game, the elitist trappings of a caste system our forefathers decided to do away with over 200 years ago.
What is really disturbing about this video's message is not whether what they do is unethical or not. It's that what they were doing was illegal; and when someone went down for it, the industry was not forced to change and become compliant rather the industry lobbied their respective legislatures and had the laws relaxed to serve their needs. That is the danger of a sport/activity that caters to the rich; the rich are well connected and can bring a disproportionate amount of influence to bear in political manners, which is probably what happened in the two different states mentioned in the video.
We, the average American, must rely on strength in numbers and must apply that strenght where it counts: at the ballot box and in the consumer market. Don't support politicians or ballot initiatives that support commerilization of hunting. The famous fishing pro featured in the video - don't buy his products, write his sponsors and encourage others to do the same.
The other big point is the threat of chronic wasting disease. Back in Virginia where I grew up, elk from the transplanted Kentucky herd, have been wandering into the state. Anyone with a deer tag can shoot an elk on sight during hunting season; Virginia does not want to take the risk. These ranches pose a very danger to our resource, the one owned by the public, because once is contaminated it may never be the same. The ranchers don't care they can always "grow" more product for their paying customers.
Commerilization of hunting comes in many forms not just these ranches; and commerilization somehow cheapens the sport for everyone because it ultimately boils down to you paying someone to kill something; killing should always be incidental to the experience, never the sole reason for going. "100% guareenteed success rate" and "fair chase" should never be found in the same add but they frequently are. Why a 5K trophy fee? If I've paid for guiding and transportation -- i.e. for the experience of hunting, why should someone have to pay extra for the killing?
Just one final thought, same day caribou hunting is often thrown out as an example of "unethical" hunting in Alaska. I've never done it; but I've looked into it. I wanted to go because I wanted to see the caribou herds roaming the wild and put some meat in the freezer. I haven't because I can always just take a flight tour and I don't need meat that bad; but someone might feel different and that's okay because (1) it's legal and managable according to fish and game; (2) the meat, and I have had some, is delicious (3) it's fair chase, not nearly as fair as a drop hunt, but you still have to do the basics, get within range, pick your animal, make a good shot - and there is nothing forcing the animals to stay put for you.
Bottomline debating just about ethics is really putting the peas before the steak.
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