If you've ever wanted to start an argument, strike up a conversation about hunting or trapping in a large group, and then use the word ethical or the word humane. Definitions of words like these, have become linked with peoples personal opinions and beliefs. They are rarely used in legal terms and when they are they are often defined differently in one document than they are in another. So how do you define them?
If you ask a sportsman or woman what they consider humane, most will answer the same: harvesting the animal as quickly and painlessly as possible. However, if you ask an animal rights activist, it means not killing the animal at all. You should consider all aspects of your harvest though. If your harvest is quick and painless great. If you then drag it through the backyard of a residence while three children watch from the windows, are you really being humane? You were to the animal, but not to the public.
So then, what does it mean to be ethical? This includes being humane, but covers so much more. It starts when you make the initial decision to be a sportsman or woman. Whether you trap, hunt, or fish, there are several things to consider in the beginning. To be ethical means you have a moral code you follow. This can include legal parameters, religious beliefs, and personal feelings. So let's break it down from the beginning.
If you decide to harvest animals from the wild the first thing you need to do is research. What are the federal, state, and local laws that govern how you harvest the animal. Are you required to have a license or permit? What animals can you take and when is their season? What tools are legal? Are you allowed to discharge a firearm in the town you're in? Most states have a wildlife management division that has online and/or hard copy publications that contain all of the laws and restrictions for the state.
Once you've made yourself familiar with the law, I recommend taking a course or having a mentor. Most states require taking a course for trapping, hunting, and use of archery. Even if they don't I would take one. Massachusetts offers them for free and the Hunter Safety Course is actually a qualifying program for applying for your LTC. These courses are designed to teach you how to be as safe as possible when you're in the field.
The next step is deciding on the tools you will use, and becoming very familiar with them. It's easy for some to choose archery because of the extended season and you can use it during shotgun and muzzleloader seasons. This year that's from October 1st to December 31st. However, if you don't have the strength to draw a hunting bow back, it would not be an ethical decision. For trapping, you don't have much of a choice. Unless you're trapping weasels or beavers with an emergency permit, you're stuck with cages and boxes. Learn your craft. I put hundreds of arrows to target every summer to make sure my aim is true.
Next, know the anatomy and biology of your target. Where are the vital organs you're aiming for? Where can you place your traps where you won't be capturing non targets? Learn to field dress your harvest. Learn to process your harvest or have someone available who can. It wouldn't be ethical or humane in anyone's eyes if you allowed an entire deer to go rancid because you weren't prepared.
During all of this, explore areas to ply your trade. If the areas you find are on private property, or you need to cross private property to get there, ask for permission from the landowner. The law may not say you have to, but it's the right thing to do. Scout for trails, feeding zones, and bedding areas. Identify stand or blind placement areas. Set trail cameras. More importantly, make sure you have a way of hauling out your harvest that limits public view. The quickest way to have a non participating supporter vote against hunters and trappers is to haul a dead animal into your truck in front of their kids.
Now that you've prepared through all of this, you are ready to Hunt, Trap, and Fish ethically. Please make good decisions out there as the future of our lifestyle depends on it. Good luck out there!
I hope my words help advance the future of this lifestyle. I hunt, fish, trap, and raise a lot of what my family eats. I would like to thank those of you who have actually liked and followed my blog. At this point there are 31 of you and I didn't even think I would ever see that many. I would like to give thanks to Craig Reise and Alexandra Zampino for pretty much reading and liking nearly every article I've published here. I would also like to thank Mansfield Fish and Game for the kind words they wrote about my blog when they shared my post on Conservation.
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