Trophy Hunting and Sportsmanship

[jethro224]

Sportsmen arrive at the field with their brand new LL Bean accessories.

Hunters grab their stuff and go huntin'.

Those who break the laws and disrespect the animals are just Jack-a55e5.

 

[jethro224]

Lets settle this....

Does anyone out there remember the name of the Outdoor TV Show that came on Sunday Afternoons after church? Back when we got only 3 channels.

Hosted by CURT GOWDY?

Headhunter

After church on Sunday I always watched Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" with Marlin Perkins and his faithful assistant Jim.

And Roller Derby.
And Davy Crockett.
And Walt Disney.
And Carol Burnett.

That's more TV than I watch all week now. And better shows. Even with all them channels I pay for.

 

[rabbit03]

Yeah and Marlin always let ol Jim do most of the work! :shocked2:

rabbit03

 

[Hoyt]

But I think "doing the right thing" is the central issue of those discussions.

So then trying to understand your post...for clarification you're OK with sitting over a bait pile at a fixed known distance, waiting until a buck shows up, shooting him standing knee deep in corn, and calling that hunting?

Doing the right thing is the ethical thing..that is my point. I think it gets beat to death..is it ethical to do this or that. I'm just old fashion and don't like all the "spose to's", "do this and do that" put into something as free as hunting is to me. One of the things I love most about hunting is being by myself in the real world away from civilization. We all have hunting laws we are supposed to go by..that's all I'm interested in, above those I hunt like I like and don't carrying anyone else's ethical views into the woods with me. I know it's not the right thing to do to shoot turtles or a running deer if I don't think I can kill it.
Far as am I OK with sitting over a corn pile etc...Personallly I only hunt on open for everyone public land where no 4wheelers are allowed, no baiting..(cornpiles), no food plots and no antler restrictions. A buck gets no free passes in these areas (or very, very, few..(I've passed on a few for various reasons..but 99% never get passed up) and when you kill a mature buck there's a feeling of accomplishment that's hard to belittle.
I like it that way..

 

[RC]

Yeah well I still have this fall :thumbsup:

rabbit03

ahhhh, layin back were we????? here i thought you was bein picky..and trophy huntin.. :shocked2: you come up in sept.?? better get ta readin! RC

 

[rabbit03]

I know thanks for reminding me!

I need to do lots of reading.

I agree with a few comments on here also about 'Corning in deer' That aint hunting by a long shot. I know I see it all the time down here in South Texas. However that is what it has come to around lots of places, that the corn sales are unbelievable for the feeding of deer. There are problems associated with that too but that is for another post.

The real thing is though is that this is in no way hunting and at best it is Harvesting perhaps, but not Hunting.

And the sad part of alot of the guys that come down here is that they can't shoot. The corn is about 60-100 yds away and the wounded deer you could not imagine from these people. :shocked2:

rabbit03

 

[bramble]

Claude,
Having said that, I don't care what other people call themselves. We all know who and what we are regardless of the labels. We label ourselves with our actions.

IMHO
The adage that "actions speak louder than words" has a lot of truth. However, most of this thread is a discussion of attitude, intent, and belief. Attitudes and mindset are not easily conveyed, and when they are it is usually through subtle actions. To the uninitiated, all they see is a dead animal.
We can be secure in our knowledge of who we are and what we stand for. Our actions have the potential of proclaiming or reinforcing that label. However, the actions of others has the potential of labeling us. It is unfortunate, but in public percepton, brazen unethical behavior by a few can outweigh the quiet ethical behavior of the many. I believe that it was Twain who said "a lie is as good as the truth if someone believes it".
I believe that we all have a stake in maintaining a a good reputation for hunters and hunting.

and a responsibility for passing it on. Headhunter, thanks for the post. It reminds me that I need to thank my dad again for teaching me woodscraft, hunting, fishing and the fine art of tall tales that go with all three.

bramble

 

[KyFlintlock]

"Respect" is the one word that I think of when Sportsmanship is mentioned. No matter if hunting/fishing/playing a sport, it all comes back to respect.

We are fortunate when we get to go hunting and if we succeed to take an animal cleanly, then we are even more blessed. To not honor and show respect to the animal and the creator of all for the chance to get out is beyond me.

..and to show others in the field respect defines what type of a sportsman the person is.

Wess

 

[Claude Mathis]

Claude,
Having said that, I don't care what other people call themselves. We all know who and what we are regardless of the labels. We label ourselves with our actions.

IMHO
The adage that "actions speak louder than words" has a lot of truth. However, most of this thread is a discussion of attitude, intent, and belief. Attitudes and mindset are not easily conveyed, and when they are it is usually through subtle actions. To the uninitiated, all they see is a dead animal.
We can be secure in our knowledge of who we are and what we stand for. Our actions have the potential of proclaiming or reinforcing that label. However, the actions of others has the potential of labeling us. It is unfortunate, but in public percepton, brazen unethical behavior by a few can outweigh the quiet ethical behavior of the many. I believe that it was Twain who said "a lie is as good as the truth if someone believes it".
I believe that we all have a stake in maintaining a a good reputation for hunters and hunting.

and a responsibility for passing it on.

I agree. :thumbsup:

 

[Rebel]

American Sportsman

 

[BRUN]

I think most of us have seen huge deer or elk out of season and we say "yep he knows season is over".How many times have you seen this when you had a rifle with you?You could shoot this animal but decline cause you know it aint right.Or you are in deer season and there is another deer behind that big buck and you dont shoot cause you might hit the one in back also.I could go on and on but a sportsman would follow the rules.A trophy hunter is looking for his own personal challenge and follows the rules just like the sportsman.I have freinds that go after trophy animals and follow the rules and never cheat to get a trophy animal,so they are sportsman also.

 

[Claude Mathis]

I think most of us have seen huge deer or elk out of season and we say "yep he knows season is over".How many times have you seen this when you had a rifle with you?You could shoot this animal but decline cause you know it aint right.Or you are in deer season and there is another deer behind that big buck and you dont shoot cause you might hit the one in back also.I could go on and on but a sportsman would follow the rules.A trophy hunter is looking for his own personal challenge and follows the rules just like the sportsman.I have freinds that go after trophy animals and follow the rules and never cheat to get a trophy animal,so they are sportsman also.

Then, a "sportsman" is someone who obeys the law?

 

[BRUN]

Or you are in deer season and there is another deer behind that big buck and you dont shoot cause you might hit the one in back also.

Then, a "sportsman" is someone who obeys the law?

Yes. And they are ethical hunters.

 

[Claude Mathis]

Or you are in deer season and there is another deer behind that big buck and you dont shoot cause you might hit the one in back also.

Then, a "sportsman" is someone who obeys the law?

Yes. And they are ethical hunters.

We've had discussions about ethics before and like morals, they seem to be rather subjective. Ethics seem to be something that each of us determines on our own. After all, there are animal rights groups that feel that hunting itself is unethical.
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/168386[/url]

 

[Rebel]

I think that evey time a deer or elk runs out in front of a car the driver or their family should sue said deer or elk for damages and that when a judge awards the victim a cash settlement that they pick one of the Animal rights activists to pay it. I mean after all, if animals are going to have the same rights as humans they should have to obey the same laws, or suffer the consequences of their actions.

 

[RC]

FIRST I'm sorry! but.. So Rebel..ya gonna sue fer Big Bucks??????? (had to be said...unfortunately, I done said it...) :redface: RC

 

[Headhunter]

Thats Right REBEL.

"The AMERICAN SPORTSMAN" Hosted by Curt Gowdy.

Headhunter

 

[Pasquinel]

it was the American sportsmen.

 

[Pasquinel]

Hunting is not a sport,however, I believe we use the word sportsmenship when we should use respect.
A sportsmen shows respect to the game he hunts, to
the property he hunts on, to his fellow hunts (regardless of type weapon the chose to use) and
lastly to himself. Also hunting is fair chase. You do the work. You do your own scouting, you
pattern the game, you map out plan action and you
execute this plan in ethical manner. :hmm:

 

[BRUN]

Or you are in deer season and there is another deer behind that big buck and you dont shoot cause you might hit the one in back also.

Then, a "sportsman" is someone who obeys the law?

Yes. And they are ethical hunters.

We've had discussions about ethics before and like morals, they seem to be rather subjective. Ethics seem to be something that each of us determines on our own. After all, there are animal rights groups that feel that hunting itself is unethical.
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/168386[/quote][/url]
Are you waiting for someone to say a sportsman is someone who also picks up their trash when leaving the feild,or picks up someone elses trash,or some one who picks up someone elses discarded fishing line that was left by the lake or stream?Or is a sportsman the guy who picks up beer bottles on the sides of forest roads outside from doing it in hunting season because he cant stand to look at the trash he see's?
Is this what your wanting to read?I think this on top of what I wrote before is what a sportsman is to me.I figured it all went hand in hand.
Anymore questions?If not go bug someone else :grin: :surrender: