Humans have been hunting since the dawn of man. It has changed from a survival necessity to a recreational pursuit, a wildlife management tool, and a way to feed your family. Hunters should possess skills, knowledge, and moral and ethical responsibility. This means following the laws and regulations and respecting wildlife, the environment, and other fellow hunters and non-hunters alike.
What is “Ethical Hunting”?
The simple definition of an ethical hunter is someone who hunts in a legal, humane, moral, and respectful manner. It comprises principles of conservation, fair chase practices, and personal integrity.
This means:
- Abiding by the law: Following all hunting regulations, seasons, bag limits, and legal hunting methods.
- Acting responsibly: Making decisions that ensure the animal’s welfare and the species’ sustainability.
- Maintaining integrity: Doing the right thing even when no one else is watching.
Respect for Wildlife
Most hunters are true conservationists and value the animals as a resource. Without hunting revenue, most states would have no budgets to manage wildlife. If animals are not seen as a valuable resource, they will be destroyed in an unsustainable manner.
Humane Harvest
Know your own limits of your shooting skills. Many hunters cannot shoot and practice with their hunting bow or rifle. If you are taking shots that are beyond your limits, you are going to be wounding and losing animals. Most hunters overestimate their distance limits and skills.
Practice with your chosen weapon as much as possible, and at a minimum, make sure it is properly sighted in each season.
Avoiding Waste
Use as much of the animal as possible. Read your hunting regulations and know what the state you are hunting in requires; laws differ from state to state.
Learn how to dress your animal and care for the meat properly. This will prevent spoilage and meat waste. This is another reason to know your limits and make ethical shots. I am a firm believer that if you shoot an animal and it runs for miles before you dispatch it, the meat will be tainted with lactic acid and not taste like it should.
Trophy hunting and not using all the meat is illegal and unethical. We all want to shoot that big bull or giant buck, but we should honor the animal and use the meat. Many states have passed laws that require the last handling of the head and antlers. This keeps people from carrying out their “trophies” and leaving the meat.
Fair Chase
This term has different meanings to different hunters. The disabled veteran out hunting in the private high fence elk hunting acreage might consider that fair chase, whereas other hunters would not.
Some hunters will backpack for miles and hunt in the deep woods or wilderness, which is what they consider fair chase. Other hunters are somewhere in between.
“Fair Chase” is easily achieved if the laws and regulations are followed.
What I hate to see is when I have hiked miles into back country or wilderness and someone on an ATV is out breaking the laws and driving where they are not allowed. If I must hike up there, then so must you! If ATVs are permitted, the other hunters must accept that people will use them. Just please use them legally and ethically.
Offer help to other hunters. They may need help tracking a wounded animal or getting the meat off the mountain. The other side of that coin is: If someone helps you, make it worth their while.
Respecting the hunting and outdoor community:
Hunting has, unfortunately, become a controversial activity. Even though hunters are the most prominent conservationists out there, they donate most of the time and money to keep the animal herds healthy and numerous. Ethical hunters must stick together and help promote conservation of the animals we love to hunt.
Every time a hunter does something illegal or unethical, it reflects on all of us. Be an ambassador of the sport, not a negative stain on the hunting community. Ethical hunters also show respect toward people, whether they are fellow hunters, landowners, or members of the public who don’t hunt.
Always ask for permission before hunting or crossing onto private land. Close gates, don’t damage property, and follow the landowner’s requests. Most private landowners would appreciate a small share of your harvest, and you really should offer.
Hunters share the outdoors increasingly with Non-Hunters who are recreating outdoors.
Be mindful of your actions: Avoid, if you can, displaying your harvested animal in a way that might offend others. Be an ambassador for all other hunters and explain the hunter’s role in conservation.
Ethics between hunters:
This is where we may ruffle some feathers and have some disagreements. Let’s start with a few that should NOT be controversial.
First off, and this one is huge for me, NEVER use your weapon’s optics to watch other hunters. I cannot tell you how often I have seen other hunters looking at me through their rifle scopes. This angers me to no end. Carry some binoculars!
Remember the four rules of gun safety. These don’t just apply to when you are on the range; they are critical to remember in a live fire/hunting situation:
RULE 1: Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
RULE 2: Never let the muzzle cover anything you are unwilling to destroy.
RULE 3: Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
RULE 4: Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
First-come, first-served: If another hunter is already set up in an area, give them some space and do your best to try not to interfere with their hunt. Treat them like you would like to be treated. I am a public land hunter, and this is sometimes a challenge, but we should do our best.
Don’t claim animals you didn’t take. If it is unclear who harvested the animal, work it out calmly and ethically.
Share knowledge, not secrets. Hunters are very protective of their favorite hunting areas; most are reticent to give locations. But we can share knowledge. Knowledge on laws and rule changes, knowledge on processing game, and many other things we can learn from each other.
Courteously communicate with other hunters. Whenever I come across other hunters, I try to get a feel for their game plan. Where they will hunt or camp, and any other information they may be willing to share. Knowledge is power, and you can adjust your hunt plans accordingly.
Don’t sabotage other hunters. First of all, this is illegal in most states, and second, it is a horrible thing to do to a fellow hunter.
Safety is a priority
Safety is at the heart of ethical hunting. We are hiking around with weapons far from emergency medical services, and we all rely on and count on other hunters being safe.
An ethical hunter must identify the animal species: is it an elk, a deer, a moose, a hiker in a tan jacket, or someone’s buckskin horse tied to a tree? Is the elk a bull or a cow? Does the bull have the proper number of antler points? Can I make an ethical shot? Are there other animals in front of or behind your target that you might hit? Is it within legal hunting hours? Is the animal on land that I am legally allowed to hunt on? If a hunter answers these questions, which may only take a split second, there should NEVER be anyone, or anything, mistakenly shot. If you are ever in doubt, don’t shoot until you are sure.
Wear blaze orange if required by law. I would rather not have to hunt in blaze, but until every hunter becomes ethical, it is a good idea for safety reasons. If you hunt with horses, cover them in blaze orange. Every year, some idiot shoots someone’s hunting horse.
Follow the four gun safety rules and re-read the regulations brochure every year. You are responsible for knowing the laws and what has changed. Don’t assume that what was legal last year is legal this year.
Never hunt under the influence of drugs or alcohol. That should be a no-brainer that takes zero explanation.
Being an ethical hunter means walking a line between tradition and responsibility. It’s more than skill with a rifle or bow — it’s about being a steward of the land, a respectful participant in nature’s balance, and a positive representative of the hunting community. Hunters who practice ethics ensure a sustainable future for wildlife and preserve the respect and trust of the broader public.
Ultimately, the most important hunting tool isn’t in your pack — it’s your judgment.
And one last reminder! Don’t watch me through the scope of your rifle!
About the Author
Taylor Rhodes is the Director of Communications at the National Association for Gun Rights. A seasoned political strategist and unapologetic defender of the Second Amendment, Taylor has led high-impact campaigns at both the state and national levels. He lives in Hoover, Alabama, with his wife, Madison, and enjoys bourbon, golf, and collecting firearms—especially his 12.5” Geissele Super Duty.
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