The Morals and Ethics of Hunting - Why Should We All Agree?

[Royal27]

So I think about this every time a controversial thread comes up and I read someone post "if it is legal we should all support it because its legal now and because we are the minority. "

My question is simple - why?

Here's a broad analogy. America <insert your country here> is a small part of the world. We're greatly outnumbered. In order to help ensure the rest of the world doesn't take over our way of life should we all support the same thing regardless of out personal ethics or morals? I mean if it is legal we should shut up and accept it right, just to ensure our safety as a nation?

• support abortion because it is legal
• support socialized healthcare (Obamacare) because it is legal
• support same sex marriage, because it is legal
• I could keep going...

Doesn't dialog and resulting change actually result in something good once in a while? Would we really have been better off as sportsman here in America (or anywhere for that matter) if market hunting had remained legal and everyone said "we support it because it is legal"?

It seems to me that an unwillingness to change or adapt or voice your opinion can lead to extinction much more quickly than voicing an opinion that doesn't agree. Is conflict within the hunting fraternity really that bad of a thing? Do we really think that disagreeing amongst ourselves is so totally destructive that we shouldn't do it?

Lots of shades of gray here perhaps.

 

[edward]

it would seem to me that we already have enough people to fight to win our war against antis and corrupt politicians let alone each other.lets win the war and then nit pick each other if thats your bag,me,ill do what i think is right and fair.

 

[Royal27]

it would seem to me that we already have enough people to fight to win our war against antis and corrupt politicians let alone each other.lets win the war and then nit pick each other if thats your bag,me,ill do what i think is right and fair.

That's kind of my point... What if what you think what is right and fair conflicts with the winning broader war? Which is more important to each individual?

This is the gray area I was referring to.

 

[Aaron N]

The way I look at it, isyou don't have to like or support it, but should cry foul when someone else does something you don't agree with that falls within the law.

 

[gizmo]

Royal you certainly know how to stir the pot. Lol. You bring up some valid points and I agree with you in a lot of ways. That being said, yes there are times when everyone must agree and get along for the better good. That's not a concrete rule so don't read into it. My point is and Edward said it, at times lets win the big fight then worry about the other stuff. United we stand and divided we fall. Nothing is perfect and there is always more people can do to improve. Hunting ethics do get difficult but, we need to stand together even if that means, for the time being, some will have to bite their tongue on certain issues. The thing about getting caught up in the little details sometimes is you loose sight of the big picture. Especially with hunting, no two hunters will ever agree 100% on what is right or wrong. That's fine but that doesn't mean we should focus on the differences while outside pressure defeats us all.

 

[sheephunterab]

It's not about agreeing necessarily but it's about presenting your counter position in a manner that's respectful and appropriate. Calling down other hunters that do things differently is neither. Starting an intelligent dialogue where you are open to listening to a counter position...well that can be productive. Sadly, it's rarely done these days...especially on social media.

 

[billc]

It is not about supporting everyone or liking how they hunt. It is more about not saying something about everything you may not like. You don't need to like how everyone does something to share the sport we all love.

Sometimes being silent helps us all in the main fight to keep are rights to hunt. Police within with out throwing all our dirty laundry out for everyone to see and use it against us all.

 

[Clayton Holland]

Its a tough situation for sure. I have always thought the law to be a poor bench mark for ethics. Just as there are questionable practices that are legal there may be plenty of activities some find acceptable that are against the law. While generally I will be supportive of how others choose to hunt I will always speak up when I feel an ethical line has been crossed. The problem is marking that line.

 

[gizmo]

Idk. People are never going to agree over everything. So the answer is to self destruct over it? At some point people have to work together, despite differences, to protect that which we all love.

 

[Royal27]

Royal you certainly know how to stir the pot. Lol.

WHO??? ME?????

 

[billc]

It comes down to realizing that some choices people are making are hurting us all. So my rule is if it will hurt the rights of hunting in any way I don't comment on it. I look at it as the lesser of two evils but I will support hunting rights before anything anti hunting.

 

[gizmo]

WHO??? ME?????

Yes you

 

[billc]

Looking at royals post again I think the big difference with the list you gave you have people on one side or the other. With some of the stuff we have going on it makes you pick the other side when you go against other hunters because you don't like it. So now your for hunting but taking the side of the anti's because it may not be how you like to hunt.

Normally you have two sides but when you ride that line and flip flop because of a dislike it never can help your side you normally pick.

 

[edward]

if i have a bone to pick with someone i will take it up in private with the person or people involved,not world wide.

 

[Ray B]

I think you need to re-think your argument: Because it's legal?

All three of your items, Abortion, Socialized medicine, and Homosexual acts and marriage previously were Illegal.

 

[CAustin]

I think we are all called upon from time to time to speak from our hearts as well as our heads. When something is dead wrong we should say something because if (I) don't credibility goes out the door in the future. When I was a boy I told my father how a friend had killed a basket full of quail with a single shot 20 gauge shotgun......the friend shot most of them while they were on the ground clustered up. Now the quail were dead and going to be eaten by my friends family that very night. That family didn't have much and the quail were a treat for them. I was excited for what I thought was my friends good fortune until my dad quietly said it was wrong to do that to the birds. You see he said they weren't given a fair chance to fly up and that I should never do what my friend did.
Dad didn't have to say anything but he felt he needed to set a standard for me. I'm glad he did because I might have done the same thing at some point.
We don't always agree in this community but I'm glad to say we share our opinions with one another and do so respectfully. Most of the time anyway!
In the greater world we do need to stick together except when hunters are way out of line. A good example would be the gator hunter who has been arrested for poaching a second time. He is not good for our sport and the antis will use someone like him to bash us. So I would not nor could not support him in any way.
I guess this situational and we have to use our heads......but my heart is with my fellow hunters.

 

[billc]

I think we are all called upon from time to time to speak from our hearts as well as our heads. When something is dead wrong we should say something because if (I) don't credibility goes out the door in the future. When I was a boy I told my father how a friend had killed a basket full of quail with a single shot 20 gauge shotgun......the friend shot most of them while they were on the ground clustered up. Now the quail were dead and going to be eaten by my friends family that very night. That family didn't have much and the quail were a treat for them. I was excited for what I thought was my friends good fortune until my dad quietly said it was wrong to do that to the birds. You see he said they weren't given a fair chance to fly up and that I should never do what my friend did.
Dad didn't have to say anything but he felt he needed to set a standard for me. I'm glad he did because I might have done the same thing at some point.
We don't always agree in this community but I'm glad to say we share our opinions with one another and do so respectfully. Most of the time anyway!
In the greater world we do need to stick together except when hunters are way out of line. A good example would be the gator hunter who has been arrested for poaching a second time. He is not good for our sport and the antis will use someone like him to bash us. So I would not nor could not support him in any way.
I guess this situational and we have to use our heads......but my heart is with my fellow hunters.

Charlie just remember poaching is not hunting. Talking with your dad is not putting it out for all to see and what he told you is what he wanted for you. Again it is picking what we should do to fix problems and throwing it out in the opened because we don't agree helps the other side.

 

[Neale]

Individuals own or use firearms for a host of different (legal ) reasons and we need to respect that and remain together.
Hunting however is only one of the reasons for firearm ownership. For this to remain a legitimate reason we also need to stick together but make sure there are no bad apples within the bunch. I believe there should be some form of "code of conduct" for hunting that includes "the morals and ethics of hunting" (over and above legal requirements). To do business these days in a world of social media requires all organisations to adopt a code that sets out how members of your organisation should go about their business. Look around how fast things are changing and unless we also adapt to change we will be like the ostrich with his head in the sand. (You will not be prepared for what is coming up behind you).

 

[gizmo]

I agree we all need to unite against poachers and criminals. That goes without saying. But.... If something is legal but one deems it unethical that's a different story all together.
Charlie's example is a good one as, at least here in Texas, it's perfectly legal to shoot birds on the ground. Some may not see that sporting and in turn not approve of it but.... They have no more of a right to tell people they cant do that then they do to tell people they should.
It's about picking and choosing our battles. The law is a good starting point as it is a minimum of ethical standards, one would hope they personally exceed those but as long as the minimum is maintained it is wholly self defeatist to beat each other up over a difference in what is acceptable or not, assuming such activity is legal.

 

[gizmo]

If anything, Charlie's example is an excellent one for a teaching oppurtunity for a child. Assume it happened here in Texas, as a parent that's a great oppurtunity to teach a child the difference between legality and ethics.
Laws are different everywhere and that's fine. As long as everyone obeys the laws where they are at then it's up to them to develop their own set of ethics. Like I said law is the minimum and as long as that is maintained no one has the right to infringe upon another's freedom because they feel their morals are superior to another's.