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Fair Chase

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helo18 View Drop Down
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    Posted: February/07/2012 at 14:06
By Duane Fronek
I see this little phrase come up from time to time. What I’m about to write might infuriate some and please others and leave others thinking about where they stand on this little phrase. My thoughts on the phrase “Fair Chase” in a nutshell is basically, has got to be the most dangerous word to outdoor... men and women and our pursuits in the wild when it comes to hunting, trapping and fishing. The phrase in my opinion is probably the most responsible for hunting, trapping and fishing rights lost over the years, pitting one outdoorsmen and women against another. Simply put fair chase is basically not just a phrase but an attitude and a tool to justify ones way of doing things, while sacrificing those of another. We see it all the time when issues come up such as the use of cross bows, high fence, hunting with hounds, trapping and the list goes on. The animal rights groups love that little phrase, because they have it figured out, and know those two words are their meal ticket for pushing their agenda. Their agenda, banning all forms of hunting, trapping and fishing, period.

I’ve heard it said many times before, don’t know who the originator of it is but it goes something like this; “in order for a hunt to be fair chase, we would have to hunt with what we came into this world with, naked and our two bare hands.” And that would be true in my opinion. Animals survive with what they were born with, necessary to survive. Man on the other hand were born with a thinking brain, to solve problems to give us an edge. When it comes to hunting, we surely can’t run as fast as most animals, so man thought of ways to do the running for him, spears, bows, traps, guns etc. If we were to take a step back in time with our modern hunting equipment, we most likely would be worshipped on what we had to make our hunting more successful, that edge so to speak. Man has always used his most important weapon, his brain, when it comes to hunting, trapping and fishing. Because that’s our biggest weapon in order to survive and to equal out our physical short comings to the game we pursue.

I’ve heard so many arguments over the years on what was fair chase, things like running coons, cats or coyotes with hounds not being fair chase, or baiting is not a fair chase practice or high fence hunting isn’t real hunting, or trapping isn’t fair chase because the animal doesn’t have a running chance. To all that I say hogwash. Hunting with dogs is more than just turning dogs loose, there’s training, breeding and basically one’s way of life or way of doing things, they have a passion for it and they’ve figured a way to use man’s best friend to aid him in hunting, using the dogs as a tool. Baiting is just another form of hunting, no different in my opinion than placing out doe in heat or sitting on a corn field, your using the animals needs and instincts against them in order to gain an edge, same as just sitting on a ridge where you can see several yards and perched on the ridge with your trusty 300 mag. To reach out and touch one. It wouldn’t make much sense to sit there with a pistol or slug gun, no, we utilize the tools we have, to give us that edge. Now a deer walks up to within 40yds and you have the 300 mag in your lap are you gonna pass up the deer because he’s not 300 yds out, I don’t think so. Same with high fence, some say it’s not sporting or fair chase. Well think about this, a lot of high fence are 100’s and even 1000’s of acres, where the deer roam where ever they will in basically in the same settings as their wild counter parts, just better taken care of. there are quite a few hunters out there that don’t have the luxury of time on their side to enjoy the outdoors the way a lot of us do, their business men and women with busy schedules or locked in a city with no land they know of to hunt on or the time, but yet have a love and a passion to hunt just like the rest of us. I’ve heard it said trapping doesn’t give the animals a sporting chance, well most of that comes from those never doing it, just like I suspect with the other claims of why this or that isn’t fair chase. Trapping involves knowing your target well, well enough to put his foot on a pan or trigger no bigger than say 3”x 3” in order to get caught, you need to know their habits, what makes them tick just like pursuing any other thing like hunting or fishing.

So why condemn something or tactic another uses? Could be a number of reasons , jealousy, greed, or just plain stubbornness because that’s not how I do it. And each time we attack another’s legal way of doing things, we in essence are driving a nail in our own coffin for future use by the anti’s. Take for example your on the front lines in a war, and all the tall guys are getting killed. Everyone gets together and says, lets not use tall guys in this fight, it’ll eliminate anyone getting killed. So they do and go back into battle and now the medium height guys are getting waxed. So they have another meeting and decide, ok lets just use short guys, to prevent any further damage and fatalities. Now the enemy has the advantage of less troops in the ranks and basically over runs the troops and wins the battle. And in essence that’s what we are doing to ourselves when we start acting under the guise of fair chase. We essentially are sacrificing another’s way of doing things in order to preserve our own, but in reality we are destroying ourselves and our numbers in the ranks that allows us to be over run by the opposition..

We may not agree on everyone else’s way of hunting or pursuits, but know this, ev
To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.

GEORGE WASHINGTON
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DCAMM94 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DCAMM94 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/07/2012 at 14:38
nice post. it's a lot like christians. we get all wound up about immersion versus sprinkling, infant baptism, music in church, etc., when we all need to be focusing on what we all have in common, and the beliefs that make us THE CHURCH as a whole, as opposed to RELIGIONS. Hunting is a way of life for a lot of us, the way we go about it is more often dictated by our circumstances, geography, our upbringing and the laws and rules we are contrained by, whether we like them or not.

Deck
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/07/2012 at 14:39
It's kind of like a judge once said long ago about porn, "I know it when I see it." One example I can think of that is not fair chase is a bunch of guys who encircled a small herd of elk with their trucks and a ring of people with the elk backed up against a deep reservoir. That's BS. To me, it's about being able to put yourself in a position to take an ethical shot on an animal that has a pretty decent chance of escaping if you're detected, then using every bit of the meat you get.
Reaction time is a factor...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote helo18 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/07/2012 at 14:59
I agree with you Jon.  That was BS!!
To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.

GEORGE WASHINGTON
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DCAMM94 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/07/2012 at 16:07
Originally posted by jonoMT jonoMT wrote:

It's kind of like a judge once said long ago about porn, "I know it when I see it." One example I can think of that is not fair chase is a bunch of guys who encircled a small herd of elk with their trucks and a ring of people with the elk backed up against a deep reservoir. That's BS. To me, it's about being able to put yourself in a position to take an ethical shot on an animal that has a pretty decent chance of escaping if you're detected, then using every bit of the meat you get.


I agree with that as well.  That's not right.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SD Dog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/07/2012 at 16:12
If you ever look back over your shoulder to check if anyone is watching you, you know it ain't right.  
If nobody ever said anything unless he knew what he was talking about, a ghastly hush would descend upon the earth. AP Herbert

Stupidity & ignorance have been the foundation for many certainties.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/07/2012 at 17:26
I read in today's paper that during  the Super Bowl someone poached a trophy bull elk SE of Helena, MT. They cut off the rack and left the carcass to rot. People in nearby houses reported hearing some shots, but no one saw it done. Still, I hope whoever did it gets caught and hit hard. Hunters wait years to draw a bull tag in that district.
Reaction time is a factor...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 3_tens Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/07/2012 at 20:18
Originally posted by DCAMM94 DCAMM94 wrote:

Originally posted by jonoMT jonoMT wrote:

It's kind of like a judge once said long ago about porn, "I know it when I see it." One example I can think of that is not fair chase is a bunch of guys who encircled a small herd of elk with their trucks and a ring of people with the elk backed up against a deep reservoir. That's BS. To me, it's about being able to put yourself in a position to take an ethical shot on an animal that has a pretty decent chance of escaping if you're detected, then using every bit of the meat you get.


I agree with that as well.  That's not right.
Slightly off track but how things are getting warped

     When asked why the Crime numbers in Tulsa did not come close to matching the news reports An
Ex-Mayor replied (No crime has been committed unless the criminal has exhausted all chances of appeal through the court system. This can take years.)

Folks ain't got a sense of humor no more. They don't laugh they just get sore.

Need to follow the rules. Just hard to determine which set of rules to follow
Now the rules have changed again.
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rustic View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rustic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/07/2012 at 21:57
Very good post and very relevant. New Jersey is a good example with the barrel baiting bears the anti-hunting people a few years back had the hunters battle'n with other hunters whether bait or no bait.
True. Opinions are always going to butt heads. I have started/gotten in the middle of a few on here. Whether it is yardage/caliber/light/heavy/too old/too handicapped/this scope that scope/ dots/circles/hashes/dial/simple/complex reticle, etc. As far as our influence on the "right" type of hunting we all have is our
differentiating opinions just look at the "Ultra Light Arms" thread.
 
Also, I think hunters are their own best conscience in policing, forming and speaking of the image of hunting. I would say the harder they are on their own on practicing good moral/ethical hunting the better for the future... to a degree. That is what conventions and shows are for to find the happy medium for determining that degree. Hunting is going to have be very image consensus both to hunters and non-hunters and more so in years to come. If hunting is going to continue to be legal in this country as an positive, necessary and
excepted activity for those who want to continue the life style. Hunting is going to have to be in the image where as people who do not hunt will "go out of their way" to and stop it.
So, "Fair Chase" could be seen as a way to make the hunting "image" look fair/sporting/just or what ever to the people who do not hunt and may or may not understand the hunting culture?
As stated there is really no good reason for hunter vs hunter but, the thing to worry about is the non-hunter turning into an "activist" because what they have seen(some type of perceived unfair/cruel hunting practice) strikes an emotional chord.

With the mix of emotion, influence and enthusiasm of "already mind made-up" of an relatively still small activist crowd on an easily
influenced younger generation that do not yet understand the culture of hunting then... throw in emotion, peer pressure and activist guidance. Hunting could be on the "outs" in the very near future.

The fact is non-hunters out number hunters. It is up to current hunters to form an image.
Fair chase good? bad? I would have to be on the side of "good" am I wrong? maybe... but I don't think so.
Maybe, fair chase is the last best chance for the continuation of hunting in the future that we love today???      

Edited by rustic - February/07/2012 at 22:06
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/07/2012 at 22:06
I am going to bait bear this fall in very thick northern forests. There is very little chance of seeing a bruin otherwise. They are everywhere and hit my yard all the time. Regardless, when hunting they are nearly impossible to see. Enough said.
Doug
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