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Ethics:

loneranger

Well-Known Member
Think I brought this up last year, but this yr watching a new episode of that cable show North Woods Law, about Game Wardens in Maine. "Deer Drives", are illegal in Maine. First is logical with rifles being used,,is dangerous. But on the show they stated a few times the practice was,"Dangerous" and also,"Unethical". Four men together constitutes a deer drive. Or it can. Just curious how what is ethical is up for debate, depending on where you are. Unethical in Maine. A proud tradition,in Iowa.
 
I'm watching this episode now actually- can't say I agree that it is unethical as many hunters need the deer to live off of. Unsafe with some people- definitely.
 
I don't think it's unethical. One could argue that it's harder to hit a deer on the run with a shotgun than with a high powered rifle.

I think it's funny when and where ethics are brought up in terms of hunting and how quickly ethics can change. Ethics is all in the eye of the beholder.

In Maine it's also illegal to bait deer, but not bears. Why would baiting one animal be unethical, but perfectly ethical for another? Maine recently voted (and won) to keep bear baiting legal after animal rights groups tried to ban it because they claim it's unsportsmanlike and unethical. You tell me who's right?
 
Yea,,the Animal Rights people just use the unethical ploy to try to get their liberal foot in the door ,so to speak. They just want to END HUNTING, Period!
 
Ethics and hunting vary so much by state and person. It's a tough debate and I'm not gonna open this can of worms this morning!
 
Most people have ethics that personally satisfy themselves. I am not saying I am not one of them.

4 people in Maine being unable to drive deer seems awfully silly.
 
If any part of it is unethical, I would say the fact that most of the Iowa shotgunners I know only hunt 5 days a year. Never shooting a shotgun or any other gun to practice and to insure they can make a good clean kill.
 
I don't think it's unethical. One could argue that it's harder to hit a deer on the run with a shotgun than with a high powered rifle. I think it's funny when and where ethics are brought up in terms of hunting and how quickly ethics can change. Ethics is all in the eye of the beholder. In Maine it's also illegal to bait deer, but not bears. Why would baiting one animal be unethical, but perfectly ethical for another? Maine recently voted (and won) to keep bear baiting legal after animal rights groups tried to ban it because they claim it's unsportsmanlike and unethical. You tell me who's right?

Most on here would not hesitate to take a shot at a running coyote but when it's a precious deer no way that is unethical!!! Why are deer put on this imaginary pedestal? They are all game animals? Why shoot at a flying pheasant? It would be much more ethical to drive around and shoot them off the ground out of road ditches but that's frowned upon and considered unethical. Why shoot at geese when they are making their descent? It would be much more ethical to wait for them to land and shoot them off the ground. Go back and read the "I hit a buck with my arrow but can't find it" threads then come preach ethics to me. On the safety side of things I'm sure everyone would be all for passing a law making it illegal to hunt from elevated platforms due to the number of accidents from falling each year? I have shotgun hunted over twenty years and know of one guy personally that got injured but not life threatening. I know of three guys that fell from tree stands. One passed away, one will never walk again and the other had a broken leg. If you don't believe in it then don't participate. Its really that easy. Good luck to those out there enjoying what the great state of iowa has to offer these next couple weekends. All hail "THE ORANGE ARMY"!! Be safe!
 
When in Rome, do as the Romans..........

If in Iowa deer drives are fine. If in Maine deer drives aren't fine....

States have different laws and regulations... know them and obey them......
 
This has nothing to do with ethics... It has to do with law and regulations....

Just like baiting........ some states legal, some states not........

You can do it where legal and if you do it where it isn't well... good luck...
 
Did not bring this up to bash drives, justpointing out how fickle gamelaws are and what one deems Ethical or unethical is up for grabs.
 
Ethics are in the eyes of the beholder, but laws are laws, and traditions are traditions, all of which vary greatly from State to State or Province. On a crossbow site forum many of the southern states and many Canidian privinces allow baiting in the form of bait piles or feeders and no one calles that unethical, that is just what they do it. In several states it is legal to chace deer with dogs just like we do with rabbits here, because it is both legal and traditional, but not unethical there. In Iowa and many other States deer drives are both legal and traditional, but most do not feel it is unethical. How many pheasants are shot every year in almost every state by hunters driving birds and blockers at the end of the field or draw? We all must make these decisions for ourselves about what is ethical, however the laws tell us what is legal, so be legal where ever you are hunting!!
 
Ethical or unethical.... I don't care. I do know that if you are trying to manage ground deer drives are a TERRIBLE practice. I would never allow it on my ground.
 
Used to piss me off that those shows mostly focused on the poaching but then.......... It's a fricken reality TV show so take it for what it's worth.
 
I absolutely refuse to participate in deer drives!!!!!!

Because it's way to hilly to be walking around :D
 
Yea,,the Animal Rights people just use the unethical ploy to try to get their liberal foot in the door ,so to speak. They just want to END HUNTING, Period!

I am not trying to stirr the pot --- That maybe true to an extent, but from taking a stroll from the other side is that it isn’t always about power and control, as you are stating, or wanting to get a rise of hunters, but more that there are non hunter who are really offended by how some hunters chose to pursue, view, and treat game animals. Sure, there are a lot who want to get rid of hunting and a select few who affiliate themselves with Peta or any other animal welfare group out there so they can disquise their real political agenda of wanting power and control - Divide and Conquer - nothing new there. Their are even other hunters who are offended/appalled by how their fellow hunters practices. But the Bottom line is that most want things to done in a safe and humane way and feel deeply convicted that their counterparts are pushing things a bit . It’s like bowmaker said and Hoosierhunter stated here:
Ethics and hunting vary so much by state and person. It's a tough debate and I'm not gonna open this can of worms this morning!
The Important thing is to remember that we all have different experiences, motives, personality temperaments, level of education etc. that influences are views on things, which explains the fickleness and shows why having forums or meetings would be most beneficial involving the Goverment, Hunting and Non Hunting community. Debate helps enable all parties to voice their concerns and enlightens the other group to understand things from there vantage point without the fear the retailation from each party and helps lower the likely hood of people doing some crazy things.. But in my opninion we live in a very casual culture and don’t talk about these things until things get out of control. A lot of things are so often done ‘under the table’.​
 
do deer get injured and not cleanly killed during bow and muzzy seasons, absolutely! but the scale on which it happens is not the same as the three weeks in december.. if you're a guy who goes out and drives deer okay fine. id rather stay home and sit on the couch but to each his own.
What drives me up a wall is the guys who NEVER practice and the night before season they are in bass pro picking up the cheapest slugs they can sling out of their improved cylinder shotgun. Also the guys who drive around and chase deer in vehicles.. how is that remotely enjoyable? get off your fat ass and at least put a hunt in. if people would respect fences and gates then i really don't have a care as to how you hunt.
to me its all much much more about the experience than what i kill.. That to me is what sets me apart from what i see during gun season. its not about the numbers but how i go about the hunt in order to reap the rewards of it. Same goes for water fowling and turkey hunting, if i can't get the birds committed to the decoys and coming in hard then i don't shoot. pass shooting to me is just killing not hunting. sadly what i see is its more about the #'s for many..
 
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