News article, for your infuriation: LDWF: La. man cited for shooting whooping crane
Whooping cranes are an endangered species, protected by the landmark Endangered Species Act. And besides that, they are clearly NOT to be confused for another animal that is legal game. And besides that, it wasn't a hunting season.
Anyone who poaches clearly has no respect for the wildlife they are illegally taking, and no respect for the wildlife management that might be in progress. Shooting a whooping crane in your crawfish pond, and then leaving the bird on the side of the pond shows such a flagrant disrespect for wildlife that in my opinion that person should never be issued another hunting license in his life. But that's just my own personal opinion.
I want to be clear though before anyone thinks I'm anti-hunting. Having respect for an animal does not mean you do not hunt. Often it is quite the opposite.
"A peculiar virtue in wildlife ethics is that the hunter ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct. Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience, rather than that of onlookers. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of this fact." -Aldo Leopold
Doing the right thing when nobody is watching is a sign of ethics and morality. And it goes hand in hand with ethical hunting.
1) Ethical hunting means following the rules. You respect and obey bag limits, size limits, harvest methods, season dates, and tactics as outlined for the location you are hunting in. There are limits for a reason, based on data collected by wildlife managers. Managers have the conservation of the species at the forefront of their plans.
2) Respect the animal you are hunting. This means taking good shots, using the appropriate tools at your disposal, and take a clean shot.
3) Allow for fair chase. Allow for the animal to have a reasonably fair chase of escape. "Put simply, fair chase is the pursuit of an animal in such a way that does not give the hunter an unfair advantage. " [source]
4) Respect the animal. That means once an animal is harvested, do not be wasteful. Utilize every part of the animal so that nothing goes to waste and the animal's life was meaningful. Shooting an animal you cannot use or will not use is disrespectful, wasteful, and generally counter productive to wildlife management goals.
5) Leave no trace. This principle is valid in every outdoors venture but also applicable when hunting. Don't destroy habitat, leave trash behind, tear up fields, or destroy vegetation in your pursuit of your quarry.
6) Respect land rights. Don't hunt on private property without permission (that is poaching!), and be respectful of other hunters around on whether on public or private property.
Surely there are more ethics that could be applicable for hunting, but those are the main ones. Anyone who poaches is acting in a deplorable manner. Harvesting any animal illegally is poaching, and that's not just with endangered animals.
I will never fully understand the mindset of people who poach, but I know in some areas there are compounding factors. The black market for things such as ivory is often enough impetus for poaching because people need money to eat. So in that scenario, poaching is a symptom of another problem to be fixed. Solve the crisis that is causing the poaching, and hopefully you solve both. I'm no expert but I can see the big picture and know that a lot will have to change.
I am not excusing people who poach to feed their families. I am just saying I see you, and I understand, and let's fix it.
More Information:
6 Hunting Ethics Every New Hunter Should Know
The Big Game Hunting Blog, accessed 8 September 2018
Ethical Hunting
Game Management Authority, accessed 8 September 2018
5 Solutions to Poaching
Vision Launch, accessed 8 September 2018
Africa's Poaching Crisis
The Dodo, accessed 8 September 2018
Stopping Poaching
World Wildlife Fund, accessed 8 September 2018
Conservation hero turns gorilla killers into eco-warriors
4) Respect the animal. That means once an animal is harvested, do not be wasteful. Utilize every part of the animal so that nothing goes to waste and the animal's life was meaningful. Shooting an animal you cannot use or will not use is disrespectful, wasteful, and generally counter productive to wildlife management goals.
5) Leave no trace. This principle is valid in every outdoors venture but also applicable when hunting. Don't destroy habitat, leave trash behind, tear up fields, or destroy vegetation in your pursuit of your quarry.
6) Respect land rights. Don't hunt on private property without permission (that is poaching!), and be respectful of other hunters around on whether on public or private property.
Surely there are more ethics that could be applicable for hunting, but those are the main ones. Anyone who poaches is acting in a deplorable manner. Harvesting any animal illegally is poaching, and that's not just with endangered animals.
I will never fully understand the mindset of people who poach, but I know in some areas there are compounding factors. The black market for things such as ivory is often enough impetus for poaching because people need money to eat. So in that scenario, poaching is a symptom of another problem to be fixed. Solve the crisis that is causing the poaching, and hopefully you solve both. I'm no expert but I can see the big picture and know that a lot will have to change.
I am not excusing people who poach to feed their families. I am just saying I see you, and I understand, and let's fix it.
More Information:
6 Hunting Ethics Every New Hunter Should Know
The Big Game Hunting Blog, accessed 8 September 2018
Ethical Hunting
Game Management Authority, accessed 8 September 2018
5 Solutions to Poaching
Vision Launch, accessed 8 September 2018
Africa's Poaching Crisis
The Dodo, accessed 8 September 2018
Stopping Poaching
World Wildlife Fund, accessed 8 September 2018
Conservation hero turns gorilla killers into eco-warriors
CNN, accessed 11 September 2018
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