Chapter 7

What do safety, opportunity and funding laws do?

1. Establish guidelines to protect hunters and nonhunters 2. Offer equal opportunity for all hunters 3. Ensure adequate funding for wildlife programs by collecting license fees.

What do hunting laws for game conservation do?

1. Establish hunting seasons 2. Limit methods and equipment 3. Set bag limits 4. Establish checking stations and tag requirements

Reasons why we have hunting laws

1. Game conservation 2. Safety, opportunity and funding 3. Fair chase 4. Maintain hunter's image

3 Ways hunters make a positive impact

1. Improve wildlife habitat 2. Help biologists 3. Encourage ethical practices

3 things to do if contacted by anti-hunter protesters

1. Remain calm 2. Never touch or threaten 3. Report harassment to law enforcement

Most hunting organizations agree that responsible hunters do these 4 things:

1. Respect natural resources 2. Respect other hunters 3. Respect landowners 4. Respect non-hunters

5 Stages of hunting development

1. Shooting stage 2. Limiting-out stage 3. Trophy stage 4. Method stage 5. Sportsman stage

What percent of the population hunts?

5%

What percent of the population is neutral about hunting?

90%

What is the Boone and Crocket club?

A club founded by Theodore Roosevelt in the 1800s that established the "Fair Chase Principle."

What percent of the population opposes hunting?

About 5%

Examples of gray areas with hunter ethics

Baiting deer with corn, shooting birds in the ground, shooting from vehicle

Examples of federal or state owned public lands that are available for hunting

Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation properties, National forests, National parks, National Wildlife Refuge properties, state park, state owned wildlife management areas

While hunting laws preserve wildlife, _______ preserve the hunter's opportunity to ho hunt.

Ethics

Ethics cover behavior that has to do with issues of_____,_____ and _______.

Fairness, respect and responsibility not covered by laws

Ethics

Moral principles or values that distinguish between right and wrong; they are unwritten rules that society expects to be followed

Common landowner complaints about hunters

No permission, don't tell landowners when they arrive or leave, too much noise, litter, drive off road, carry loaded firearms, shoot to close to neighbors or livestock, don't leave gates as they found them, violate game laws, drink

What is the limiting out stage of hunter development?

Success is determined by bagging the limit.

What is the sportsman stage of hunter development?

Success is measured by the total experience-appreciation of being outdoors, the animal hunted, the process and companionship

What is the trophy stage of hunter development?

The hunter is selective and judges game by quality rather than quantity.

What is the shooting stage of hunter development?

The priority is getting off shot, rather than patiently waiting for a good shot

What is the method stage of hunter development?

The process of hunting becomes the focus, high priority is placed on how hunting is accomplished

Why were fair chase laws established?

To stem public criticism of hunters

Aldo Leopold

father of wildlife management