Hunting suggestion: If it feels wrong, don’t do it

“A person with good hunting ethics is one who will not do anything in the field he or she knows or feels is wrong, even if it is legal.” It’s a direct quote from the Montana Hunter’s Ed Course introduction.

On Oct. 26, a large group of hunters gathered near White Gulch east of Helena, where a herd of hundreds of elk had congregated in a large open area of grazing land interspersed with irrigated fields.

Various observers reported seeing hunters shooting directly into the herd without regard to the potential to injure untargeted elk that crossed their line of fire. Others report that the herd was cut off by vehicles from escaping the area, and more and more hunters arrived through out the day. The herd of up to 500 elk were moving between public, private and block management land.

By day’s end, some 30 elk had been killed, an unknown number were wounded and one bull elk was seized. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks wardens issued numerous warnings and three hunters were cited for hunting without landowner permission.

It is not illegal in Montana to shoot into a herd when game hunting. It is illegal to use things such a four-wheelers to cut game from escaping an area or to use cellphones or two-way radios to coordinate a hunt, both of which some observers say happened during the White Gulch incident.

There is nothing ethical about a bunch of yahoos surrounding a massive herd of elk to trap them, then attempting to pick off trophies without regard to collateral damage. It’s a disturbing abuse of the hunting privileges sportsmen and women in this state are proud to have. There is as much fair chase in an afternoon such as that as there would be in paying a rancher to shoot a cow in his or her cattle herd.

Here is more information, straight from the Montana Hunter’s Ed Course:

“Fair chase means balancing the skills and equipment of the hunter with the abilities of the animal to escape. Responsible hunters do not take unfair advantage of game animals, even if it’s legal.

“But how do we know what’s right and what’s wrong? All responsible hunters obey hunting laws, but sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where the law doesn’t tell us what to do. Unfortunately, there is not a ‘list’ of ethical rules to help. In these cases, you must decide for yourself based on your personal sense of what is right and wrong.

“If you doubt your decision at any point, don’t do it!”

Here’s another quote from the course: “A responsible (hunter) takes full responsibility for his or her actions.

So for all those yahoos who spent time shooting in a trapped herd or using cellphones to coordinate with their buddies to get a “trophy,” here’s hoping that mount falls off your wall and knocks some sense into you.

Fair chase is fair chase, even when no one is watching.

— Tribune editorial board