"Fair Chase" What say ye?

In another thread, one of the denizens here mentioned swinging a small hog around by it's rear legs and bashing it's head on a solid object to kill it. I staunchly disagreed with his method and said so. Long story short, I'm not going to change his mind and he is not going to change mine. I brought up Fair Chase and another person chimed in re: guns, suppressors and night vision, baiting, etc... I do not currently use any of this except the guns. I have used suppressors and night vision before clearing hogs for a farmer but do not use them for sport.


But anyway, it was hijacking another thread so...

Boone & Crocketts hunter ethics are posted as:

1. Obey all applicable laws and regulations.

2. Respect the customs of the locale where the hunting occurs.

3. Exercise a personal code of behavior that reflects favorably on your abilities and sensibilities as a hunter.

4. Attain and maintain the skills necessary to make the kill as certain and quick as possible.

5. Behave in a way that will bring no dishonor to either the hunter, the hunted, or the environment.

6. Recognize that these tenets are intended to enhance the hunter's experience of the relationship between predator and prey, which is one of the most fundamental relationships of humans and their environment.


Other items considered may be:

•The hunter herded or spotted the animal from air and then quickly landed to pursue.
•It was herded or chased by a motorized vehicle.
•Electronic communication devices are being used.
•It is confined by artificial barriers or transplanted for commercial shooting.
•It is trapped or drugged.
•It's swimming, trapped in snow or helpless in any nature.


Currently I walk and stalk in the woods. No supps, daytime only, no baits, no calls, just hunting tracks, sights and sounds. I regard this as pretty fair.

What about the rest of you? What do you think of Fair Chase and how much, if any, of it do you apply to your hunting?

I think you are trolling.

I am as big a proponent of fair chase as you will find.

To me, it does not apply to hogs. They are vermin. Trap them, shoot them at night, run them off a cliff, drown them, bash them against trees,.........

I don't care. Just kill them.

I would add racoons, porcupines and ISIS as other critters where anything goes.

& ta THF

My opinion...Varmints can be taken out by any legal means. A blow to the back of the head is much more humane than any shot that doesn't cause instant death. A pipe, rod, oar, or blunt object isn't the normal tool of the hunter, so I understand why many may be offended by it. I have personally killed a hundred or more hogs with my bare hands and blunt force on the farm. It is way more effective than a botched shot.

It is a hog that I really don't care how it died as long as it is dead.

Strive to avoid unnecessary suffering of the animal.

Beyond that bait and a bullet to the base of the ear works well, whatever does the job effectively and humanely to reduce their numbers.

What does Fair Chase have to do with pigs ( fire ants, pedophiles, or snakes).

Fair chase has to do with a comment I made to IamMr2 in the thread about hogs swimming in a lake.

Rather than drag that thread way off course he started this one. An admirable thing to do, and I don't think he is being a troll by doing so.

I had forgotten that shooting swimming animals was included in the definition of fair chase.

However as several have stated here already, fair chase doesn't apply to exterminating varmints. It us not considered unethical to use means such as night vision to kill them. It us also not unethical to kill them while they are swimming.

But, if anyone were to show a video of someone swinging a piglet around and smashing its head in a kayak it would probably bring discredit to the hunting community. It would be funny to see someone try however, I think the outcome would be the piglet swimming off and the kayaker upside down in the water.

I apply Fair Chase to my Hunting of Game Animals such as deer, rabbits, turkeys ect... that are covered under game laws.

Feral Hogs are not game animals they are a nuisance species. Therefor Fair Chase does not apply and any method of killing as long as it is done quickly without undue suffering is fine including killing hogs while they are swimming.

I see no problem or contradiction of using Fair Chase for game animals and any legal methods for nuisance species.

I didn't think he was trolling didn't get that from his post. I'm for ethics and quick kills no matter the animal but these hogs are out of control. Fun to hunt but you have to kill them when you can. I'd hunt them from a helicopter if I had the money to pay for that and I know that's not fair chase. I don't hunt hogs at night with night vision number one I don't have the equipment number two it doesn't interest me to hunt that way. I don't criticize or think wrong of someone else doing it.
Shoot a deer at night and I'm going to think pretty poorly of you.

Yep

I don't always agree with attorneys, but when I do, it's with NP.

I agree as well. I believe we should extend the same courtesy to hogs as they extend to us. When you witness what a herd of pigs can do to a hay field in just one night, you'll know how I feel.

I treat game with respect.
Feral hogs are NOT GAME, they are non-native destructive pests and I don't hunt them - I eradicate them.

No mercy!

Who made B&C king of ethics

^^^^What he said

They don't purport to be the king but they have as much right to their opinion as anyone else. And they have a lot of support in doing so.

There will never be 100% agreement on anything but I guess it's not bad to hear everyone's opinions (even if I don't agree with them). Fair chase sounds great but it is also fun to throw a thermal scope on from time to time too. I like doing both and don't think one way is better than another. As long as you don't break a law, I say do what pleases you.

they have magazine called fair chase... It's copywrited

Yes. So?

It's copywrited

call my magazine for my .223 fairchase i got cheap posts.

Again, so what? It's America. It's their group. Their organization. Their magazine. Their right to express their opinions. Their members' right to join and support them.

So what's the problem?

If you don't agree with them, don't join. Don't read the magazine.

I will add the TTHA bills itself as "The Voice For Texas Hunting".

thought that was Keith Warren

You pass the point of opinion when you copy write, define, exclude, and motto fairchase. It's sad that they have lost their conservative ideology. Glad Safari Club has stepped up their game on actual conservation. But then again probably why Safari Club revenue and membership greatly exceeds B&C

We have some pasture land being developed down the road from my house. This year we have had more rats around than normal. They run the lateral boards on the privacy fence and I like to sit outside in the evenings with my pellet rifle and pop them. Last night this huge brown rat finally made a mistake and stopped on the fence. It was in a lower light area and I hurried the shot as well. Apparently I hit it a little far back. I finally found it in some grass by the fence and tried to finish off with a good stomp but the wet ground was soft enough that I wasn't effective. It took off through the chain link and limped under they neighbors storage building. I'm fairly certain it will die but I know it will be a lingering death. Even though it's a rat I still feel a little bad for not making a better shot and a clean kill.

So if you want to talk about killing hogs I'm good with that. But intentionally wounding or brutalizing pigs just because they do what they do to survive in there natural course of life and trying to justify it because they are a non native animal only makes you pathetic. And the discussion about doing whatever is "legal" is never the end all be all of a discussion.

Just think about it. At one time in our great nation it was "legal" to rape, beat and murder a young black girl because she was "property". I can't even fathom having the lack of humanity to even begin to do that much less justify it.

Just because a pig isn't a "game animal" doesn't justify cruel and inhumane acts in our efforts to hunt and kill them.

Hogs are living things and should be treated with the utmost respect. Now, the way to show respect is to not discriminate against piglets, shoats, grown, in utero, etc. Treat each one the same, make sure they die.

I try to kill my share. I strive to make clean kills on them. I try to clean and distribute as many of those as I can. Not saying I don't lose one now and then and that every one ends up in the cooler but I try.

I hunt deer over bait, for me personally my line is stopped short of using ozonics. The wind is a great equalizer when you bow hunt. Pigs I kill by any means necessary not harvest

Techically B&C doesn't care about hogs because there is no formal season for them....in any state

Good post.

I don't advocate being cruel or inhumane, simply that notions of fair chase don't apply when I am eradicating them.

Game or not, no animal should die slowly. As long as it is quick, I'm good with it.

With the concept of Fair Chase, there is hunting for sport and killing game animals to put food on the table. Killing does or cull bucks is not something I am worried about fair chase with. Chasing the elusive monster buck, that I've only glimpsed on the game camera, is another matter...

New Boone & Crocket World Record ... Taken by Automobile . He lived on the same piece of property since 2009.

Well said.

But is smacking a piglet on the head to kill it inhumane?

I really don't think so, if the hit is hard enough to quickly kill the piglet. Captive bolt guns are used in processing centers to kill animals, a ball peen hammer could do the same on a small piglet.

Is grabbing a piglet out of the water and smashing it's head against the side of a kayak inhumane?

I think that one is a "It depends" or "Probably Not". I'm not sure that I could sit in a kayak and swing a piglet with enough force to quickly kill it against the side of a plastic kayak. Again I think it would be funny to watch the video of someone trying. I used to play kayak water polo at a local pool. It seemed like I spent more time upside down than right side up. The weight transfer of trying to swing a piglet would most likely put the kayaker in the water before the pig hit the deck of the kayak.

Except for when it played in the rd, which seemed to be its Achilles heel.

Yes, this same thing happened to our family pet. Sad day.

on thread "Fair Chase" What say ye? lamMr2. NP makes a good point about B&C in this statement. Had never heard of TTHA. Noticed the Mods took away posts between NP & stxrancher on subject. noticed in that post. it stated the "Pay to Play" post gone missing is that fair? i got cheep posts..

The reference to B&C is to show their take on Fair Chase. Who made them king? No one did. Like it or not, they are the recognized standard of grading by which many in the hunting community judge. I referred to them for their stated ethics of hunting, of which others have expanded. 'Nuff of that.

Now, it's a beautiful day today, so I'm going to pack up the truck and hit the woods.

As long as the animal does not suffer and it's legal I'm good with it. I may not like to do that myself but to each his own.

I used to run a trap line and would dispatch the animals with a bat. It was much more effective and humane than shooting them.

One day after being stopped for a spot check by a GW, I struck up a conversation and jokingly asked if you could use a grenade? With a straight face I was told if I had land owners permission and had all the proper licenses and permits to obtain and use such devices, it would be legal. He apparently didn't see that I was joking.

Im a fair chase/free range hunter, that's the only way I will hunt. I wouldn't even waist my time touching the nasty little bastard. If it was in a reservoir it would of made some good turtle food. If you like your native species that roam here in Texas freely and are a natural thing, you cant be ethical when dealing with something that could take over and jeopardize our native animals. Hogs are an invasive species that cause millions of dollars of damage every year and could hurt the future of the native species that live here. Kill em all. I wouldn't bang their head against anything and I damn sure wouldn't do it on TV or in a magazine. It would be a waist of my time and others. No need to make my fellow hunters look like jack asses because of a foolish decision. I understand your opinions, I just don't like hogs. Ive been fighting them for 14 years. If you have seen as many as I have you might feel the same way too. 10s of thousands. Ive killed somewhere around ???? They're junk on four legs.

Some of the posters do not understand the damage these pigs do to farms. Case in point 130 acre corn field 2015. Seed corn was planted on Wednesday by friday the entire field was dug up. Farmer replanted on saturday and had hunters out thete every night until the corn was too tall. Final tally over 40 hogs killed, farmer spent approximately 12,000 replanting. Averaged 29 bushells an acre. Pitiful usually it is over 100 per acre. Now what is fair chase to a varmit that destroys farms and a familys means to support themselves. If I can make a clean heafshot I.will. but injuring them while they are running I have no issue with.

Forrectipn that was 2014

Fair chase is usually going to come down to one man's opinion. Baiting or no baiting..... use of dogs or no use of dogs.....hunting over foodplots vs stalking your game on foot.....it goes on and on.

If you have a way that you like to hunt that is legal and you are comfortable with it....fine...just don't try and make "your way" the standard by which others should be judged. Because that is what the anti-hunting crowd wants....divide us and pick off legal hunting piece by piece.

Yesterday while driving down the range repainting targets after a class I had the surprise of seeing new destruction the hogs caused of my land in the last few days. I get to spend hours and several gallons of diesel fixed what they messed up.

When it comes to comes to hogs, I will cast no shadow and I will show no remorse. 8 seconds old to 18 years old I'll kill every one of them I have ammo for and let the buzzards sort them out.

Seen people complain bout the hogs before . Offer ta help, infairness, might be way i look or talk, Got turned down. As a poste have seen the damage, dont have the money as others, they tore up food plots here too. So whin WMA opened up down road, $48.00 permit for grillen & chillen & help out as some say: saving the planet idont shoot just ta shoot, hogs been thinned out. AK's then AR's still waiten for hog ta show up here. Last year had lots of pics of hog's, this year very few. Some see hogs as other wild game . You have any luck in the woods? Its slow here, hogs been thinned out. Best wishes.

Nope. I was in a WMA. There were a couple of hunters camps set up. Lots of tracks but didn't see any hoggies. Hunters been putting the pressure on, I think. I was surrounded by deer though.

There are some areas around the WMA's that got pretty well shot out the last couple of years. Lots of poachers. There was a group of youngsters running around an area last year using dogs and killing everything they saw(so a local told me). I see the hogs as the other wild game, myself. I have shot for some farmers though and have seen the damage and understand their feelings too.

Which WMA are you down the road from?

The only thing that "Fair Chase" seems to be concerned with is keeping things fair between hunters doesn't really seem to have anything to do with fairly chasing a given animal. Fair chase is about keeping weapons/methods/techniques comparable for comparison between hunters and not to put the animal on an equal footing with the hunter. I can't think of a single person here that fairly chases an animal. We all use weapons and methods that are specifically to give us a decidedly unfair advantage, and ideally it helps us to be ethical in our kills.



Right. We don't all hunt the same way, but if legal and the animal doesn't suffer, then who is to say that it is wrong?

OSBWMA. Its archery only deer & hogs. They have rifle draw deer. It was real good place ta do hog hunt, whin it first opened. Surrounding area was hunted like most privite land 24-7-365. An that first year, back in mile or so, couldn't count em. Used ta be able ta walk old ATV trails, it stays pretty wet, & hogs had it tore up. know several people that stayed close ta ATV trails & got lots of hogs. First got on THF, main reason was ta see if any one wanted ta do some hog hunten. My health not best, an them thar huntsolo finding hogs was easy part, it's work getten em out. Light back pack, works best. Twas doing more videoing than chooten, trying ta keep in shape. We've gotten lot of rain here, did hunt their the last snow fall, wet just about every foot step. Still had a blast though. Best wishes

In my honest opinion, fair chase is how the indians did it. Homemade weapons and the hands and feet.
But, I've never jumped out of tree on top of a deer wearing nothing but a loin cloth either. So I guess i'm guilty as charged! LOL