Fair chase
Fair chase is a term used by
Fair chase has been the
Fair Chase is also a
History
The concept and the popularization of the term "fair chase" is credited to Theodore Roosevelt and perpetuated by the Boone and Crockett Club, a conservation organization of Roosevelt's creation.[2][3]
European aristocratic roots
Ethics, or a code of conduct, in hunting first emerged centuries ago among European hunters who were primarily the wealthy landowners and royalty. While the commoner hunted to stay alive, the aristocrat
In the early part of the 20th century, a sense of pride and accomplishment began to emerge among sportsmen that came with their newly accepted responsibility to conserve. Doing right by the game being hunted meant working with conservation and population recovery efforts, including the creation of the
Development and definition
The earliest recorded North American usage of the term "fair chase" is in the fifth article of the Boone and Crockett Club constitution, adopted in February 1888. At this time in American history, there were no laws governing the taking of game for food or for sport. Water-killing deer (driving deer with hounds or pushers into lakes where hunters waited in boats to either shoot, club, or cut the throats of deer) was a widespread practice, especially in the Adirondack Mountains.
Article X of the club's constitution declared that the killing of game while swimming was an "offense" for which a member may be suspended or expelled from the club.).
In 1893, Roosevelt wrote about hunting and fair chase in his book titled The Wilderness Hunter.[7]
The teddy bear's connection
The history of the teddy bear has a close connection to fair chase. During his presidency in 1902, Roosevelt was in Mississippi to settle a border dispute. His hosts knew Roosevelt was an avid hunter and arranged for a black bear hunt for the president. In the thick brush swamps of Mississippi it was a common practice of the day to hunt bears with hounds. Out of concern for the president's safety, the guides insisted that he stay in camp until a bear was brought to bay by the hounds, and subsequently a small bear was caught and tied to a tree. When Roosevelt arrived at the scene he refused to shoot the defenseless animal.[8]
Being omitted from the chase was unsettling to Roosevelt, who prided himself in living the hardy life of an
Fair chase today
When in the field, the initial question for every fair chase hunter is whether the animal has a reasonable opportunity to elude the hunter. If the animal does not, the hunt can never be "fair chase". For example, a fair chase hunter does not shoot an animal hampered by deep snow or entangled in a barbed-wire fence.
There are also laws that regulate hunting. Ethical, fair chase hunting therefore begins with obeying game laws. A fair chase hunter must acquaint themselves with the laws that govern hunting, as they reflect considerations for safety, the sustainable use of the wildlife resources, and the minimum level of conduct that the public will tolerate in a particular state, province, region, or country. If something is illegal it cannot, by definition, be fair chase. On the other hand, just because something is legal does not make it fair chase.[10]
There are certain aspects of fair chase hunting that extend beyond written laws. For example, shooting at a running deer is not illegal, nor are there any laws regarding shooting at extremely long ranges with a firearm or bow. To those who believe in the responsibility to kill quickly and cleanly, taking such risky shots would be unethical. A large part of the time-honored tradition of hunting has to do with the fact that sportsmen police themselves and others both within and beyond the rule of law.[11]
"Canned shoots", also known as "
When
The Pope and Young Club, a US-based organization that promotes bowhunting, declares that a fair chase shall not involve the taking of animals under the following conditions:
- Helplessly in a trap, struggling in deep snow, mud or water, or on ice.
- By "jacklighting" or blind-shining at night.
- By the use of any tranquilizers or poisons.
- While inside escape-proof fenced enclosures.
- From any powered powerboat.
- By the use of any powered vehicle or powerboat for herding or driving animals, including use of aircraft to land alongside or to communicate with or direct a hunter on the ground.
- By the use of electronic devices for attracting, locating or pursuing game or guiding the hunter to such game, or by the use of a bow and arrow to which any electronic device is attached with the exception of lighted nocks and recording devices that cast no light towards the target and do not aid in rangefinding, sighting or shooting the bow.[14]
See also
References
- ^ "Fair Chase Statement". Boone and Crockett Club.
- ^ "Minutes from first meeting of the Boone and Crockett Club". Montana Memory Project - University of Montana Mansfield Library. Boone and Crockett Club. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
- ISBN 0-595-32316-2.
- ISBN 978-1-4443-3503-3.
- ^ "Boone and Crockett Archive". Montana Memory Project - University of Montana Mansfield Library. Boone and Crockett Club. Archived from the original on 2016-04-26. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
- ^ Leopold, Aldo (1942). Sand County Almanac. Oxford University Press. p. 226.
- ^ Roosevelt, Theodore (1893). The Wilderness hunter. New York, New York: G.P Putnam's Sons. pp. 44–45.
- ^ a b "Real Teddy Bear Story". Theodore Roosevelt Association. Theodore Roosevelt Association. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020.
- ^ "The Story of the Teddy Bear - Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site". National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020.
- ISBN 1-56044-302-2.
- ISBN 1-56044-302-2.
- ISBN 978-0-231-15294-5.
- ^ Humane Society Wildlife Abuse Campaign, Fact Sheet on Internet Hunting
- ^ "Fair Chase". Chatfield, Minnesota: Pope and Young Club. Retrieved September 19, 2023.