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The Boone and Crockett Club, the oldest hunter-conservationist organization in North America, has released a comprehensive essay on fair chase, the first and longest-standing honor code in North American hunting.

"Millions of hunters worldwide practice fair chase, many without even knowing this code has a name or that the Club originated it," said Club President Morrie Stevens. "With public misperceptions about hunting on the rise and increasing questions about hunting practices and new technology, we feel it is time to re-visit this fundamental part of hunter's conservation ethic."

The concept of fair chase—the ethical pursuit of a game animal in the field—emerged over 125 years ago at a time of environmental crisis when many formerly abundant wildlife populations in North America were on the brink of extinction. Theodore Roosevelt, after witnessing the bleached bones of thousands of slaughtered bison, was determined to do something about this travesty.

The new code of conduct for hunters established by Roosevelt and the Boone and Crockett Club not only transformed individual behavior and purposes for hunting, but also supported the new conservation principles the Club was promoting. The system of wildlife conservation we have today is still based on the Club's principles of limiting harvest and wisely managing wildlife populations to ensure they will never be threatened again, as well as an ethical approach to hunting that meets with the expectations of sportsmen and society.

The Club's essay on fair chase explores the code's historical roots and provides a framework for how modern fair chase hunters think about hunting practices and customs. It delves into how hunters evaluate new technological advancements, regional traditions and why fair chase is more a matter of the "spirit of the hunt" than a set of written rules. The essay also addresses the opportunity for hunters to foster a positive public perception of hunting by conducting themselves in an ethical manner.

Some essay excerpts:

Fair chase has become a code of conduct for the American sportsman, helped shape the foundation of many of our game laws, and is taught to new hunters as they complete mandatory certification courses. However, despite its long history and widespread acceptance, fair chase is not as clearly understood by hunters or the non-hunting public as it should be. This is because social values, conservation practices, and hunting technologies are constantly evolving. Furthermore, fair chase is more a matter of the "spirit of the hunt" than a set of written rules. It is shaped, in part, by an individual's motivations for hunting and their personal sense of right and wrong. Thus, the meaning of fair chase can vary to some extent from one person to the next. What is most important is that hunters recognize and embrace the ideal of fair chase and use it individually to measure their hunting decisions and experiences.

Some people believe that trophy hunting—selectively hunting for animals with the largest antlers, horns, or skull— is an unacceptable motivation for hunting. This disapproval is not based on how an animal is hunted, but on the belief that the sole purpose of the hunt is to collect a large mount for the wall, and the rest of the animal is wasted. Despite these misperceptions by some people, if a hunter's intent is to hunt hard and hold out for an animal that is well into maturity, passed his breeding prime and has survived many seasons, that is a choice that should be respected. The primary motivation for seeking a trophy is a higher degree of difficulty. An older, more mature animal is experienced in not being seen by and eluding predators, including human hunters. These individuals are typically more difficult to locate and hunt—qualities that appeal to the fair chase hunter.

"Fair chase is rich with benefits," said Stevens. "Not only to the game we hunt and the traditions of hunting, but to hunters personally. Fair chase is linked to such things as self-reliance, discipline and character development, and caring for something greater than ourselves. Understanding the value and transformative nature of a fair chase ethic is just as important for those who hunt as it is for non-hunters."

Read the essay in its entirety at:http://www.boone-crockett.org/pdf/On_Fair_Chase.pdf

- The Archery Wire