“A friend of Footloose Montana, a hunter, rancher and 7th generation Montanan speaks out about trapping and ethics in hunting!
I grew up as a member of a 7 generation pioneer Montana ranching family. We were and still are outdoorsmen and spend every opportunity hiking, fishing and hunting in the Montana outdoors. Hunting was not done to acquire trophies to hang on the wall, or a rug to lay upon the floor, it was an opportunity to help supplement the family’s food larder through the winter Months. My grandfather, with whom I spent uncountable hours with in the forests taught me hunting ethics from the time I could fill a pair of boots and had the strength to keep up with him. As hunters, we followed strict personal rules when it came to taking an animal. Take no more than what was legal and no more than what our family could eat. We relied on our expertise in stalking and getting a close to the animal as possible, and if we could not take an animal cleanly, we passed it by. By cleanly, I mean as close as possible to an instant kill. Watching or having an animal suffer due to our poor hunting ability was unthinkable.
It is my belief that most hunters today still maintain those kinds of ethics as it applies to hunting. But there are a few that display conduct that shames the rest of us. These are what I refer to as Slob hunters, and these are the ones that portray the rest of us with a horrible image to the non-hunting population. The slob hunters are the ones that post stickers all over their trucks with slogans such as “Wolves, smoke a pack a day, or the only good wolf is a dead wolf, etc”. The slob hunters are the same type that knowingly put traps out where the contraption is more likely to capture a domestic animal or pet than it is likely to capture the trapper’s intended victim. These are the same guys that post their rantings and pictures of tortured, suffering animals all over Facebook for all to see. These are the same guys who show their lack of upbringing by waving their arms, making faces at Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks commissioner’s meetings while muttering loudly as someone with an opposing view presents their testimony. These are the same guys that who verbally attack others at meetings, within newspapers, or write sick comments on other people’s facebook pages trying to intimidate, all because someone may have a different outlook than their own.
The Slob hunters and trappers are the people that are the biggest threat to hunting in North America. It’s not the non-hunting communities, nor is it the Anti-hunters who threaten the future of hunting. The biggest threat to hunting over all is and will continue to be the slob hunters within the hunting community itself. The Slob hunters are the ones that tear down fences on private land, use Forest service signs and out houses for target practice. These are the guys that run their ATVs off designated roads and trails, tearing up the terrain, these are the guys that gut shoot a rancher’s cow, or horse that happens to be standing out in the middle of a field. These are the guys that feel they need to take semi-automatic rifles into the field with 30 round magazines, along with a few 12 packs of beer in the back seat. These are guys that leave their empty beer cans alongside road ways, or in camping areas for someone else to pick up.
So often I have heard, “Trapping is part of Montana’s heritage and tradition” and to that I must reply, “It may have been a part of our state’s history, but that does NOT mean it needs to be a part of our future!” I detest trapping in all forms, and those that utilize trapping for sport or profit. Sport? What Sport? Trapping, no matter how you look at it is nothing more than blatant cruelty that inflicts needless suffering upon an animal.
The hunting communities should best begin to realize that it’s NOT the non-hunting population or even the Anti-hunting communities that are the biggest threat to hunting in North America. It’s the Slob hunters and trappers within the hunting community itself that is the biggest threat to the hunting tradition.
I strongly believe the majority of the hunters today do care about and maintaining strong conservation values for the land as well as wildlife in general. They believe and follow certain ethics while hunting and the principle of “Fair Chase” is an example.
The Boone and Crocket club defined “Fair Chase” as the ethical, sportsman like, lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper or unfair advantage over such game. Use of any of the following in the taking of game is considered UNFAIR chase:
* Spotting or herding game from the air, then landing, pursuing and shooting those animals
* Herding, pursuing or shooting game from a motor boat or motor vehicle
* Use of illegal electronic devices attracting, locating, or observing game, or for guiding hunters to such game
* Hunting game confined by fences, enclosures, or game transplanted solely for the purpose of commercial shooting
* Taking game illegally or using illegal methods against regulations of the Federal government or any state, province, territory, or tribal lands.
Personally I would add two more to Boone and Crocket’s list and that would be:
* Hunting and shooting of an animal over bait
* Hunting and killing of pregnant animals. What is ETHICAL about that??
We can thank the hunting communities, through their efforts, for the millions of acres of wilderness and wild lands set aside for wildlife. But the hunting community must realize that times are changing and the hunting communities alone can no longer fully support conservation. Our wild lands are constantly under attack by big money organizations, the oil, and livestock industries for example. America is losing its open lands and as the land goes, so does its wildlife. It is IMPERATIVE that both the hunting communities and the non-hunting communities work together and get politics as well as special interests out of our forests. There is absolutely no reason that either side should not be willing to sit down and work together to accomplish our basic mutual goal of preserving wild lands and wildlife for future generations to enjoy.
As I have attended many Fish, Wildlife and Park public and commissioner meetings, I note that the majority of speakers pushing for unethical practices come from the Trophy hunters, the Outfitter association, or domestic livestock associations. We cannot afford to allow these people to continue to dictate policy that will affect the future of our wildlife and wild lands. Its way past the time that Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks puts aside political agendas and begins to manage, and preserve ALL our wildlife as that department was originally tasked to do. Our future and hunting depends on it.
I support Footloose Montana and applaud this organization’s efforts to eliminate trapping upon public lands.
Thank you!
Steve Clevidence”
The Wolf Preservation Blog 
Excellent post, Steve. May your words inspire the rest of the ethical hunters out there to speak up and participate in protecting all things wild. Thank you.
Bravo Steve! Well said. The one thing you didn’t address, however was the hunting of carnivores. Since wolf isn’t really something people typically eat, where do you stand on the hunting of wolves, bears, big cats and smaller predators such as coyotes, foxes, weasels, etc?
Also, you didn’t weigh in on the use of dogs for hunting. Where do you stand on these issues?
Thanks for a civil discourse.
Oliver
Hunting is Murder! Break the Bloody chain of tradition!
Very well said Steve. I like many others want to stop the slaughter of Americas wolves. However, I still believe like you in ethical hunting to supplement your food. So that kinda sets me apart from many conservationists. I believe that there are plenty of elk and deer in this country and that wolves are key to keeping these herds healthy enough for human consumption as they weed out the old and the sick from the herd. Unlike trophy hunters who don’t give a damn about the health or future of a species. They only care about impressing someone else equally as devoid of concern for the future of our wildlife as they themselves are, to put it as politely as I can. You are right when you say it’s slob hunters, trappers and trophy hunters that will be the downfall of hunting. I have hunted and was taught to respect the environment, peoples property, and most of all wildlife. Over the years I have found that my greatest memories of hunting were not formed by hunting with a gun but with a camera instead. Although that kind of hunting does not fill the freezer, it is by far more rewarding than killing an animal so I can have elk or deer in my freezer.
[ I can] see clearly now after all these years…The Only way to Hunt is with a Camera! (I sure wish every human thought this way!)
Bravo — great article.
Steve I am glad to hear that there r still quality hunters out there in the land of “slob hunters”! I am a Rainbow Warrior and i fight for the rights of Mother Earth and her creatures that can not fight for them selves!! I applaud u and especially your grandfather,for teaching you how to treat the wildlife and the Earth. I myself do not like the hunt, I can not kill any living animal,bird reptile, and most insects too tho there r exceptions, Cockroaches i will kill in a heartbeat!! I am not against all hunting, killing for food supplement is perfectly acceptable to me, as long as it is a clean kill! As u say an animal should not suffer any more than it has to, quick and clean is good. The other points u bring up r good also, If all hunters were as u r, there would be no problem with me and a lot of other activists Unfortunately, there r way too many that do not share your values. Baiting, trapping, snaring, and the killing of not only pregnant animals but their offspring babies, out of hatred and a sadistic thrill is all to prevalent and they spoil everything for others, Such as the bad seed always does, Maybe u should get together with some of the activists that r trying to save the animals from the “slob hunters” and c what can b worked out, ALL THAT MATTERS IS THE SAVING OF THE WILDLIFE FROM SUFFERING BY THE A**HOLES THAT RUIN IT FOR ALL OF U. THINK ABOUT IT AND CONTACT SOMEONE ABOUT IT.. IF U R SERIOUS IN WHAT U SAY. Wyoming has killed all of its wolves except the 100 that the Federal Gov’t states “must stay alive”, now that is just….plain…wrong….period!!!
I also agree that the wildlife habitat must be kept for the wildlife and not the jerks who want to destroy and build on it, wildlife is already getting the raw end of the human population explosion, soon there will be no where for the wildlife to be but in someones’ back yard, as some people have already found out. i will repeat myself here, I am glad that there r still “hunters” out there who hunt as the Native Americans have always hunted and respect Mother Earth! I thank you for the caring u show.
Thank God for some sanity and commonsense from a hunter.
Regards Oliver Craig.
Steve…..Kudos for telling it like it is! 100 percent behind your comments and Footloose Montana Too!
Excellent blog. Do you know about the practice of “penning”, where trained hounds are set loose on an animal (usually a coyote) and rip him to shreds while enclosed in a pen? Only Slob hunters would be a party to this. There is also a recently exposed case of a Wildlife Services employee turning loose his hounds on live coyotes in leg-hold traps. The whistleblower says this has been going on for years.
I think we need major changes in how our various wildlife management agencies handle cases involving torture and killing of predators. Maybe you could add using dogs to your list of what is considered Fair Chase – there’s nothing fair about having a pack of dogs chase down any animal so a Slob hunter can claim the kill.
Also, I’m sick of the destruction done to our public lands by cattle. If ranchers don’t have enough private land to support their cattle, they shouldn’t be in the business.
Thank you for this. One aspect does give me pause and that is the definition of ‘fair chase’ relying on practices deemed “legal” to determine that they are ethical. I’ve heard hunters say if it’s legal to spotlight and shoot raccoons from trees at night in your state, its ethical. It follows that if it isn’t legal in your state, then it isn’t. If it’s legal to use electronic calls for coyotes, its ethical. But somehow it isn’t ethical to use them for cougars if it isn’t legal. Or because its legal to use bait for bears, that is ethical but because it isn’t legal to use bait for deer that isn’t ethical. Legality is a cop-out to morality and I would like for hunters to stop using the regulations as a crutch. Ethics shouldn’t be that flexible.
Hunting for food is in our genes. Trophy & predator hunting is just another version of Slobbery. Those who hunt trophies are compensating for all the other virtues they so obviously are lacking.
I could go so far as supporting predator hunting, wolves, coyotes, big cats, mustelidae if the hunter was going to actually use the cape for some need. If that fur is truly what you need to keep warm in the winter, so be it.
Otherwise, it is all about ego and vanity.
I was right along with him until he skipped over hunting as a management tool and tossed in his jab about 30 round magazines and semiautomatic firearms. A semiautomatic firearm or a magazine-fed firearm does not make a person a “slob” hunter, failing to practice, make ethical shots and unsafe firearm handling makes a hunter a slob.
It’s a swell and all but what are “good” hunters doing to expose slob hunters and stop them from decimating entire fauna populations? They leave the fight to us, antis.
Well Bravo! I feel that the unscrupulous animal killers should be dealt with and charged with cruelty. That would be one good way to keep a control on the sadism we see displayed.
I was enlightened by you commentary. I hear most hunters do it for food…what is wrong with Kroger or Piggly=Wiggly or being a vegetarian? I am opposed to all animal slaughter period. I am also becoming a vegetarian! I understand your point of view and am glad to hear a hunter who doesn’t seem to be sadistic or have a serial killer gene.
Hi Pam, I was enlightened by this Montana Hunter’s comments as well. You don’t see this too often, very refreshing! With that being said, I’m cautious with his comments. Is he being completely real or just trying to get on everyone’s good side?
That was a really good speech..but why don’t you get involved with something that can help change the way people view wolves and other wildlife…you are absolutely right, but the people who are out killing the wildlife need to hear it, we already know