Hunting Ethics
By Lexi Tuddenham and Jesse Dudley
As advocates for wildlife and wild lands from different parts of the conservation community, we feel the recent hunting incident adjacent to the Valley Floor reinforced the need for discussion and education about the interplay between legality and ethics in hunting and conservation. As Alison James noted in the Nov. 9 Daily Planet article, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
First and foremost, we want to note that historically, ethical hunting and long-term land conservation have worked hand in hand. Indigenous stewards of the land have responsibly hunted for millenia, and many of the first Western conservationists were hunters themselves. Organizations like Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA) today remain some of the strongest voices for wilderness protections, and form key constituencies with a singularly powerful influence on Republican lawmakers. In 2017, a proposal from Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz to sell off 3 million acres of potential wilderness lands across 10 Western states prompted such an outcry from the hunting and angling community that he retracted the proposal. BHA joins Sheep Mountain Alliance in supporting such important local conservation bills as the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act, and we have many shared interests when it comes to public lands protection.
Individually, we are both hunters, and agree that hunting provides one of the most visceral first-hand experiences of being an active part of the environment we all live in. As hunters, we are part of the public that shares stewardship and use of federal public lands. These lands contain a complicated history that in many cases includes the dispossession of their original, Native inhabitants, and the exclusion of other marginalized groups. The ideal of federal public lands, though, is that they are held in trust for all of us.
Hunting is indeed allowed on most federal public land, including in wilderness areas and off of trails in the Telluride area. There are standard hunting safety rules that are common practice and emphasized in hunter education classes, like having a backstop and clear line of sight whenever firing a firearm. Nonetheless, if you are not a hunter it can be unnerving to come across hunters on your favorite trail or recreation area during hunting season, and there are some hunters who make poor choices. It is always prudent to know when hunting seasons are (at cpw.state.co.us), and to make you and your pets’ presence known by wearing bright colors during that time.
Despite the apparent legality of the Valley Floor incident, many were disturbed and upset by the taking of the magnificent bull we had admired with his harem, so close to a space that has been set aside for wildlife and ecosystem preservation, where hunting is not allowed.
People have different relationships with the other beings we share these lands with and many are not morally comfortable with hunting, or maybe even eating meat in general. The word of the law does not necessarily take into account how best to get along with your neighbor, or how to make principled choices, and this is where hunting ethics enter the equation.
Ethics and the considerations of the ethical hunter go well beyond the law, and come from a place of respect and humility. These codes of conduct are taught in hunter education classes before anyone is able to buy a hunting license and discussed in popular books like “Beyond Fair Chase,” by Jim Posewitz and by organizations like BHA and Orion: The Hunter’s Institute. Posewitz defines fair chase, an important element of hunting ethics, as “a balance that allows hunters to occasionally succeed while animals generally avoid being taken.” Every hunter has their own interpretation of a fair chase. But whether or not you perceive the Valley Floor hunt as fair, this is certain: the hunter who passes over the easy, obvious success and opts to take to the field and find animals the hard way, gets the greatest rewards of the hunt: greater understanding of the landscape they live in, an intimate knowledge of the species, and an appreciation for all wildlife and what they need to survive.
In a modern world now experienced largely through smart phones, we realize that it is a privilege to play our ancient role in the interplay of predator and prey; and to continue hunting the most natural and wild protein available from public lands depends on the goodwill and respect we show towards others who spend time on those lands.
As we consider the future of coexistence with wildlife and other people on our public lands, what comes through most clearly is the sense of stewardship and responsibility so many of us feel towards the creatures that share this valley with us humans. Hunters must think carefully about the consequences and public perception of their actions. Sheep Mountain Alliance’s citizen science work offers volunteers in our community the opportunity to contribute to science-based land management efforts through elk monitoring on the Valley Floor. Find more about it at sheepmountainalliance.org/vf-elk-monitoring
To learn more about Backcountry Hunters and Anglers check out backcountryhunters.org
Lexi Tuddenham is the Executive Director of Sheep Mountain Alliance and Jesse Dudley serves as the Assistant Regional Director, Central West Slope, Colorado Chapter, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.