So now that you can pack during bow season...

2LEYS · 09-07-2003, 08:21 PM

Would it be ethical (not legal but ethical) to finish off a mortally wounded elk with your handgun. An elk that you walk up on that makes no effort to get up but is still alive. Or do you just start putting more arrows in it. I know the law and that ethics follow the law. But aside from the law do you think it would be ethical?

09-07-2003, 09:17 PM

Ethical hunters could handle the responsibilty but there are the unethical ones that ruin it for every one.

Silver Hilton · 09-08-2003, 05:53 AM

Absolutely, I think it's ethical. I disagree that ethics follow the law. The law is imperfect, and can't always anticipate the ethical situation. I think it's the other way around - we try to make the laws conform to ethics, but often fail.

If you have pursued the animal fairly, and shot it fairly during bow season, and downed but not killed the animal, I think a shot to the brain is going to end the animal's pain more quickly and reliably than another arrow. I don't know if that is legal, however.

Old Coot · 09-08-2003, 12:06 PM

I was told by some ODFW types that the original reason for banning firearms while bowhunting was that so many of the opportunistic unethicals would shoot an animal and then go stuff an arrow in the carcass. When caught, they offered up the "ending the suffering" story. I hope we don't see a return to that situation, but my ride-along experience with OSP in 2001 makes me think otherwise.

lost_sailor · 09-08-2003, 12:11 PM

Shouldn't you just tear its heart out with your bare hands?

Hoosier Daddy · 09-09-2003, 08:07 AM

Probably would be the most ethical thing to do, but opens up a can of worms we can't afford.

Joe Schwab · 09-10-2003, 12:46 PM

Why bow hunt at all if you have to ask these questions? It is supposed to be a primitive experience. End of story. The same argument is applied to keeping mortally wounded, bleeding from the gills wild fish. If everyone was totally honest and ethical we would not need any hunting or fishing laws or people to enforce them. Knowing what you know about human nature do you want to leave it up to individual judgement?

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