Artificial intelligence, fake photos, unblinking drones and dozens of other technological advances marched quickly forward in 2024. They dominated headlines, swayed opinion and issued an subtle reminder that hunting is one of the few remaining shelters from that electronic din. It continues to offer uncluttered moments with friends and family, reality-based experiences in nature and there’s no obstacle-defeating cheat codes.
Harnessing some cutting-edge technology may be legal—depending federal regulations and those in the area you’re hunting—but is doing so fair chase and ethical? It’s a difficult question made more complex last year.
The speed at which mind-boggling advances were introduced underscores the importance of the joint effort launched by the Boone and Crockett Club and National Rifle Association’s Hunters’ Leadership Forum (HLF) in 2023. Last year the result of that project, the free Fair Chase and Hunter Ethics Course, went live.
“Since the days of Theodore Roosevelt and the founding of conservation in this country, hunters have had a code of ethics in their pursuit of wildlife,” said HLF director Peter Churchbourne when the course was unveiled. “This ethics education curriculum is essential to ensure that the current generation of hunters understands and operates under this code.”
It’s an ideal opportunity for hunters, particularly those youthful sportsmen destined to carry on the heritage, to learn about the rich tradition of fair chase, helping them understand responsible and ethical hunting. It builds a foundation of principles, which allows those who take the course to define their own ethical standards. Upon successful completion of the course, students will receive a certificate of achievement and the opportunity to obtain a “Hunt Fair Chase” challenge coin as a testament to their commitment to ethical hunting.
“We are very pleased to team up with the HLF to offer a world-class digital education experience on the topics of fair chase and hunter ethics,” Luke Coccoli, Boone and Crocket director of conservation programs explained. “This code of ethics is essential to showing respect for the game we hunt and forms the foundation for our responsibility to wildlife and wild places.”
Fair chase is the ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild-game animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper or unfair advantage over the game animals. It isn’t just about what is legal or illegal—in fact, fair chase can be subjective and represent different ideals for every hunter.
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