Our Permission to Speak - Hunt Fair Chase

All significant human activities, sooner or later, are conducted under a code, or set of guidelines, that direct appropriate behavior. Without this order there would simply be chaos and the activity would become unacceptable.

This website presents many aspects of hunting ethics and fair chase, including what an overall code of ethics says about hunters being principled men and women committed to something greater than themselves.

It’s a fact that not everyone hunts or understands hunting. It is also true that hunters are a minority. Combined, this means hunting has and is repeatedly under question and often criticized and debated in a now-global forum.

There is one rule in an open public debate about anything. To have your points of view heard and listened to, whether they are accepted or not, you must first have earned the permission to speak. This means you have the experience and credibility to be a part of a productive debate to be taken seriously and not dismissed. In the broader public debates about hunting’s modern relevance and personal and conservation benefits, fair chase is our permission to speak.

The concept of fair chase dictates that hunting has a code, and there are guidelines, principles, values, and standards being practiced and met. It validates that hunting is not random, lawless, and without purpose.

People may not participate in an activity themselves, but they have proven they do not oppose others who participate when there is proof that good behavior is celebrated and bad behavior is not tolerated.