Of all the things we take into the field, the most important is our own attitude. That’s because fair chase is defined by values we believe in and are committed to uphold.

As hunters, we all will inevitably be put in a position to explain, either in person or online, why we hunt. Sometimes this will be in response to someone who is simply curious. Other times we could be confronted by someone who has already made up his or her mind that they oppose hunting in general, or some form of it, and is just interested in winning an argument.

“Personal choice” is mentioned many times throughout this website. There is no escaping the fact that hunting itself is a personal experience, preceded by personal choices. The issue of legal versus ethical raises another very important personal choice question.

A clean kill of a game animal is of course the hoped-for goal of a fair chase hunt. But as anyone who spends time afield knows, there’s a lot more to hunting than just the kill.

“A peculiar virtue in wildlife ethics is that the hunter ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct. Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience, rather than by a mob of onlookers. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of this fact.”―Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

It would be tough for anyone who hunts not to be disturbed by the rhetoric being put forth by anti-hunting groups. They’re among that 10 percent of the population who not only does not hunt, but they are trying to make a living out of ending all hunting.

This vocal minority never seems to let the facts get in the way of a good argument, which is frustrating to watch.

All significant human activities, sooner or later, are conducted under a code, or set of guidelines, that direct appropriate behavior.

December 18, 2017—The British Columbia government, at the behest of reportedly 78 percent of its residents, ended all grizzly bear hunting for residents and non-resident sportsmen.

Hunting is a deeply rooted tradition that provides many lasting benefits. One of these benefits that is often overlooked is what hunting teaches.

Hunting, by its very nature, teaches valuable life skills such as problem solving and organization. It also instills character traits such as self-reliance, self-determination, self-discipline, and self-respect.