Laws can only do so much to put people on the path toward being ethical hunters.
But what is ethical hunting?
It’s following the laws on the books, for sure, but much is left up to personal choices that we sometimes make in an instant.
Do I shoot the doe that has fawns she raised this summer? Do I push legal shooting time on either end of sunrise and sunset as that beautiful buck whizzes past me? Do I use gadgetry to help me find where the deer are or do I look for bedding areas, tracks and other signs of their presence? Do I pass on the younger bucks to let them mature?
These are only a few of the questions hunters face in the woods. Others are about the sophistication of our guns or bows we use, or whether we employ game cameras or scout with drones.
A Facebook discussion among hunters on how drones are used and how they compare to modern game cameras, the photos from which can be viewed from your cellphone, brought the questions up for public scrutiny.
The answers to your ethical questions may be rooted in why you hunt and how you view the animals you seek.
I am a meat hunter, not a trophy hunter, but I also am a nature lover. Being outdoors soothes me. I like to get out in the woods before dawn and watch the day creatures come to life while the night creatures settle in to rest.
I have learned a lot about squirrels and different species of birds, just by sitting still and observing. I also have had some unique experiences, such as last year when a tiny blue bee I had never seen before hovered in front of me like a miniature hummingbird, as I sat quietly watching for deer. We seemed to share mutual curiosity.
Hunting weather conditions can be brutal. I brace myself for the cold, and see it as part of my sacrifice for what I have in mind to do. I respect the animals I seek. Understanding we are all part of the same food chain and appreciating the sacrifice of life for life is a fundamental part of my hunt.
And I believe in fair chase.
How all of that fits into my views on technology is complicated.
I see nothing wrong with using game cameras. Basically they tell you that deer do or do not frequent an area. The state’s laws were written when only the basic cameras where you have to change out an SD card to see what’s on it were available. The law addresses labeling your camera with your name and contact information and acquiring written landowner permission even if the land isn’t posted for no hunting.
But the law doesn’t address the newer cameras that can be viewed in realtime from your cellphone. A warden told me the difference between the newer cameras and drones is that you still have to walk to where the camera is and the deer or moose may no longer be there, whereas with a drone, you can follow it directly to an animal.
Drones also are noisy and border on harassing the animals — and the people who also enjoy the nature experience.
That said, I can see using drones in the off-season to get the lay of the land you intend to hunt, which can include observations about the big game animals in it. A lot can change between some early fall scouting and actual hunting season. I can accept that use.
But using a drone to hunt with is not only illegal in Maine, it’s unethical and violates my sense of fair chase. Part of the fun of hunting is anticipating that the animal could pop out into view at any moment. In my mind, when I’ve been bested yet again, I do a mental hash mark to tally one for the animal’s side.
For the record, the deer won this year.
Using a drone to recover a dead animal is a gray area as a warden pointed out earlier this week. If the animal is still alive, you can be breaking the law by using the drone, plus the woods are so thick that the heat-seeking infrared may not penetrate the tree canopy.
Yet hunters want to employ every tool they have to find a dead or wounded animal they have shot. Finding that animal is a must for hunters who take their sport seriously. That has spurred the popularity of trained blood tracking dogs and a desire by some hunters to use drones for recovering a shot animal.
As with so many things, there could be compromise.
I liked some hunters’ suggestions of training and licensing a cadre of recovery drone operators or requiring a warden’s presence when using that equipment to find a dead or wounded animal. To me, that approach doesn’t seem to violate hunting ethics or fair chase.
It could be Maine’s future.
