Pride v. Ethics

There are several characteristics that define an outdoorsmen or outdoorswomen. Among the common characteristics are dedication, patience, and a developed understanding of nature.  Many would reason that none of those are as important as their ethics. The ethics that an outdoorsman displays can have a lasting impact on nature, for good or bad. Some people have the ability to step over the line and partake in actions that are deemed unacceptable.

Several resources define ethics as moral principles that govern a person’s behavior. It becomes extremely important for outdoorsmen to have strong morals, because they often have more opportunities to be unethical. This can be accredited to the remote locations that people venture into to pursue nature. Once in these areas those people are under limited supervision and can do as they please. They are presented with opportunities that may allow them to cross a property boundary without permission. They are presented with opportunities to shoot animals that they do not have a tag for. Some may feel comfortable using a weapon that is prohibited during that time of the year. The common explanation for this behavior is that people are concerned with attaining success, and will violate rules in order  to be successful.

Through my studies I have learned that outdoorsmen, especially hunters, will forfeit their ethics for pride. One of the motivating factors behind poachers is that they desire the pride that comes from killing a large animal. They believe that fellow outdoorsmen will place them on a pedestal as a great hunter. They want to show their trophy to other hunters and admire it on their wall. Unfortunately, they often have to break the rules to do that.

The problem with hunters engaging in unethical activity is that they place a negative stigma on ethical hunters. The people who do it the right way have to spend much more money and put more time into the hunt. Worse yet, ethical hunters have to put that much more time into conservation to offset the impacts of unethical actions. Outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen should take pride in their ethics, rather than be too much of a prideful person.