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A sport is, by definition, an activity requiring athletic skill or prowess and of a competitive nature. Many textbook definitions include "hunting" as an example of the term. In its purest form, I too believe hunting belongs in that category.

Unfortunately, however, too often hunting is pursued in an unethical and unsportsmanlike manner. That is because local laws don't embody the three principals enumerated below, hunter education courses are limited, and local hunters too often view hunting as entertainment, not sport.

Hunting animals is a legitimate sport as long as three elements are present: 1) the species hunted is abundant, 2) the practice of "fair chase" is employed, and 3) the fruits of the successful hunt are fully utilized.

It goes without saying that hunted animals should only be species whose populations are abundant and who can take the additional pressure caused by hunting. State law regulates what species can be hunted, when they can be killed, and in what numbers. Hunting comes under fire, however, because most state wildlife conservation organizations operate on the revenues they generate from hunting and fishing licenses. Thus, the licensing authority is open to the attack that they are more interested in selling licenses than in ensuring the animals hunted or fished are properly protected. Wildlife agencies and hunters need to be proactive making sure the decisions concerning hunting laws are based on sound wildlife and ecosystem management practices and not politics.

Fair chase means that the hunter pursues the animal in an ethical and lawful manner that does not provide an unfair advantage. Unfortunately, there is a lot of "wiggle" room here and different hunter groups don't agree on what constitutes fair chase and what does not. This leaves hunting open to criticism in areas where questionable practices are allowed. For example, in some states (such as Michigan) it is legal to bait animals. This is a practice where a hunter provides food throughout the year, enticing the animal to become accustomed to a feeding station. When hunting season arrives, the hunter will simply hide near the station and wait for the animal to feed. Many states outlaw this practice. Another example would be chasing animals in vehicles. This also outlawed in many states for many species, but not all.

Finally, for hunting to be widely considered as a sport by hunters and non-hunters alike, the fruits of the hunt must be fully utilized. Anti-hunting groups gain great mileage out of animal corpses where only the head or the horns are removed for trophy. It is politically unwise for hunters to trophy hunt in this way. At some point it also becomes an ethical issue, as many feel that the roots of hunting are dishonored if the prey is wasted. To their credit, many hunters donate the successful hunt to shelters and food pantries. Such practices need to become the rule rather than the exception for hunting to be widely perceived as sport.

Many hunters incorporate these elements into their hunting. These are the true sportsmen and sportswomen. Unfortunately, many still do not. Hunters need to lobby their elected officials and wildlife agencies to make sure regulations embody these sportsmanlike principles to the extent possible. Hunters also need to help educate the next generation of hunters by teaching them to be ethical sportspersons and speaking up when they see unethical practices employed.

Hunting is a legitimate sport and those of us who engage in it thoughtfully and with respect must work to keep it that way.

Learn more about this author, Joseph Hazelbaker.
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