Frankfort, KY (October 28, 2004) - On Saturday, November 13, tens of thousands of deer hunters will be in the woods and fields of rural Kentucky, hoping to harvest some of the state’s 900,000 whitetails. Some will be on hunts with family members, some with friends, and some will be there alone. Whatever the case, this brotherhood of like interest will be out enjoying and utilizing the bounty of Mother Nature, all anticipating an exciting hunt during opening weekend of modern gun deer season.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR), while wishing each hunter success, and emphasizing safety and following season laws, further urges sportsmen and women to keep hunting ethics in mind while afield this deer season.

Why do ethics matter? Because ethics is at the heart of the hunting sports, and it is personal integrity that distinguishes a true "sportsmen" or "sportswoman" from just another person out there with hunting equipment interested in taking a crack at whatever they might see.

Some will ask what the difference between being a legal hunter and an ethical hunter is? Some say following the law is all I need to do to be a good sportsman. Or that as long as I have a license, I’ve met my obligation and don’t have to worry about anything else.

Being an ethical hunter includes being lawful, but goes well beyond simply what the laws say is acceptable or unacceptable. Ethical hunting is making the right choice when there’s no law that governs you. An ethical approach to hunting means doing things the right way whether a wildlife officer is around or not, and because doing it is just the right thing to do.

Take retrieving a deer that has fallen just across the line fence on someone else’s property, for example. Often, it may be much easier to just go get it, rather than track down the landowner and get permission to retrieve it. Even if you’d be over there just for a few minutes, and no one would know, the ethical hunter contacts the landowner and makes sure it’s OK. Perhaps an ethical hunter goes one step further. If the deer is right on the property line in the first place, and the chances are good that it will go on somebody else’s land before it goes down, perhaps you just let it walk. Maybe it’s the best choice not to hunt right on the property line, respect your neighbor’s space, and thereby reduce or eliminate the chance of an animal you shoot getting on property you don’t have legal access to. None of these scenarios are covered in a regulation, but an ethical hunter knows what the right choice is, and that’s what he or she does.

There’s no law for deer season that says not to shoot at a deer running through the brush 150 yards away, or that sets a limit on the distance at which a shot can be taken, but ethical hunters are aware of their abilities, and the probabilities, of making good, clean kill shots. It is the sportsman’s individual integrity that determines his decisions, and dictates when to shoot and when to wait. An ethical sportswoman will abide by her ethics in every situation for no more reason than it’s the right thing to do. She doesn’t need a law to tell her what choice to make, because she has learned and recognized that in many situations in the field, there can be only one right choice.

A law-abiding hunter is a good thing. An ethical, true sportsman at heart has the respect for the resource, the law, his fellow hunters and landowners squarely in his sights each time out. And maybe more than that, an ethical sportsman respects himself. Consequently, that puts him a notch ahead. His or her hunting experiences will always be richer than those who have more selfish things in mind. It feels good to do the right thing, and even more so when you go it on your own.

This season, if you haven’t made the transition from hunter to sportsmen, remember the importance ethics play in the sport. Hunting is a privilege, and appreciating the sport as a privilege includes hunting ethically, as well as safely and legally. Don’t cheat yourself. Get your bag limit of all three this season. Take it up a level and add the proper ethics to your hunts, and enjoy the experience to its fullest.