Ethics of blind hunting?

[Elton]

Now i am sure this will stir some feathers. I would love to hear your opinions on bow hunting in a blind vs walk n stalk. Now i have no issues with either, and think that if you can walk n stalk with a bow it truly makes you a great hunter, not that i have reached that level yet. I am going to try again at the end of June, but with this hunt coming up i can't help but wonder the point of blind hunting.

Let me explain what got this all started. I have heard numerous times about hunting ethics from NON HUNTERS who always seem to know more than the hunters themselves. Now i respect people's opinions and beliefs on not hunting, yet they can't seem to respect ours. Its always the same argument that the poor creatures don't have any choice in the matter and its not fair and they are at a disadvantage (generally referring to rifle hunting and blind bow hunting).

Obviously we as hunters disagree for various reasons. But the last time i heard this was two weeks ago where the person said "you might as well hit a pig in the back of the head with a hammer".

And i wondered if they realized how pork and beef are processed commercially? As that is almost close to what happens, thise animals REALLY don't have a choice regarding them living or not. Whereas when hunting (walk and stalk) there are so many factors that have a role to play. Both from how aware the animal is, and how good a hunter you are. Not to mention the "luck factor" that sometimes things just goes wrong and the animal is off never to be seen again.

In my mind the animals being hunted have a hell of a lot more choice (not sure choice is the correct word, but you get what I am saying) towards living then commercially processed animals?

And that is the LONG story of how i got to this point of wondering if Blind hunting isn't similar to commercially processed animals? Because as i was asked about my upcoming hunting trip by my local bow shop when i ordered new broadheads, i mentioned that I will be in the hide the first day to make sure i have meat in the freezer and then i will try and walk n stalk the remainder of the trip. As i said this i realized that we often accept that when you hunt in a blind, you almost gaurenteed of a kill (Almost being the operative word).

Which begs the question that can blind hunting be considered hunting?


Ok enough of my ranting, let me know what you think.

 

[Zambezi]

Depends on how you view hide hunting. It can be seen as a form of ambush hunting. Much like a "voorsit' hunt in the Eastern Cape or a driven hunt in Bavaria. Just with a much higher success percentage. Does it give the quarry a "sporting" chance? I'd say not nearly like walk and stalk but you still have to develop some hunting skills to sit in a blind for hours on end such as silence, patience, etc

"Is it hunting?" I'm not going to touch that question with a barge pole!! The US/Canadian boys are just waking up and may be grumpy and the Oz/Kiwi boys have been drinking all day!

 

[Elton]

Spot on with your last comment about the Usa waking up and Auzzie/Nz

Like i said i am sure this will ruffle feathers, and i am not against blind hunting as i do it. Just some food for argument. Especially for all those who have to deal with non hunters like i do.

 

[Pheroze]

Hunting from a blind is hunting. You still have to scout and plan the position of the blind. Is leopard hunting not hunting unless you try to walk it up? You may call or bait when using a blind, but you still need to set the ambush with skill. We can't feel guilty because the blind helps to conceal us. And, it improves the chance of an ethical shot.

 

[Zambezi]

A blind brings the animals into range for a bow but still, as Pheroze says, has to be sited correctly in order to achieve the kill... plus all the other skills required. A rifle gives you distance so a blind isn't really necessary unless for cats etc. If you could reliably produce a clean killing shot with a bow out to 200m then far less blinds would be used.

When the cavemen drove large beasts over a cliff or into pre-dug pit traps was that hunting? I would say yes as they still had to manoeuvre those beasts in the direction they needed to go.

 

[Pheroze]

Black bear hunting with a rifle is a good example. Out west you can spot and stalk them and I do not believe they use blinds. You really can't do that in the flatter, dense bush in Ontario. You could call them I have heard. But, baiting and using a blind is almost necessary I believe.

 

[Elton]

A blind brings the animals into range for a bow but still, as Pheroze says, has to be sited correctly in order to achieve the kill... plus all the other skills required. A rifle gives you distance so a blind isn't really necessary unless for cats etc. If you could reliably produce a clean killing shot with a bow out to 200m then far less blinds would be used.

When the cavemen drove large beasts over a cliff or into pre-dug pit traps was that hunting? I would say yes as they still had to manoeuvre those beasts in the direction they needed to go.

That thought about the cavemen also passed my mind, in that instance hide hunting is more ethical as like you say it brings the animal closer for an ethical kill as opposed to falling in a pit with broken bones etc. At the end of the day I PERSONALLY hunt for meat to eat. This means the end goal is to kill the animal. And a blind allows me to do this in the fastest least suffering way to an animal.

If you really think about it. All improvements in hunting, from blinds, to rifle scopes and everything in between is made to make hunting easier, and easier means more ethical as it ensures a fast clean kill(in most instances)

As i said this is my rant about non hunters constantly hammering on Ethics of hunting. In my honest opinion, I PERSONALLY believe that hunting regardless of form or manner, is more ethical than commercial meat, I say this because i am personally harvesting my meat for my family to eat, its not some poor animal whose whole life has been to stand in a que to be slaughtered(nothing against this) its an animal whos life i jave taken end processed myself. Knowing where your meat comes from and harvesting it myself gives a deeper appreciation for it and the animal.

 

[Elton]

Black bear hunting with a rifle is a good example. Out west you can spot and stalk them and I do not believe they use blinds. You really can't do that in the flatter, dense bush in Ontario. You could call them I have heard. But, baiting and using a blind is almost necessary I believe.

Being from South Africa, we dont have bears, so take this stupid question with a grain of salt, can you eat bear meat?

 

[Rubberhead]

Hunting is such a "big tent" that I think we should all consider any 100% legal hunt as 100% ethical. I don't like 1000 yard shots on game and personally would never do it. But, to allow ourselves to be fractured into smaller groups of disparate hunters only makes it easier for anti-hunters to find a seam and rip us apart.

 

[WAB]

Being from South Africa, we dont have bears, so take this stupid question with a grain of salt, can you eat bear meat?

Yes, black bear is quite good as long as they haven’t been on salmon. I’ve never tried grizzly. The ones I’ve skinned stunk so bad I can’t imagine trying to eat them.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Yes. They are packed full of meat.

 

[Pheroze]

Being from South Africa, we dont have bears, so take this stupid question with a grain of salt, can you eat bear meat?

A black bear is a very useful animal and was probably preferred to deer historically. The bear fat makes excellent tallow and used to cook. The meat is very good. Hide with all that fur is obvious. But, as mentioned, they are what they eat so berries is better than fish or garbage.

 

[Rubberhead]

I need to add, too, that when things change and something that is legal starts crossing the line into unethical then we as hunters should tirelessly lead the charge, own the discussion, and advocate for an appropriate change in law. History is full of great examples of this including things like limit laws and protection of threaten species, like the Roan, until their numbers, again, indicated a huntable population. I hope our future is as full of this type advocacy as our past - it's why African wildlife populations are healthier now than in the past 70 years.

 

[Bonk]

A lot of predators hunt from a 'blind'. Crocs for example lay in wait to ambush their prey. Are they being unethical?

IMO anything that's legal is ethical. I choose not to engage in certain kinds of hunting but I don't have a problem with how others hunt as long as they remain legal. All of us have our own ideas of what makes a hunt satisfying and I know I wouldn't enjoy some commonly accepted practices but that doesn't make those practices unethical. I say that without specifically referring to hunting from a blind.

 

[dobber]

"you might as well hit a pig in the back of the head with a hammer".

Which outfitter offers this option, now that sounds like fun - depending on style of hammer, is a framing hammer better suited than a ball peen hammer, is a tack hammer too light? is a black smiths hammer too heavy? is a half hatchet hammer cheating? will Brass hammers reduce toxic shock?

 

[Randy F]

So you've put in your time, done your homework, scouted, planned and found what you think is the perfect spot to find the one you're looking for and it's a legal hunt. I'm not sue how that is not considered hunting. You've put yourself in a position to get close for an ethical shot. Especially when I'm carrying my bow.

What is the difference between wearing camouflage or sitting behind it?

How is a tree stand any different?

IMHO a blind is just another tool in the arsenal for a legal ethical hunt.

Ambush? Maybe. So is stalking within rifle range.

 

[mdwest]

aboriginal people all over the world have used concealment/blinds to hunt since the dawn of man on this planet..

While hunting from a blind is different, and requires a different set of skills than a walk and stalk or other types of hunting.. it does indeed require knowledge and skills..

where you put the blind matters.. when you put the blind in place matters.. etc.. knowing animal patterns and behaviors, and whether or not they are going to come anywhere near your blind matters.. etc..

other than someone completely ignorant of what hunting is (any conventional, widely accepted definition of hunting can be used), Im not sure how an argument could be made that using a blind disqualifies someone as a "hunter"...

Humans were hunting from stone blinds in the Great Basin in Nevada, during pre-historic periods..

https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/vx021f723

Many native american tribes when first discovered by european settlers were found to use ambush type blinds for bird hunting..

Does anyone think the guy living 4000 years ago sitting in a blind all day for the purpose of bringing home meat for his family wasnt a "hunter"? Or that the seminoles living in Florida 500 years ago that were knocking down birds for dinner werent "hunters"?

Seems a pretty ridiculous argument to me if some anti or non-hunter is making it..

 

[sureshot375]

For me personally, it depends on a number of factors. How big is the property, how wild are the animals, hunting with gun or bow, what are we hunting? For free range whitetail deer I have no problem perching myself over a massive corn pile with my bow. I think hunting on a water hole at a reasonable size game ranch with a bow is still pretty sporty. I really wouldn’t want to rifle blast animals at a water hole.

I saw a video the other day which was just really a turn off for me. It was a girl shooting a Cape buffalo at some place in the Eastern Cape with an air rifle that shot an arrow. They were hunting from a blind over hay or alfalfa which had been dumped on the ground to feed the Buffalo like domestic cattle. Thats just not the kind of hunt I have any interest in doing.

 

[Randy F]

For me personally, it depends on a number of factors. How big is the property, how wild are the animals, hunting with gun or bow, what are we hunting? For free range whitetail deer I have no problem perching myself over a massive corn pile with my bow. I think hunting on a water hole at a reasonable size game ranch with a bow is still pretty sporty. I really wouldn’t want to rifle blast animals at a water hole.

I saw a video the other day which was just really a turn off for me. It was a girl shooting a Cape buffalo at some place in the Eastern Cape with an air rifle that shot an arrow. They were hunting from a blind over hay or alfalfa which had been dumped on the ground to feed the Buffalo like domestic cattle. Thats just not the kind of hunt I have any interest in doing.
Air rifle Buffalo “hunt”

I don't disagree. As you state, it depends.

Blinds, bows, guns, or all associated equipment are neither ethical or unethical...people are.

How we choose to use them is up to us and not everyone will agree all of the time. ...as long as it's legal.

 

[mdwest]

Blinds, bows, guns, or all associated equipment are neither ethical or unethical...people are.

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