Bait the Press

After reading a recent news story on Ted Nugent and his inappropriate hunting behaviors out in California, (read about it) I thought to myself, surely I don't have to state the obvious. But I couldn't help myself. I'm going to state the obvious.
As sportsmen and women who hunt and fish, we are exposed to the possibility of outcries of animal cruelty. I think we've fought that battle many times in the last two decades and would not like to go through that again. We are also liable for our actions, both to the ecosystem members upon which we intrude, but also to our fellow hunters who are impacted even peripherally by our actions.
Obviously in this case, Nugent did not uphold his responsibility to nature when he killed an immature deer. He did not uphold his end of the social contract when he broke California law by baiting the deer. And he certainly did not uphold his responsibility to other hunters to hunt in such a way to demonstrate knowledge, expertise, and environmental responsibility. To make matters worse, all of this was conducted in front of a television camera, recorded and broadcast, leaving us all exposed to ridicule and attack.

Even if you are not hunting in front of a television camera, remember that you are being watched, observed, and judged. Consider the fact that you are part of a larger community, the hunting community, and be a good citizen.