11/19/2025
It feels like some of the old-school hunting traits and ethics are getting forgotten more and more each day — patience, respect, and responsibility traded for shortcuts and quick thrills. I just wanted to touch on some of those here.
𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: 𝙀𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥
Ethical hunting isn’t just about tagging a deer.
It’s about respect, responsibility, and every decision you make before, during, and after the shot.
Those choices affect the animal, the land, the public’s perception of hunters, and the legacy we leave behind.
Think of this as a reference of some key points in ethical hunting.
𝟭. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁
Ethical hunting begins long before you step into the woods.
It starts with recognizing that a deer is a living creature, not just a tag filled or a photo opportunity.
Respect means:
• Planning for a clean, humane kill
• Avoiding risky or show-off shots
• Being grateful for the life you take
• Not taking unethical shots just because they present themselves
• Treating the harvest with humility, not arrogance
Those moments where hunters kneel beside their deer, bow their head, or place a hand gently on its side — that’s not posing.
That’s respect, and it is the heart of ethical hunting.
𝟮. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 (𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙀𝙭𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙊𝙣𝙚𝙨)
Shot placement is the biggest factor in determining how quickly an animal dies.
Broadside or quartering-away shots expose:
• Both lungs
• The heart
• Major arteries
• A large, forgiving kill zone
These shots create the quickest, most humane death and the highest recovery rate.
Why head and neck shots are unethical...
Some hunters believe head or neck shots “drop them instantly,” but biology tells a different story:
• The head is always moving
• The kill zone is tiny
• A slight miss destroys the jaw, nose, or throat
• Jaw hits cause slow starvation
• Windpipe hits cause slow suffocation
• Non-spine neck hits only wound muscle
• Many “dropped” deer get up once spinal shock wears off
Ethical hunters choose high-probability, low-suffering shots — even if it means waiting.
𝟯. 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗲𝗮𝗿 & 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀
Ethical hunting requires understanding what your equipment — and YOU — can truly do.
This means:
• Practicing regularly, not last-minute
• Knowing your maximum effective range (where you always hit vitals)
• Understanding arrow setup, broadheads, pe*******on, shot angles
• Knowing firearm drop, accuracy, terminal performance
• Being honest about nerves, weather, and shooting position
Just because a weapon can make a long shot doesn’t mean you should.
Ethics are measured in discipline.
𝟰. 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗗𝗼
Perfect intentions don’t always equal perfect hits, and things happen that are out of our control. Just remember what happens after the shot determines recovery more than anything else.
Here are the rough wait times every hunter should at least try to go by:
𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙩 — 𝙒𝙖𝙞𝙩 60 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙨
• Lung hits are fatal, but deer often run 50–150 yards.
• You have had patience and took your time to get to this point, don't rush it. Take a minute to reflect and give the deer some time.
𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙩 — 𝙒𝙖𝙞𝙩 6+ 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨
• Liver hits are fatal, but not fast.
• Deer bed quickly when unpressured.
• Pushing too early is the #1 reason liver-hit deer are lost.
• Six hours is a good starting point — more is often even better.
𝙂𝙪𝙩 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙩 — 𝙒𝙖𝙞𝙩 12+ 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨
• Lethal but slow.
• Deer will be feeling really sick, and will typically want to go bed down right away, or slowly move to a place they feel safe.
• Pushing early can make a gut-shot deer travel miles.
• A 12–16 hour wait dramatically increases recovery success.
• Evening gut shots almost always mean returning the next morning.
Patience saves deer.
More deer are recovered because someone waited — not because someone rushed in.
And if there is worry of spoilage, remember the clock doesn’t even start ticking until after the deer dies.
𝟱. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆
Ethical hunting doesn’t end with the shot — it ends with recovery.
A responsible hunter:
• Marks the exact shot location
• Watches the deer’s escape direction
• Interprets blood sign correctly
• Avoids grid-searching too soon
• Calls a tracking dog early, not after the track is ruined
• Gives the appropriate wait time
• Follows through even when the outcome is tough
Trackers see it constantly:
Many deer weren’t “lost” — they were pushed too soon or poorly tracked.
Ethical hunters finish what they started.
𝟲. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 & 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘄
Your actions reflect on the entire hunting community.
Ethical hunters:
• Get permission and keep good relationships
• Leave no trash
• Respect property lines
• Park respectfully
• Follow all rules and regulations
• Tag and report accurately
• Treat landowners with gratitude
One unethical hunter can damage access for everyone.
𝟳. 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁
Once recovered, the deer deserves dignity.
Honoring the harvest means:
• Taking a quiet moment of respect
• Using the meat responsibly
• Passing on ethical knowledge
• Teaching new hunters the why, not just the how
• Showing gratitude instead of ego
• Treating the deer with care
A deer gave its life — ethical hunters recognize that deeply.
**𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.
𝘉𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 —
𝘉𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.**
