Fair chase facts for kids
Fair chase is a special rule that hunters follow. It helps them hunt big game animals in a way that is fair and ethical. It means giving the animal a reasonable chance to escape.
The Boone and Crockett Club, a very old group that helps protect wildlife in North America, says "fair chase" means the animals must be truly wild. "Wild" means the animal was born and lives naturally in nature. "Free-ranging" means the animal is not trapped or kept behind fences.
Fair chase has been a guide for North American hunters for over 100 years. It's also a key idea behind many hunting laws. New hunters learn about it in their training courses.
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How Fair Chase Started
The idea of "fair chase" became popular thanks to Theodore Roosevelt. He was a president of the United States and loved hunting. His group, the Boone and Crockett Club, helped spread the word.
Early Hunting Rules
Rules for ethical hunting first appeared many centuries ago in Europe. Rich landowners and kings were the main hunters then. They hunted for sport, not just to survive. These rules were about making the hunt challenging and fair.
When people moved to the New World (North America), hunting was often about survival. People hunted for food or to sell animal products. So, these old European hunting rules were not always followed. For about 200 years, people hunted without many rules. This caused many wildlife populations, especially big game, to become very small. Some animals even disappeared completely.
In the early 1900s, hunters started to feel proud of helping wildlife. They realized they needed to protect animals. This included helping to create places like the National Wildlife Refuge System. Hunters began to focus on the quality of the hunt, not just how many animals they caught. The experience of the hunt became more important. This helped make hunting something that could continue for a long time.
Defining Fair Chase
The term "fair chase" was first written down in North America in 1888. It was in the rules of the Boone and Crockett Club. At that time, there were no laws about hunting. For example, some hunters would drive deer into lakes. Then, they would wait in boats to shoot or kill the deer easily. This was called "water-killing deer."
The Boone and Crockett Club said that killing animals while they were swimming was wrong. Members could even be kicked out for doing it. Later, people like Roosevelt, George Bird Grinnell, and Aldo Leopold wrote books and articles. They helped explain "fair chase" to everyone. Roosevelt wrote about it in his 1893 book, The Wilderness Hunter.
The Teddy Bear Story
The story of the teddy bear is linked to fair chase. In 1902, President Roosevelt was in Mississippi. He was there to solve a border problem. His hosts knew he loved hunting, so they set up a bear hunt for him.
It was common to hunt bears with dogs in the thick swamps. For the president's safety, guides caught a small bear and tied it to a tree. They wanted Roosevelt to shoot it easily. But when Roosevelt arrived, he refused to shoot the helpless animal.
Roosevelt was upset because he missed the actual chase. He believed in a challenging hunt. He felt he didn't earn this bear because it wasn't a fair pursuit. A cartoonist named Clifford Berryman drew a picture of Roosevelt refusing to shoot the bear. This story became famous.
A shopkeeper in New York, Morris Michtom, had his wife make a stuffed bear. He asked Roosevelt if he could call it "Teddy's Bear," and Roosevelt agreed. That's how the teddy bear got its name!
Fair Chase Today
When a fair chase hunter is out in nature, they always ask one question. Does the animal have a good chance to get away? If the animal cannot escape easily, then the hunt is not "fair chase." For example, a fair chase hunter would not shoot an animal stuck in deep snow. They also wouldn't shoot an animal caught in a fence.
Hunting also has many laws. Ethical, fair chase hunting always means following these laws. A fair chase hunter learns the rules for their area. These laws help keep hunters safe. They also make sure wildlife is used in a way that can last for a long time. If something is against the law, it cannot be fair chase. But even if something is legal, it might not be fair chase.
Some parts of fair chase go beyond written laws. For example, shooting at a running deer is not illegal. There are also no laws about shooting from very far away with a gun or bow. But many hunters believe it's their job to kill an animal quickly and cleanly. So, taking risky shots might not be ethical for them. Hunters often set their own high standards, even higher than the law requires.
"Canned shoots" are not fair chase, even if they are legal in some places. In a canned shoot, an animal is kept in a small area or released from captivity. Then, it is shot in a way that almost guarantees a kill. This is not a real hunt.
In 2005, "Internet hunting" started. This allowed people to hunt using guns controlled by a computer from far away. Hunters widely criticized this. They said it broke the rules of fair chase. The National Rifle Association (NRA) said that fair chase means being in the field with your weapon. Sitting at a computer and clicking a mouse has nothing to do with hunting.
One hunting club says that fair chase does not include taking animals in these situations:
- When they are stuck in a trap, deep snow, water, or on ice.
- From any motorized vehicle or boat.
- By shining a bright light on them at night (called "jacklighting").
- By using tranquilizers or poisons.
- While they are inside fences they cannot escape from.
- By using any motorized vehicle or boat to herd or drive animals. This includes using aircraft to land near a hunter or tell them where to go.
- By using electronic devices to attract, find, or follow game. It also means not using electronic devices attached to a bow or arrow.
See also
In Spanish: Persecución justa para niños
