| The hunter should examine himself thoroughly prior | | | | who stroll through the woods and fields see lots of |
| to the hunt to determine his mental and emotional | | | | greenery apparently available for the deer and find it |
| status with respect to these volatile, emotional | | | | hard to imagine deer lacking food. |
| matters. Some people make good hunters, hunters | | | | Anyone who does not think that deer can |
| who can do it right. | | | | overbrowse should witness the experiment used to |
| In modern times we have a balance of nature in our | | | | illustrate browse depletion. Here a portion of |
| civilization harmonious with the balance of nature in | | | | consistent habitat is enclosed for a few years with a |
| the wild. If hunting were for everyone, there would | | | | deer-proof fence to demonstrate the striking |
| be no wild game. If it were not for the fear or | | | | contrast. Malnutrition leads to disease. |
| distaste for spiders, snakes, poisonous plants, and so | | | | Automobiles and trains cause the greatest number of |
| on, there would probably be no untrampled | | | | deer fatalities. Next to hunting, winter losses, loss due |
| woodlands remaining as wildlife habitat. | | | | to crippling, poaching, being caught in forest fires, |
| Seasoned hunters appreciate non-hunters from this | | | | getting trapped in tree crotches and vines, running |
| standpoint. When the proud hunter displaying his kill is | | | | headlong into fence, falling through ice and drowning, |
| greeted with scorn and ridicule by an anti-hunter, he | | | | disease, and predation all take their toll on deer. |
| should remember that each of them has a place in | | | | Only 10% of the deer herd is killed by hunters in the |
| the world today. | | | | fall, while a harvest of 20% is what it takes to |
| The hunter who decides he will attempt to take a | | | | maintain a proper herd balance in terms of available |
| deer should realize he is in a position to be judged | | | | browse, agriculture, and forestry. |
| and that his actions and reactions will influence the | | | | Everyone loves a provider. Deer meat has no |
| overall opinion of society towards the sport of deer | | | | preservatives. There are no growth stimulants, |
| hunting. The age-old saying "It only takes one rotten | | | | hormones, antibiotics, or other artificial additives to |
| apple to spoil the whole barrel" is true. | | | | the meat. As our society becomes more scientifically |
| Having settled the issue of whether or not to kill a | | | | oriented in its productive farming methods, research |
| deer and made the decision to hunt, one should | | | | on the effects of such farming and marketing |
| conduct his life in a fashion that will bring no reproach | | | | practices stays a step behind the production of the |
| to himself or the general hunting population. The | | | | animals. In many cases the products hit the market |
| majority of deer hunters cannot respond clearly and | | | | and are consumed before the consequences are |
| appropriately when asked why they hunt. This is | | | | thoroughly examined. There are farmers who, for |
| because their desire to hunt is rooted too deeply | | | | their own table use, raise cattle which have not been |
| within to be dug up and examined. The standard | | | | subjected to additives and are relatively organic, just |
| hunter cites the need to get outdoors, the challenge | | | | as there are grape growers who don't spray a few |
| and excitement, meat for the freezer, and the | | | | vines intended for their own use. Thus, many people |
| companionship of friends as his reason-but all these | | | | prefer the meat of wild game to that of domestic |
| are possible without hunting and killing deer. An | | | | animals because they know what is in it. |
| exciting excursion into nature can be made without | | | | The hunter should:work toward making clean kills that |
| the burden of weaponry, and the road-kill deer is an | | | | limit animal suffering through sufficient practice with |
| underutilized meat source which is a great loss if left | | | | his bow or firearm,at all times abide by every |
| to waste. | | | | applicable law,be respectful to Mother Nature and |
| Since all animals die either from disease, starvation, | | | | leave her the way she was before he became her |
| thirst, predation, accidental injury, or old age, the | | | | guest,be safe, andsearch for and find any animal he |
| issue is not really whether the animal dies, but when | | | | shoots and utilize the entire creature. |
| it dies. How it does is not a good argument against | | | | In short, the deer hunter should be a model |
| hunting since in reality all the ways the animal might | | | | conservationist. "Conservation" is defined as "the wise |
| die naturally can be more cruel than the proper | | | | use of natural resources." |
| gunshot or bowkill. | | | | The deer hunter should be settled in his |
| Commonly, deer herds suffer malnutrition and | | | | understandings and courteous to those whose |
| eventual starvation before the public shifts its | | | | thoughts differ. |
| awareness to the need for number reduction. People | | | | Let us not add to the "too many fools in the woods. |