Hunting principles include fair chase hunting and hunting with respect for life. By learning about the various hunting principles, you will be able to think over the different arguments and decide where you stand on the issues.
When someone asks you to visualize a hunter, what does your minds eye conjure? Is it a dour-faced, burly man dressed from head to toe in camouflage, holding a rifle in one hand and a dead animal in the other?
It's no surprise that hunting -- because it involves killing -- is a controversial sport. However, there are some practices -- canned, Internet and baited hunting -- that are considered unfair. But others believe these methods offer increased safety.
More and more, the country has ever-sprawling suburbs that are cutting into natural preserves of land where animals make their home. Hunters, big game enthusiasts and admirers of the natural world are directly affected by this ever-shrinking scenery.
The debate over hunting goes way back. While activists and sportsmen will probably be in dispute for years to come, there are steps being taken to make this sport as ethical as possible. That's the idea behind fair chase hunting.
While some hunters hold a deep respect for the animals and try to make the process quick and painless, others may not be as concerned with the well-being of their prey. So how do you hunt with respect for life?