So what exactly is fair chase?

peytoncreekhunter

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With the other threads about corn (baiting) and trail cameras (patterning deer) I got to wondering just exactly what is "fair chase" to the deer. Of course fair chase would be defined as being a legal method wherever your hunting by state laws but maybe some legal methods aren't really fair chase.

What I mean by that is, is a rifle that can shoot a deer at 100, 200, 300 yards really fair to the deer or compound bows and crossbows that shoot like a rifle out to 40-50 yards? How close should you have to get to the deer for it to be fair? Is a nice comfortable shooting house with closing windows and heaters where the weather probably won't hamper your shooting skills fair? Or even comfortable ladder and climbing stands? How uncomfortable does it have to be for it to be fair?

To be clear I think all the above is fair chase, as long as it's legal by the state laws.

So, what do you think fair chase means?
 

dogmatik

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Valid point.
I think fair chase means that deer can do and go as they please. If they want to leave an area they can, they wanna hide out, they can. Not so sure a deer feels uncomfortable in its habitat, but I understand the reasoning behind the question.
If our hearing, vision and smell was on their level, would that diminish the fair chase?
This topic should have some good replies!
 

Lost Lake

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I think each hunter will have to decide that for themselves, assuming their methods are legal. What seems fair chase to one, might seem lazy and cheating to another.

To me, it's placing reasonable restrictions on myself in an effort to match wits with whatever my prey is. For myself, and only myself, I don't think commitments to any sport should be taken lightly and should require hard work to master. If I take the lazy road, I've gained nothing. Very likely, I'll be the only person around to judge myself.

Personally, if I feel like I cheated, then the hunt wasn't fair chase.
 

killingtime 41

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Just think not all that many years ago. You might be able to shoot 30 yards with a BOW. Then of course came the muzzleloader season 100 yards max with patch and ball or a buffalo bullet. Of course we've been able to shoot long distance with modern firearms for a long time. Fast forward pneumatic crossbow kills out to 100 yards. Muzzleloader good out to 200 plus yards. And modern rifle sky's the limit. So the first 2 seasons use to be very primitive. Not so much anymore. Good points though old bows were very weak. Old muzzleloader a with percussion caps not always reliable. Big choice on modern gun ammo these days. I think fair chase means hunting free range deer. And beating they're nose and eyes and ears. With whatever legal means. Did deer have a better chance of surviving with our not so long ago primitive weapons of course.because the nature of those weapons that I described. Was it more of a fair chase. Depends on your idea of a fair chase. Things have changed a bunch. Some good and some not so good. We'll leave it at that for another discussion another time.
 

RobbyW

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As long as it's legal it's a personal call. I know there was a highly debated topic on suburban deer this year and is that right or wrong. I have also seen post where guys said they saw them in their back yard and grabbed the gun a shot off a porch or snuck up in their pajama pants. And no one had a problem with that.

If it's legal more power to you. I for one wouldn't shoot a deer if I wasn't active hunting. So the drinking coffee and seeing one out the window to kill wouldn't do it for me. That's deer killing and not hunting in my opinion and I wouldn't consider it fair chase. Kind of close to see one out the truck window and stopping and shooting it to me, but. Hunting off your deck is legal (mostly).

We hunters are getting to the point where we are becoming our own worst enemies. Arguing over crap that makes no difference. You want to kill a spike go for it. You want to hold out on a trophy great. Do what every makes you happy as long as you are staying within the limits of the law.
 

MUP

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From the B&C website. So what's an unfair advantage? That's basically the question I believe.


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41Magnum

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I guess that's why I like hunting with a handgun so much. It adds a challenge that I don't get with hunting with a rifle. I've taken a bunch of deer with a rifle, but it's more rewarding to me when I use a handgun. Where I hunt on public land most of my shots are around 50 yds average anyway. Now having said that, I do have a couple of handguns that will take a deer at 300 yards or more if I do my part, but THATS a challenge too and takes a lot of time on the practicing to do so.
 

philsanchez76

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TN archery season seems very fair chase. Even if I had one of those new 100 yard crossbows, it wouldn't do much good on the public land I hunt. It's so thick out there 30 yards is about your max shot. Woods are thick with cover, skeeters are out, its hot, ticks. You gotta want it to be out there during a lot of archery season. Then once muzzleloader starts, that feeling of fair chase starts to fade a little. Don't get me wrong, MZ is my favorite part of the season as it's the best opportunity to catch a nice buck on its feet. But all of a sudden being able to shoot over 100 yards doesn't feel as fair to the deer. Then rifle season of course is it's own thing. I still enjoy all of the seasons, but I think archery (any kind of archery tackle) is the purest at this point.
 

tug

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With the other threads about corn (baiting) and trail cameras (patterning deer) I got to wondering just exactly what is "fair chase" to the deer. Of course fair chase would be defined as being a legal method wherever your hunting by state laws but maybe some legal methods aren't really fair chase.

What I mean by that is, is a rifle that can shoot a deer at 100, 200, 300 yards really fair to the deer or compound bows and crossbows that shoot like a rifle out to 40-50 yards? How close should you have to get to the deer for it to be fair? Is a nice comfortable shooting house with closing windows and heaters where the weather probably won't hamper your shooting skills fair? Or even comfortable ladder and climbing stands? How uncomfortable does it have to be for it to be fair?

To be clear I think all the above is fair chase, as long as it's legal by the state laws.

So, what do you think fair chase means?
"Of course fair chase would be defined as being a legal method wherever your hunting"

What you just described is legal hunting. Which, as you stated, may, or may not, be fair chase.

There is a lot more to it than just staying legal. Staying legal is a bare minimum baseline.
 

DeerCamp

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With the other threads about corn (baiting) and trail cameras (patterning deer) I got to wondering just exactly what is "fair chase" to the deer. Of course fair chase would be defined as being a legal method wherever your hunting by state laws but maybe some legal methods aren't really fair chase.

What I mean by that is, is a rifle that can shoot a deer at 100, 200, 300 yards really fair to the deer or compound bows and crossbows that shoot like a rifle out to 40-50 yards? How close should you have to get to the deer for it to be fair? Is a nice comfortable shooting house with closing windows and heaters where the weather probably won't hamper your shooting skills fair? Or even comfortable ladder and climbing stands? How uncomfortable does it have to be for it to be fair?

To be clear I think all the above is fair chase, as long as it's legal by the state laws.

So, what do you think fair chase means?
I don't know... and I have no desire to make that decision for anyone else.

But predatory animals in the wild use baiting techniques to capture prey all the time. Are we going to try and make the argument that nature isn't fair chase?
 

Spurhunter

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I am not a great hunter, but I respect the guys that are. I've hunted places where bait is legal. Sitting over a corn feeder is not fair chase. It's not even hunting. It's just shooting. I have just as much chance of killing a monster sitting over a corn feeder as a great hunter. Fair chase to me is no high fences and no baiting, but the question was what is fair chase for the deer? I would say the answer to that is: no high fences, no baiting, no trail cameras, and no 500 yard guns with 15x scopes. In other words, the hunter with his woodsmanship, reading sign, deciding where to hunt, with a bow or crossbow.
 

rifle02

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We all as Hunters are generally bombarded with advertising hype. All sorts of products purported to give us an edge or Advantage somehow over our quarry. The Temptation is always there to try and do something that will improve our odds without putting in more effort. I never thought of climbing tree stands as being unfair. But the first time I used one I was hooked, I saw the advantage. In fact when I went from sitting my butt on the ground to climbing up in a tree my actual success rate skyrocketed. Somehow I never thought of that as being unfair. I see where some people might have thought that. When I think of something not being fair Chase it's something pretty obvious like shooting a penned up deer. That has been done I know. Deer inside a high fence maybe not considered penned if the fence surrounds 4000 Acres for example. I also think watching your phone for a cell camera image to tell you exactly when that buck comes out into the field and then you leave your couch with your rifle somehow that seems unfair. If it's illegal then you shouldn't do it. If it is legal but bothers your conscience you shouldn't do it. Often we have different reasons for deer hunting. Mostly nowadays it's recreation. There have been times I understand personally when meat to feed the family was very important. Your motive for killing a deer probably influences your methods.
 

tug

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This is a deer oriented forum. But the topic is universal. Here is another example.

Quail. Do you shoot them on the ground?

Grouse. Do you shoot them out of a tree?

Ducks. Do you shoot them on the water?

All three examples are legal. Would you model to your child this sort of shooting? I would not. But hey, you do you.

The list goes on. Don't get trapped in the only deer context.
 

Chiflyguy

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If a guy wants to whack a doe over a pile of corn and feed his family, I'm good with it.
If it's legal. Not a buck though.
No fences.
 
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