Originally Posted By: crapshootOriginally Posted By: steve garrettI would like to see the contests go away, If we can keep the unintended consequences away, YES get rid of the contests, its not respectful of the animal. It also tends to bring out the worse in people.
Don't like it, you have the FREEDOM to not participate. Laws outlawing a type of sport or hunting should be based on SCIENTIFIC FACTS and not personal emotions.
Originally Posted By: SoftpointI'm sure the coyote cares why he was shot. The whole "Trophy", "Sport", "Food" or "Contest" argument is all about the "humans" perspective.
Hunters shouldn't use morality against each other..
True and true. There are forms of hunting that I do not participate in. But that is my choice, and so long as game and fish says they are legal, then others who do choose to participate, should be allowed to do so.
For example, I do not use decoy dogs. But I have a lot of respect for those who take the time to train their dogs to hunt coyotes, and I think that you see some responses from coyotes to decoy dogs that you don't see while calling without decoy dogs. But just because I don't choose to hunt that way does not mean that I am going to advocate for outlawing decoy dogs.
Hunters should agree to disagree and leave it at that. This idea that we ALL have to agree is a classic liberal fallacy. I see hunters bashing on each other all the time, whether it be about what they choose to hunt, or the guns they use, or caliber, and this saddens me. You don't like a method, then don't use it. But if it's legal, it is that hunters right to use that method or hunt that animal. There are plenty of "big game" hunters that think that predator hunting is wrong and that it's not "real" hunting. I will just agree to disagree and walk away.
Hunting contests are no more "disrespectful" of coyotes than a guy going out on their own to drop as many coyotes as they can in one outing.