Hunters and Poachers Are Not Brothers - Hunt Fair Chase

The lines between hunting and poaching are being blurred.

What this means is the non-hunting public is increasingly not making a clear distinction between hunting and poaching. Increasingly, the two are being used interchangeably. Even the media is getting it wrong.

Sportsmen know hunting is not poaching, and poachers are not hunters. Poachers are thieves. But this is an image and public-perception problem, and perceptions can become reality. This is what must be addressed.

By circumventing the laws and regulations, poachers act in complete disregard of the well-being of wildlife populations by placing profits above all else. Poachers are acting outside of the conservation measures established by science and our society. Arguably, they cause even greater harm by destroying public trust and tarnishing the reputation of law-abiding and conservation-minded hunters, most of whom feel a very personal responsibility toward the protection of wildlife and wilderness.

Something else is often missing from this picture. The fact is, sportsmen are the ones reporting poachers to authorities and willingly contribute financially to anti-poaching enforcements.

There are three things we can do to correct this wrongful association between hunting and poaching:

• Distance hunting from poaching at every opportunity by being vocal, calling out and coming down hard on poachers.
• Continue our boots-on-the-ground vigilance in reporting on poaching activities.
• Hunting has an ethical code of fair chase at its core. Poaching has no code and no honor. People will not learn this on their own. We must teach them.

What is Boone and Crockett Club doing about poaching? Read about our Poach & Pay Program!