Our position on hunting
AWA is not against hunting. We support ethical hunting and fair chase practices.
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True or False? The Alaska Wildlife Alliance is an anti-hunting organization.
False. Many people think that we are against hunting because we are a wildlife conservation organization. However, the Alaska Wildlife Alliance supports ethical hunting and fair chase concepts— we even have hunters on our Board of Directors. We do not support the Alaska Board of Game management decisions that promote unethical hunting methods and do not allow for fair chase. These practices jeopardize future hunting opportunities by degrading wildlife populations and ecosystems. Are you part of a hunting organization or group that shares these values and wants to work to preserve functional ecosystems so future generations of ethical hunters can share in this tradition? If so, we’d love to hear from you.
What do we mean when we say we support ethical hunting and fair chase?
We believe that the principles of ethical hunting and fair chase not only honor hunting traditions, but also the wildlife we aim to protect. We are not against hunting, but we do not support management decisions that promote unethical hunting methods and do not allow for fair chase. These practices jeopardize future hunting opportunities by degrading Alaska’s wildlife populations and ecosystems.
There are numerous definitions and sentiments regarding ethical hunting. We feel the Boone and Crockett Club’s position statement on fair chase does a good job explaining these concepts. Below are some key points from that statement:
“[Ethical hunting] is the ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild, native North American big game animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper advantage over such animals””
“Fair chase is part of an overall hunting ethic. It reflects an ideal to pursue game in the field in a manner that pays respect to the animals hunted and the traditions of hunting as a mechanism for conservation. Fair chase is an approach that elevates the quality of the chase, the challenge, and experience above all else. By not overwhelming game species with human capabilities, fair chase helps define a hunter’s engagement in conservation. Fair chase has been embraced by hunters as the proper conduct of a sportsman in the field and taught to new hunters for over a century.””
“Fair chase is what separates hunting from simply killing or shooting”
“The club is concerned that hunting practices that were once deemed unacceptable are becoming more commonplace. This is not only eroding our overall hunting ethic, but the public’s widespread support for hunting.””
Are you a hunter? We invite you to join us in upholding Alaska’s ethical hunting practices!
