Hunter Responsibility
By:Amanda Porter and
John Utecht
Provided by Dr. James Corbett, Lowndes Co. High School
GA Ag Ed Curriculum Office
To accompany Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Lesson
03411-9
July 2001
Objectives
o Students will understand why wildlife laws are necessary
in today’s society.
o Students will understand that moral codes or ethics are
just as important to the well-being of wildlife as are the
wildlife laws.
o Students will understand the two types of codes that all
hunters should follow.
Objectives cont.
o Students will be able to list the three
basic reasons for all game laws.
o Students will learn that there are
certain self-imposed rules which all
responsible hunters follow before and
during hunting.
Words to Know
 Responsible-you must answer for or
account for your actions.
 Rights-power to which a person has a
just claim.
 Privileges-exceptional benefits allowed
to individuals or groups.
Hunter’s Code
*compiled by the National Rifle Association.
I will consider myself an invited guest of
the landowner, seeking his permission and
so conducting myself that I maybe
welcome in the future.
2. I will obey the rules of safe firearm
handling and courteously but firmly insist
that others who hunt with me do the
same.
1.
Hunters codes cont.
3.
4.
5.
6.
I will obey all game laws and regulations and will
insist that my companions do likewise.
I will do my best to acquire those marksmanship
and hunting skills which assure clean ,sports man
like skills
I will support conservation efforts which can
assure good hunting for future generation.
I will pass along to new hunters the attitude and
skills essential to a true outdoor sportsman.
Responsible Hunting!
 Plan for a hunt by scouting the area
* county plat books or tax rolls can give names of
rural landowners
 Use maps and compasses.
 Know the boundaries of the
property they will be hunting.
 Carefully prepare all hunting
equipment before the hunt.
Hunters Respect
• Respect the rights of landowners to
privacy, security, and safety.
• Ask permission far in advance of
hunting seasons to hunt on private land.
• Treat property as careful guest should.
• Offer to work for the landowners in
return for hunting permission
Rights and Privileges
 Hunting private land without permission is




trespassing (you can be arrested and fined
for trespassing)
Irresponsible hunting practices could cause
landowners to close their land to future
hunting.
Hunters must always leave fences and gates
as they found them.
Good hunters not only pack out their own
litter, but others’ litter as well.
Obey laws regarding disposal of game
entrails.
Public View of Hunting
 In 1978 Dr. Stephen Kellert sampled
3,107 people from every state except
Hawaii.
 25% of the general public were hunters
at one time in their lives.
 60% approved hunting if the game was
utilized for meat but did not favor it
solely for recreation.
 40% did not approve of any form of
recreational hunting.
Public View of Hunting cont.
 Some hunters prefer eating wild game
to domestic animals.
 They feel the taste is better and the
meat is healthier.
 There are no additives in wild game
 Other hunters want to test, maintain,and
improve their skill at finding,tracking,and
tacking game.
Examples of Irresponsible
Hunting
 Poor firearms safety
 Ignorance of laws and their
consequences
 Behavior that offends others
Irresponsible Hunting
 Showing off to impress friends.
 Bagging game or “limiting out”.
 violating game laws by taking game out
of season, or before or after shooting
hours, are poachers.
Responsible Hunting
 You must always identify your target
and what is beyond.
 Setting realistic goals and bag limits
makes hunting safer and more
enjoyable.
 Know your own limitations and abilities
 A responsible hunter will think of safety
first, and shooting game second.
 Know and obey bag limits
Five Stages of a Sport Hunter
 Shooter stage
 Limiting out stage
 Trophy stage
 Method stage
 Sportsman stage
Shooter Stage
 Missing game in this stage




means little to the hunters
May be a dangerous hunting
partner
Wants to pull the trigger and
test the capability of his
firearm
Will talk about the number of
shooting opportunities.
The hunter talks about
satisfaction with hunting
being closely tied to being
able “get shooting”.
Limiting Stage
 Still talks about
satisfaction gained
from shooting
 Measuring success
through the killing of
game and the
number of birds or
animals shot is more
important
 Limiting out, or filling
a tag, is the
absolute measure.
Trophy Stage
 Satisfaction is
described in terms
of selectivity of
game.
 A hunter might travel
far to find a real
trophy animal.
 Shooting opportunity
and skills become
more important.
Method Stage
 Has all the special




equipment.
Hunting has become one
of the most important
things in his life.
Taking game is important,
but second to how it is
taken.
Will often handicap himself
by hunting only with black
powder firearms or bow
and arrow.
Bagging game is
understood as being a
necessary part of the hunt.
Sportsman Stage
 Satisfaction now can be
found in the total
hunting experience.
 Being in the field,
enjoying the company
of friends and family,
and seeing nature
outweigh the need for
taking game.
 Not all hunters go
through all the stages,
or in that particular
order.
Hunter’s Review
1.Define hunter’s responsibility.
Hunter’s responsibility means practicing
safe, knowledgeable behavior.
2. What are four of the basic
responsibilities of a hunter?
Responsibility to obey game laws,to the
landowner, to the land, to the game.
Hunter’s Review
3. The National Rifle Association lists six rules which make up a
hunter’s code. Name their concepts.
1. I will consider myself an invited guest of the landowner, seeking his
permission and so conducting myself that I maybe welcome in
the future.
2. I will obey the rules of safe firearm handling and courteously but
firmly insist that others who hunt with me do the same.
Hunter’s Review
3.
4.
5.
6.
I will obey all game laws and regulations and will insist that my
companions do likewise.
I will do my best to acquire those marksmanship and hunting skills which
assure clean ,sports man like skills
I will support conservation efforts which can assure good hunting for
future generation.
I will pass along to new hunters the attitude and skills essential to a true
outdoor sportsman.
Hunter’s Review
4. Explain why hunting is a privilege, not a
right.
Owners of private land do not have to
give you permission to hunt on their
land in Georgia.
Hunter’s Review
5. Name the five different stages of a hunter and
explain the major characteristics of each stage.
Shooter stage- Missing game in this stage means
little to the hunters, may be a dangerous
hunting partner; limiting out stage-Measuring
success through the killing of game and the
number of birds or animals shot is more
important; trophy stage-Shooting opportunity
and skills become more important; method
stage- Hunting has become one of the most
important things in his life; sportsman stageSatisfaction now can be found in the total
hunting experience.
Hunter’s Review
6. Responsible and courteous hunters respect
which three rights of a landowner?
Privacy,security, and safety.
7. Why is it important to preserve positive
opinion and change negative opinion about
hunting?
So that the generations to come will be able to
hunt.