I recently had the opportunity to go out to a very very nice high fence game ranch. I was there with a friend who was asked to cape a few elk out that were to be harvested.

When we got there one had already be taken. We noticed that the herd of about 50 or so elk with a few nice bulls were all hanging out right there by the lodge. The "hunt" consisted of driving the ranger down the outside of the fence, scaring the cows out of the way and shooting the bull.... In full camo of course for the photo ops

As I told this story to a co-worker he said that was unethical.

While I would never pay to go on a "hunt" like this I don't really see it as being unethical. A clean shot was made and the elk died quickly. All the meat was harvested and I assume eaten.

I think it's ridiculous to call this a hunt and get the animal mounted. I don't think it's unethical though.

Heck I'd take a cow over a bull and get it processed.

Thoughts??

Unethical? No. Unsportsmanlike? IMO without question.

I also would never go on a so called hunt like that either. But to each his own. I don't think it is unethical but rather rediculous IMO.

Because that doesn't fit the idea of what most consider hunting, they will call it unethical. They don't really know what the word means.

Those people didn't do anything wrong. If that's what floats their boat, fine. The killing, itself, is no different from the killing of any other animal for meat and display.

As for the rest of it, like the camo and making it out to be some grand hunting adventure, a person could call that just about whatever they like, including ridiculous, dumb, fake, cheap, pathetic, etc., and I wouldn't argue with that. But I wouldn't consider it unethical, at least as I understand the word.

Unethical...no. Don't think I would call it hunting though.

This would be pretty similar to trailering your Harley around on the bike ride route and then unloading it off the trailer at the final stop for group pictures.

As un-ethical as the hamburger he ate the day before.

Just have to chalk it up as a meat trip. Lots of folks raise them just to kill a cpl every yr for the skillet.

It is not hunting, but it is ethical.

x2

"Men are moral or ethical only in terms of their own values and no one else's." T.R. Fehrenbach, Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans

Ethics are right up there with religion and pretty much a joke where most folks are concerned. Used to justify their own actions or scorn someone else's.... And don't count when noone is looking.....

I wouldn't call that anymore unethical than setting up a feeder and a blind next to it and shooting them at breakfast or supper...
To each their own.... as long as the shot is a clean kill.....

I figure it's a lot like the Bison hunts you can do in the Dakotas. I haven't looked lately but a few years ago you could drive up there and kill two cow Bisons for about $800. Probably not any sport in it it's no less ethical than a rancher culling a cow from his herd. As stated, passing it off as anything else would be lame but if he mounted the head and hung it on his wall, I don't see anything wrong with that either. The only ethical issue would be if he misrepresented the hunt. Just my Anybody that wants to be totally wrong is free to disagree with me.

If the mount is going into a restaurant for decoration, ethical. If going into someone's trophy room or their office like they hunted it, unethical from the stance they just showed up knowing they would kill it within minutes no matter what and will have some great story to go with it.

Not my cup of coffee but I wouldn't criticize anyone for it.

I'd call it grocery shopping. No big deal. People raise goats, sheep, cows, hogs and chickens and do pretty much the same thing. We raise a calf a year and then butcher it February. I don't see it being any different than that.

Okay, so hanging it in a restaurant is ethical. Hanging it at home is unethical.

Interesting. I have to believe that's a new concept and unique to your own perspective. I'll leave it at that.

Honestly I'm a little surprised that there is nearly unanimous agreement about this one! I also don't consider it unethical, just not what I consider "hunting".

I like hook_n_line's description: grocery shopping.

The unethical part comes if there is a great hunting story behind it. Otherwise nothing wrong with shooting it. Think we are on the same page.

No more unethical than slaughtering cattle, but no more of an accomplishment either. Really no different than buying the meat and mount pre-packaged. I might shoot a cow that way b/c I love the meat, but I wouldn't be blowing up Facebook like I had done anything more special than going to the grocery store.

It would be unethical if he used a flamethrower or grenade launcher, I believe.

He didn't, right?

not unethical, just a way to thin the herd and for the land
owner to recuperate some operating expenses

it's not hunting, just called harvesting ...
he shot it, and want to do something with the leftovers instead
of feeding the maggots and coyotes....

it's no different than ugly guys that can't get hot chicks
to hang a picture of a HOT model on the wall so he can
drool and do unspeakable things , yup he had a paper mount of
a Trophy .... get it ?

If I slaughtered a steer, had it processed, and stowed it in the freezer, I'd feel pretty stupid mounting his head... anywhere. On the other hand, if I had the rack mounted, I wouldn't consider it a trophy either... decoration maybe. Let's face it, Elk racks are impressive and to just toss them out would be akin to waste too.
If the Elk where raised like cattle for the purpose of butchering, I don't think there is a thing wrong with that.

I'd eat the steak, but I wouldn't call that a hunt anymore than gathering eggs in a coop. To me the place where ethics are shattered would be lying to myself or portraying something falsely. Decking out in camo for photos? I'd feel pretty stupid posing for that one.

A steer would make a heck of a conversation piece shoulder mounted with pics of you with it in full camo to go along with it. I would probably shoot a steer that way before a elk..

Reminds me of feral cow hunts.

We sold a steer mount to a restaraunt once. I got it at a garage sale. It was coll looking and fit right in over my uncles bar. After he passed I got it back. Then I sold it. I Just didn't have a place for it and it was only a decoration. An elk head would be cool even if I got it at a garage sale. I would brag about the deal I made for it though. Got it for 50 bucks.