# A question of sportsmanship



## Watcher (Dec 31, 2008)

The forum has had a lot recently about poachers, trespassers, closed road violators, wanton game wasters, over-harvesting, playing the point system, etc., etc. etc. 

It is actually quite dis-heartening and often makes me want to distance myself from all this, unsubcribe, and bury head in the sand.

So "sport" (including sport hunting and fishing) means playing by a common set of rules. Rules differ from state to state and species to species. The rules set the "low fence" of conduct and anyone can choose to behave with a higher level of "conduct" than the the rules. However that is a matter of opinion and choice that is not required and those people who do should not look down their nose at people who play by the rules.

Sorry for the gender bias.

sportsman
noun, plural sportsmen.
1. a man who engages in sports, especially in some open-air sport, as hunting, fishing, racing, etc.
2. a person who exhibits qualities especially esteemed in those who engage in sports, as observance of rules, fairness, courtesy, good temper, etc.

sportsmanship
noun
1. the ethical, appropriate, polite and fair character, practice, or skill of a sportsman.
2. sportsmanlike conduct, as fairness, courtesy, being a cheerful loser, etc.

What else is sportspersonship? what do you have?

A few of the things on my list. 
First, I’m not perfect:
I have gone 75 in a 65.
I’ve left lights on and wasted electricity which adds carbon to the atmosphere.
I’ve over-watered the plants which dry out the GSL and Colorado River.
I’ve not successfully retrieved all the game I’ve hit.
I’ve sworn under my breath at people (sportspeople) I don’t agree with.
But:
I go out of my way to stay off private land.
I try to respect all (public and private) land and resources.
I try not to pester game animals’ (let alone hunt them) off-season.
I try to be ethical in the shots I take.
I try my hardest to retrieve game I’ve hit.
I wouldn't take a limit of fish home just cause I could, to let them burn in the freezer.
I wouldn't take my truck or ATV (if I owned one of the things) off trail or on closed roads.

Sorry for my rant.


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