Well, I don't see how it could not be considered hunting. I bet some on here crying would take 100 yard shot at some trophy buck. Well, that ain't stalking either. you can walk within a 100 yards of a deer with little else but common sense. The only difference between 100 yard shot and what these guys are doing is the skill level.

One would not be stalking if they are shooting 1000 yds, LOL. I doubt many could do so Finster, common sense is very rare now day's !!

Yes the skill level to shoot that far is way far away from the average guy, never doubted that, however it's still not hunting, it's seeing game 1000 yds away and then shooting at it, where does the hunting part come in, oh now you say they used binoc's or a spotting scope like every one else, fair enough, when does the fair play come in that everyone here eschews to teach their and other kids/others in the name of hunting ?

I don't care they do it, never said anything of that nature, just don't call it hunting around me.

One can add into the argument any excuse they wish, there are mitigating factors for all facets of life, hunting, driving, trapping, etc. I've got no problem with handicap people doing whats needed for taking game, is it hunting not for me, it's snipering the game down, if thats hunting to you fine enough, go for it. If I had the chance to give a handicap person that shot I would , make no mistake and I would keep my opinions to my self about it, but in this media where we can debate the matter, all is on the table.

I draw the line when the game has no more fair play to move away from the shooter, distance is relative to me in ethics of fair play. Yours could be 1500 yds, mine may be only 300 or less, could be more if I felt I could take the shot, but I would not call it hunting if it's 1000 yds or better.

Huntings not hunting anymore. They prob couldn't do it any other way

Like I said; Opinions vary. Whether it’s 1 yard or 1000 yards. As long as my license says “deer hunting” or “predator hunting” on it, instead of “deer shooting” or “predator shooting”. Then I will call it hunting.

License will never change Handi, it's an ethical thing, which sadly has gone the long way home any more ! Your an exception to the rule as was my boy while alive, he never got to shoot but did see game. I do have empathy for those in such situations, having been there my self !

Opinions do vary and it's a good thing, no one is taking anything away from you because you or I don't agree !

Yep!! If every person thinks alike. Then someone is not thinking:)

I get people have different ideas about how they want to pursue game. Get it. However when another sportsman says that long range hunting is an ethics issue it makes me cringe. Some people do not like trapping, does that make it unethical? How about checking traps in 48 hours vs 24 hour check? How about bow hunting, £I have heard horror stories here. Is that "unethical"? Good grief, no wonder antis pick us off so easily. Why can't we just be happy that we each pursue game our own way without disparaging comments.

Yea I cringe to every time I see one take some thing out of context to try and make their point !

The OP asked for thoughts I gave mine, there was nothing sinister in that, my ethics remarks were for me, not for any one else, I thought I made that quite clear.

Why can't we voice our opinions with out disparaging remarks from those who feel threatened by them ?

It is interesting the bias and prejudice in the remarks, and I do not mean bias or prejudice is bad, because you can be bias or prejudiced to keeping the law or helping others. It is the point that long shots are not hunting. The debate point is, are these same people "trappers" when they use long distance call lures, instead of being skilled enough on blind sets?
It is all psychologically what we are comfortable with in what each of us will do in being comfortable in the legal pursuit of a sport.

I am biased to hunting and prejudiced to LDS or long distance shooting, as it increases the odds of wounding an animal. That does not make LDS wrong. It is a risk level I am not comfortable with, including the reality that someone might be between me or behind what I am firing at in not noting them from the distance involved.

It is summed up best in the American government killing buffalo as it was deemed more ethical than a genocide of Indians. Buffalo Bill Cody was a Buffalo Runner in he had an ability to ride around a herd, shooting at the leaders to turn it, and killing numbers of buffalo. Most did not have that skill and instead were involved in long distance buffalo hunting as a close shot to the herd would spook the herd. The Indians took great delight in reservations in riding after beef cattle provided for them and slaughtering them. Most found that distasteful, but was it not as distasteful when the same method was employed against buffalo run until their tongue hung out. In that there was even a reason for the Indians, as doing so, would make the liver crumble to touch, and when covered with fresh gall was considered an absolute delicacy.

Snide remarks or judgments can be made about other people's activities, I am biased to hunting, because LDS does not fulfill anything in me, where an up close contact with animals does, and as I am growing older, my scoped rifles are on the shelf and my open sights on the 30 30 are more appealing, along with letting an animal go as knowing I could have harvested it is enough.

Everytime someone states their opinion Now they're called anti....Well too cotton pickin bad if many of us Old hunters say what we feel about the New long distance trend. A 400 yr. Shot isn't the same as a 750 to 1000yd. Fling. There is an element involved with Hunting that Many of us developed over a lifetime called the Stalk. If you choose not to learn these skills I can almost guarantee you will be too lazy to follow up on Every single 700yard shot. My feelings, my opinion...who cares if you Want to cry Anti !

Shooting is only a small part of the hunt,in my opinion.If you know your limitations,your shot after the stalk can be 250 yards maybe a bit more and guarantee a 100% kill,personally I feel I can 100% kill within 150 yds on big game,so that is where I start to guage the animal for the shot.
I don't like hunting from a stand,I gave that up years ago.That said stand hunting is quite popular,especially with the outfitting crowd.

Negative!!
All you need is $$$.. rangefinder, dail- up scope and a solid rest.
Didn't appear the blonde gal had much " skill"

Wind has WAY more factor in long distance shooting than the range itself!

Lol wow.. So all hunting, trapping,fishing and any other forms of harvesting animals legally is gonna seem unfair to someone. But, there is no difference in shooting a deer at 1000 yrs 1000 miles or being 20 feet up a tree in a stand when the animal doesn't know your there it's all the same unless u scream at the the deer or elk or whatever it is your hunting to give it a chance to run away it's all unfair. People come up with these meathods and evolve as hunter/gatherers for better efficiency. Just because u didn't hike 15 miles in the rain with a homemade bow over mountains in the snow and shoot your game and pack it out doesn't mean your not ethical... right.?

That's like getting in a boat and paddling across a lake with a broom handle..and not wanting someone to use a paddle or trolling motor or an outboard. Nothing wrong with any of them and they all get u there.

Same with trapping if a strong lure works and can help u catch your numbers better or quicker nothing's wrong with that it's all just different styles and ways of doing things, and everybody ain't gonna like or have the same way of doin things as u..if we were all the same it would be a boring world.

Ethical has nothing to do with distance or how u take the animals life as long as its efficient. Its killing it and leaving it there or taking more than u need and letting it go to waist doin it just out of spite with no reason....THATS UNETHICAL...

Do I think shooting deer at 1000 yards is unethical, not necessarily as long as the guy isn't throwing "hail Mary's" out there. Do I think it's in good taste? No, I don't think it's in good taste. Setting up a shooting bench alongside the road along with a team of spotters and other onlookers doesn't really qualify as hunting imo.
Shooting prairie dogs like that is another story; that's sort of an eradication program.

Well where is the line finally drawn on technology, hunting and ethics? My thinking is some things that are illegal might be ethical ie. putting down a deer on a roadway that is crippled without a license, illegal yes ethical in my view point very yes. Shooting at a deer at 1000 yards, that distance I guess for me is not a hunt and the chances for crippling an animal and not retrieving it though it might be legal for me not ethical and not really testing my skills. How about the guy in Texas that has the high fence hunting. You can be in New York behind a computer screen real time and shoot a animal on his ranch via a mechanized computerized rifle. Thank the Wyoming Game and Fish we stopped that before it got started here and High Fence hunting years ago. I guess to each there own but not allowed in this state. Same as using a motorized vehicle to hunt with laws that say you can't purse or hunt game by means of a vehicle.

I wonder if a person can consistently shoot a tight enough group at a 1000yds in a hunting situation to ethically take a shot like that.

There is a whole lot more to long distance shooting than just a stand or range finder, and I have seen it first hand it is impressive, and there is a long road of education and experience to get one there to do so, it's not just shooting experience, there is a lot of other factors being involved. Most who shoot game this way are quite qualified to do so, but the argument is not doing it, it is whether it is called hunting or not.

Some of you are quite off track on your understanding of the thread, which is understandable when your looking at it from an emotional state of mind instead of rationally, probably worrying that your now going to be labeled a non hunter!

What one regards as ethical is not necessarily a stone cute badge for everyone and no where has it been stated as so, so I would not be making statements as such.

Simple man you live up to your name by your example of that reply !! LOL

Lol thanks I guess.. i like it all i shoot long range and build rifles for it as a hobbie. And I love to bow hunt and trap also. I love it all anything i can do to get outside I'm in, as I thoroughly enjoy the outdoors and the privaledge to do so in our country. I see both sides of the argument and I dont think people do it to (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) off others it's just not how they like to do it and they cant keep their mouth shut and it turns into an argument lol

I think the term hunter is just a "standard" OR LOOSE TERM for all who harvest animals with weapons (legally or for purpose) since their are not sub cataglories yet like SHORT RANGE HUNTER, LONG RANGE HUNTER, BLACK POWDER ONLY HUNTER, PISTOL HUNTER, STALK HUNTER. AINT WE ALL HUNTERS?

So back on topic I believe hunting "long range" is hunting because you have to HUNT to find the animal the distance between your barrel and your target dont change the meaning of what your doin. And if u think its unethical or not hunting because of the animal not having a chance u try shooting something at 1000 yrds and you'll quickly see it's not something u just dial and squeeze off.

Got into an argument just the other day with a well know "TV" hunter over long range shooting.....its shooting not hunting, dont confuse the two. He was bragging about a rifle he had just bought that was capable of taking big game out to 800 yards. I've been guiding for over 30-years now and there is no reason on gods green earth why you should ever have to take a shot that far. Yep it can be done, sometimes, by a very few. Sometimes isn't good enough. Once you get out past 500 yards there are just to many things that can go wrong. When things go wrong you can wind up with a wounded animal, and at those distances you are not likely to get a second shot, even if you know its been hit, and its doubtful you would know. I've seen game hit much closer show no sign at all.

I've never had a hunter shoot past 300 and only very rarely that far. The vast majority of shots are under 200, and I guided sheep hunters full time for 5 years. Showing that nonsense on TV doesn't do any of us any good either. Even a non-hunter with an IQ 2-points above plant life can see how wrong things can go at those ridiculous distances.

Those are sort of my sentiments. Although like I said earlier, I don't know if I'd go so far calling it unethical, but just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.