The word integrity is defined as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles and moral uprightness.
The question is, “Does this definition change just because no one is watching you?”.
For most people, this is an absurd question. But, for many, the definition of what’s moral and what’s ethical changes as soon as they are alone, and no one is watching.
I promise, I am not writing this because I think I’m perfect. On the contrary, I’m writing this because I have personally struggled with this concept, just like, I’m sure many others have. When it comes to hunting, we as hunters are often alone in the woods with no one around to make sure we’re making the right decisions.
This past hunting season I was able to get out in the field quite frequently. I had my eye on a few nice bucks that I had on a trail camera. However, as the A-zone season was coming to an end, I was still without a punched deer tag. It is hard when you put in the time and you still come up empty. This season was full of disappointments and frustrations.
At one point during the season, I had one of my target bucks in front of me. I was able to inch my way closer until I got within forty yards of this buck. It had no idea I was there. The wind was perfect, the stalk was perfect, everything was perfect when all of a sudden, out of nowhere from the neighboring ranch, a dog came running out and barking, chasing off my buck before I even had a chance to draw back my bow. It had been a long season with failed stalk after failed stalk. I was beginning to think it wasn’t going to happen for me this year.
It’s not very often that I don’t get to notch my deer tag but, this year wasn’t looking very promising. What made matters even worse was Every time I came home from a hunt, with anticipation in her voice, my wife would ask me if I shot something. I knew she was sincere. There have been years when my wife didn’t necessarily care if I came home with a buck or not. This year was different. She wanted me to be successful as much as I wanted to be. This, of course, put even more pressure on me to get the job done. I haven’t even mentioned my hunting buddies yet. These guys are relentless. If you don’t harvest a buck, you will never hear the end of it. In fact, this year, my man card was apparently taken from me (if there was ever such a thing).
Why am I telling you all of this? Because the pressure of being a provider for me is very real. Sure, I could go to the store and buy meat like a lot of people do, but my family really likes organic meat, if you know what I mean.
Well, on the very last day of the season this year, in the last five minutes of shooting light, I stood thirty yards from a monster 3x3 black tail buck. If you’ve ever been bow hunting, you know this is pretty close proximity. I could see mass for days. This buck was huge. His antlers were a dark chocolate brown with trash all over its base. I mean this was the buck of a lifetime. And here I was, thirty yards from it. I pulled back my bow and stood at full draw for about ten seconds. Should I shoot? There was only one problem, there was a bush between me and this buck. I knew that, if I let an arrow fly, there was a pretty good chance of hitting this buck. The question I had to ask myself was if it would be a fatal shot. In my heart the answer was, probably not. This is where integrity comes in. If I shoot and kill this buck it will be one of the biggest bucks, I had ever shot. However, if I shoot and just wound this buck it would be such a waste. I asked myself, “What’s the worst that could happen?” I don’t recover the deer and it dies later giving the coyotes and buzzards a free meal. But then I remembered the scripture in James 4:17 that says, “Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
God has given us, as hunters, a responsibility. Genesis 1:28 says“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground”.”
In other words, we must be responsible for the care and harvest of every living animal. As hunters, I believe it is our responsibility to make moral and ethical choices both in and out of the field, whether people are watching us, or not.
Theodore Roosevelt, said,“Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”
Before I even had the time to say, “Please Jesus, let me kill this buck”, it turned and ran out of sight and out of my life forever. In just a matter of seconds, never giving me an ethical shot opportunity, and just like that, my season was over. Do I regret not taking the shot? Not really. Although I do replay that moment over and over in my head. Do I hope to see this buck next year? You bet I do! So, until then, aim straight and make good choices.
Written by Pro Staff, Kevin Ratliff