Some commentary, as an active hunter who struggles with these type of ethics issues every year...
Yes, for waterfowl. But what about pointing dogs for upland birds? We use them to track down and pin the bird, and we walk up and (try to) shoot them. Very similar in concept to chasing bigger game with tracking dogs. (I'm now on my fourth upland dog, and avid hunter. So, not arguing against bird dogs.)
Agreed. Per my earlier comments. Hunting a den or pups is (to me) outrageous.
See my earlier comments about baiting. Scents and attractants are very common in hunting. I'm not really "for it", but I put this in a different category than the other items.
On the fence on this one. Hunting with dogs is allowed in OK for pigs, raccoons, and coyotes, (at least, may be others...) And of course upland birds as well. I probably agree with this restriction for bears personally, but have hard time arguing against it as a general prohibition.
This one is almost certainly an exception due to the indigenous inuit population. They have hunted caribou from boats during their migration for centuries. There is enormous tension up there (and in other areas, such as the Pac NW related to Salmon harvest) between indigenous and non-native hunting population. Natives argue for their "rights" to hunt ancestrally, and everybody else chaffes at the exception. To me, it's the use of motors that is most troublesome and shouldn't be protected for the Natives. But again, this very political.
Got mixed feelings about the bird hunting. I have done quite a bit of pheasant and quail hunting - when I was younger - a couple times with OPD (other people's dogs) but mostly without and on foot. With the dogs it was noticeably easier but felt somehow "too easy" or like I was 'guilty' of something.... I didn't really care for it, but could see how the guys that had them would appreciate the help - when I get old (older?), I may change my mind on that...not sure. Most of my bird hunting is waterfowl, so don't really get much contact with the others. Grandfather had a couple of really good dogs, but I only got to the field to watch with them, since I was only about 4 - 5. They didn't let me shoot until about 8 and the dogs were old and retired by then.
Hunting a den or in the breeding season is disgusting. No matter what the animal. Exactly the same as going out and shooting a doe AND the spring fawn with the spots on. No difference at all. One of the big reasons animals were market hunted almost to extinction 120 years ago until real sportsman stood up and got wildlife departments started in this nation. May as well just walk to the pasture and shoot that cow and calf....get more meat! And about as much "sport".
Scents and attractants are common. Not a fan. If one is that much an amateur at hunting, then keep practicing until one can do it right. Now that I have a little space to grow some things, there is the temptation to put a couple rows of corn outside the garden fence, though....lol.
You mention hunting with dogs for pigs, raccoons, and coyotes... Yeah, it is done a lot. Have relatives and friends who do that for raccoon. Just not to my taste. Amateur hour again.
Except for hogs. I make a special exemption for hogs - I don't consider that to be hunting at all. I consider it to be a necessary program of extermination. Neighbors in one of our places have said for years that they have never seen hogs in the neighborhood, which I thought was a little odd - but I had not seen any either. Skiatook is only a few miles away and I have heard of sightings there. One day, SWMBO and I were walking along the road enjoying a spring day and as we came to a little creek at edge of the place, there was a dead hog in the creek, probably hit by a car. Not a feral hog, but a wild boar, razorback style hog. So I know they are there. And I am gonna bait, trap, use dogs, helicopters, and whatever I can to catch as many as possible and kill them. Want some bacon? Which goes to another discussion had around here - I sure won't be doing any of that with a 5 shot bolt action rifle. I will have several 30 round magazines for my Mini-14. THAT is why I want an AR type semi-auto. Seen modest size hog tear up a dog... And I have no qualms about stacking the deck as heavy as I can in my favor. Will also be wearing my chain saw leggings until I can find something even better for hunting them.
I started to say something about First Nations people, but this particular set of regulations seems to be mostly for non-native people in the area - like Jewel's family, since everyone seems to know who they are. There are more than adequate resources for 'subsistence' hunting without allowing this stuff. The Natives seem to have a different set of regulations - they are allowed to hunt at least some of the time, from boats, with motors, caribou and seals, IIRC. (My only Inuit friend died a few years ago, so way out of touch now.) Doesn't bother me at all for them to get special dispensation. 1%er's been getting special dispensations for 400 years, so anytime someone who has been treated as badly as extermination and genocide, more power...
