David Bancroft's 10 Rules for Hunting Honorably

1) Know your weapon.

Know your weapon before entering the woods. Identify your hunting strengths and weaknesses so you are comfortable making quick decisions in the field.

2) Be a good steward of the land.

Respect state and federal laws. Respect the rules of the landowner.

3) Protect future hunts. 

Protect future hunts through awareness of bag limits and maturation rates of each huntable species.

4) Don't kill just to kill.

This is not a video game. Unless a species is overpopulated, it is unethical to take any life just for sport or pleasure.

5) Be patient.

Take your time in the tree. Make sure you take the best and most humane shot possible.

6) Track your kill.

Even the best marksmen have to learn to track their kill properly. This is a very real and special time when hunters get to honor the hunt.

7) Give thanks.

Appreciate nature. Appreciate the hunt. Honor the animal and honor your Maker.

8) Keep your knife sharp.

As a hunter, you must respect your tools and keep them properly honed.

9) Use it all.

The best way to honor the harvest of God’s creation is to learn to clean, process, and prepare it with full respect for its life. Author Hank Shaw has great books dedicated to the fabrication of game birds and animals.

10) Teach the youth.

Take the time to teach our youth out in the woods or on the water. By teaching them to be good stewards, we protect the future success stories that will be experienced in the great wide open.