Eyhics of Mountain Hunter

Hunting is one of the most ancient crafts of humankind. It has been considered a worthy, “real men only” occupation during different periods of our history. Hunting is not just getting food, it is centuries-old proven way to train courage, fortitude and responsibility. At present , hunting has lost its initial essence. Quite often, present-day hunters have very expensive equipment, take an animal just for fun, forgetting all the ethics and burying ancient hunting traditions. Hunter’s ethics is a rather moral criterion of a person. Wherever the hunter is, most often he is on his own, far away from other people. This is a perfect situation to witness the true form of a man in relation to wildlife, nature and to other hunters. In these circumstances, one has to respond to his own actions and act according to his own conscience. Every hunter, if he is self-respected, has to know and to follow the moral norms of hunter’s ethics no matter the way he hunts. Apart from traditional norms of hunter’s behaviour the ethics of mountain hunt has its own peculiarities which follow:

• Take part only in legal hunts
• Don't shoot from a helicopter and not to use this type of transport for searching animals
• Don't shoot at non-hunting animals
• Don't shoot under poor vision conditions
• Don't shoot without proper aiming
• Don't disregard cases of poaching and damaging wildlife and nature
• Use only "mountain" calibers and rifles which give proper ratio of bullet energy and firing distance. Wrong calibers will increase the rate of wounded game
• Don't do unnecessary shots, be responsible for every shot you do
• Load your rifle directly before the shot, don't allow any movements or transportation with the loaded rifle
• Don't shoot at females and young males. An average age of mature trophy animal is more than 8 years
• Don't shoot indiscriminately, only shoot at the chosen animal
• Don't shoot at critical ranges and when it is obviously impossible to take the trophy
• If you have wounded an animal, take all possible measures to take it
• Know well your game, its external features and habits
• Be respectful to game and trophies
• Don't sit astride a trophy when taking photos
• Keep tidy and implement the basic rules of personal hygiene
• Carefully select and package your equipment, count on your own strength for carrying them.
• Carry water and food
• Carefully choose your hunt mates. These should be reliable partners, because your mutual actions will affect not only the result of a hunt but yours or your friends' lives
• Share your experience and knowledge with younger hunters and beginners
• Give the right of the first shot to a less experienced hunter
• Don't get lost and don't leave your friends in rocks and other dangerous places
• Local guides must not leave a hunter in the mountains alone, they must always be near a hunter and provide help if needed
• Provide necessary help to your mates during the ascent, if needed, provide with clothes, equipment and food
• If you have a headache and other symptoms of mountain or any other sickness, immediately inform your outfitter and your friends. Don't try to overcome it in no case.
• Choose a comfortable tempo of ascent. Local guides have to adjust to a certain hunter and be watchful over his condition
• Have an extra set of dry clothes and wear it after a prolonged ascent. Otherwise, you may get frozen due to severe winds
• Avoid night marches
• No matter of time you're going to leave a base camp and your further plans, always take some water, food ,a knife and a pocket flashlight
• If staying in regular camps, nomad camps and hunting huts take good care of camp belongings
• When entering a tent, leave dirty shoes outside
• Don't allow heavy drinking
• Respect local people, their traditions, culture and religion
• Be thankful to the staff helping you on a hunt
• Be helpful in the base camp
• Leave your base camp spot as clean as it was before you had entered it

This is the unwritten code of behavioural norms and moral duties, which should be followed by every self-respecting hunter.
Hunter’s ethics require all participants of a hunt to know and to follow all existing hunting rules and regulations of a certain region, not allow others to violate those regulations, stop poaching, take care of local wildlife and nature, stop quarrels and conflicts, be polite and correct with hunting mates.