Can hunting and animal welfare ethics coexist? Two Michigan State University faculty members take a shot at reconciling those often contentious points of view, as hunters around the country start thinking about heading back into the brush.

In “The ethics of hunting: Can we have our animal ethics and eat them too,” published in the fall edition of The Wildlife Professional magazine, fisheries and wildlife associate professors Michael P. Nelson and Kelly F. Millenbah discuss how advocates for each side arrive at loggerheads, and propose a potential avenue to facilitate a more successful discussion.

Instead of battling with animal welfare ethicists, the two write, hunting supporters can acknowledge animals’ moral standing – which often already is put into practice in good hunting techniques such as the one shot-one kill ethic. Furthermore, the dimension of ethics could be made a more integral part of the training of young wildlife professionals, they write.

The Wildlife Professional is published by The Wildlife Society. To view the magazine arrticle, visit:
http://www.wildlifeprofessional-digital.org/wildlifeprofessional/2009fall/?folio=33

###

Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.