O
ver the years the South African Bow Hunters
Association, or SABA as we all know it, developed a
unique format for their 3D shoots. The challenge faced
was: How do you incorporate ethical and responsible hunting
practices into a competition?
Let’s look at the two words that we all so freely use, ethi-
cal and responsible. When it comes to hunting, these two words
mean different things for different people. What one person
considers as ethical or responsible might not be that for the next
person. We therefore have to acknowledge that there is not a
right or a wrong, within reasonable humane margins of course,
when it comes to this.
SABA’s point of view is that you have to hunt within your
own and your equipment’s ability. If a hunter can shoot accu-
rately out to 50 yards but the equipment used does not have the
potential to kill at that distance, then that person should not hunt
at that distance. Also the other way around, if the equipment
can kill at 50 yards but the hunter is not competent in shooting
at that distance, then that is not a distance to hunt at for that
person.
Then you get the hunter with the right equipment and skill
to hunt at 50 yards.
For the first two hunters it will be unethical and irrespon-
sible to hunt at 50 yards, but for the third hunter it will be both
ethical and responsible as the hunt will be well within the abil-
ity of the hunter and the equipment. But even if the hunter can
make the shot and the equipment is 100% it will still be totally
irresponsible and unethical to take a shot if the animal is aware
of the hunter or moving or just super alert.
As you can see there are a number of factors that need to
be taken into account before we can say a hunt is ethical or not,
responsible or not. But now I have deviated a bit. Let’s get back
to the competitions!
When we look at archery competitions we see that all par-South African Bow Hunters
Association’s 3D Competitions
Vick Venter
SABA Chariman