My Take
I believe that it is morally permissible to hunt with due care and in fair-chase conditions*, so long as the final intent is to eat the meat.
I will use animal welfare, human welfare, and virtue ethics reasoning to support this take. While each philosophical view has a different path, these arguments will all ultimately support my position.
*Due care stipulates that the hunter must use proper hunting instruments and ammunition, based on the ballistics and effective range of the ammunition. The hunter must know his/her own capacity and limits, having practiced to develop shooting capabilities. The hunter must know the anatomy of the game he/she is hunting to achieve a clean, one-shot, targeted kill and must know the correct instrument required for the kill.
Fair-chase conditions establish the environment in which free-ranging wild animals have the opportunity to escape, not giving the hunter any improper advantage.
(These stipulations were inspired by philosopher Donald Bruckner in his article, "Considerations on the Morality of Meat Consumption: Hunted-Game versus Farm-Raised Animals")
Fair-chase conditions establish the environment in which free-ranging wild animals have the opportunity to escape, not giving the hunter any improper advantage.
(These stipulations were inspired by philosopher Donald Bruckner in his article, "Considerations on the Morality of Meat Consumption: Hunted-Game versus Farm-Raised Animals")