January 17, 2001

"THE NORTH AMERICAN HUNTING ETHIC" IS THE NEXT ETHICS LECTURE

LA CROSSE, Wis.— Today’s hunters are being challenged. Challenged by the behavior of a few hunters who violate the ethical code. Challenged by the misperceptions that exist from non-hunters and animal rights groups. Challenged by their loss of identity as wildlife conservationists.

That’s why, in 1993, Jim Posewitz founded Orion, The Hunters Institute, a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of hunting for future generations by focusing on hunter ethics and the important role hunters play in conservation. Join Posewitz on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 7:30 p.m. at the Viterbo Fine Arts Center Main Theatre as he explores "The North American Hunting Ethic."

A Wisconsin native, Posewitz was born in Sheboygan in 1935. After introducing himself to the joys of hunting, fishing, and trapping, he moved to Montana pursuing fish and wildlife management studies and receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. After graduation, he spent 32 years with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, leading the agency’s ecological program for 15 years.

His acclaimed book Beyond Fair Chase: The Ethic and Tradition of Hunting, published in 1994, is widely used in the hunter education community. In 1999, he released his second book, Inherit the Hunt: A Journey Into the Heart of American Hunting.

The presentation is part of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership lecture series and is partially sponsored by Gander Mountain and Outers. It is also part of this year’s annual Humanities Symposium at Viterbo, "The Sporting Life: Gender, Race, and Ethics in American Sports.

The presentation is free and open to the public. A reception and booksigning in the Fine Arts Center Lobby will immediately follow the talk. For more information, contact Richard Kyte, director of the Ethics Institute, at 608-796-3704, email rlkyte@viterbo.edu.