Losing the Duck Flats to hunting was no big deal. It really is a game refuge, even though not labeled or managed as such. But it could have been worse. And all because two men followed the letter of the law, but not its spirit. They were legal, but most don't believe they were ethical.
Ethics are an individual thing.
You have to decide for yourself whether or not what you do in the field as a bowhunter meets your own standards. But as you're making those decisions, please remember this. Your actions will reflect upon all bowhunters, everywhere. The legal actions of the Flats bear hunters could have resulted in 400 square miles of pristine wilderness being closed to all hunting and shooting, an irrevocable disaster. The judgment of public opinion is often swift and not always rational.