Monkey Spanker
Well-Known Member
Ok, it’s Friday and I’m feeling a little controversial!
It saddens me slightly to see the ‘Can’t wait for the Rut’ posts which appear about this time every year! I don’t remember ever seeing a ‘can’t wait for the Doe season’ thread?
So here’s my question….
Should we be allowed to cull deer during the Rut?
It is the only time really during the entire year that shooting male deer could actually create deer welfare issues!
I fully appreciate that some areas need every opportunity they can get to achieve cull figures, but there are also a few negative points which shooting during the rut can create:
Please feel free to discuss!
It saddens me slightly to see the ‘Can’t wait for the Rut’ posts which appear about this time every year! I don’t remember ever seeing a ‘can’t wait for the Doe season’ thread?
So here’s my question….
Should we be allowed to cull deer during the Rut?
It is the only time really during the entire year that shooting male deer could actually create deer welfare issues!
I fully appreciate that some areas need every opportunity they can get to achieve cull figures, but there are also a few negative points which shooting during the rut can create:
- Prime animals which nature would have intended to survive end up being culled as they lose their normal senses during this time and expose themselves to danger. This can result in ‘less able’ stalkers culling decent animals which they would not normally have the skills to connect with.
- Using mating calls to effectively ‘honey-trap’ male deer may be viewed as being unethical by our critics?
- Opportunist stalkers in smaller areas where there is no general area cull plan can end up shooting the best animals which other neighbouring areas with more morals would have actually left!
- Prime animals are culled before they have had chance to pass on their genes therefore lowering the genetic quality of the stock.
- Shooting prime animals in hard antler gives deer management the unfortunate title of ‘trophy hunting’!
- Venison gained from rutting male deer is not good to eat!
Please feel free to discuss!