letzter bissen

sh1kar

Well-Known Member
Although I (and we) take many lives I wonder how often we think about that. Sometimes the situation prompts us;

1. that first animal
2. something unique/special - the world is now a poorer place without it
3. an animal/accident we aren't proud of, eg; shooting a swan thinking its a goose!
4. a wounded beast we either didn't get or did after days of tracking/suffering by the beast
5. for me at least, a larder with 4 or 5 plus animals in it
6. seeing others chucking birds in back of land rover

How often really do you reflect on what you have just done - irrespective of the absolutely (IMHO) right thing whether its a cull animal or a trophy?

Peter Scott once said a very profound thing I thought (I think in his autoB eye of the wind). You will all recall he was an absolute killer re wildfowling (with Kenzie) and then suddenly stopped and turned to WFT. This is a paraphrase...

Every man has so much killing in him. The problem is you don't know how much you have, so don't know when the desire will run out. I spent all mine very quickly in youth

So for me it is about figuring out how you ration what you have - because you enjoy it, to not run out before you are too infirm to kill any more

So linking the 2 points:

1. do you occasionally or all the time (hence last bite as per our German cousins) think about it at every kill
2. moderate your shooting/stalking behaviour to create personal rules that spin out what you think your own ration might be

D
 
This is an interesting point - I have a friend who explained to me that he would eat venison I had killed as halal if I acknowledged the deer as one of gods creatures before I pulled the trigger (more or less effecting a prayer). I suspect this is simply founded as a modicum of respect for the creatures we kill. Who could argue with this interpretation of halal principles.

in answer to your question, I do think about this all the time with deer, but perhaps less so with winged game and rabbits, although I certainly have less blood lust the older I get. I do usually reflect afterwards but never in a manner that is regretful unless under number 3 or 4 circumstances you mention above.

ES
 
I treat everything I shoot with respect..........it doesn't need to be demonstrative, it can be as simple as admiring the plumage, or insisting the birds are laid neatly rather than thrown in a heap. I utterly detest the practice of spinning birds by the neck to finish them, but sadly too many seem to see it as standard practice.

I think it's an overall state of mind rather than a conscious decision to think about it, for my part at least
 
I utterly detest the practice of spinning birds by the neck to finish them, but sadly too many seem to see it as standard practice.t

+1 - It doesn't even kill them usually and is a disgrace to us all. It just is not difficult to kill a bird by breaking its neck properly. It must be bad education because it's no easier than doing it properly. My son will certainly be taught this.
 
This is an interesting point - I have a friend who explained to me that he would eat venison I had killed as halal if I acknowledged the deer as one of gods creatures before I pulled the trigger (more or less effecting a prayer). I suspect this is simply founded as a modicum of respect for the creatures we kill. Who could argue with this interpretation of halal principles.

in answer to your question, I do think about this all the time with deer, but perhaps less so with winged game and rabbits, although I certainly have less blood lust the older I get. I do usually reflect afterwards but never in a manner that is regretful unless under number 3 or 4 circumstances you mention above.

ES

Couldn't agree more & I've always found it difficult to pull the trigger on a deer (and often don't).

We've just employed an au pair who happens to be Muslim so the comments about halal principles are pertinent to me & it's proving interesting learning about it as we cook for each other.

As my game shooting is walked up, usually over pointers & you have to carry what you shoot & you might be a couple of hours from base that alone limits what you want to shoot. Carrying 3 or 4 cock pheasants starts to slow you down pretty quickly.

Old men plant forests and young men cut them down.....
 
I think about it every time . A lot of friends and family are either of Cree or Pagan ( Blackfoot ) descent , it's traditional to apologize to every animal killed and to give thanks for feeding us . The practice has rubbed off on me over the years . Some people find it silly , but my father always insisted we do it when we were young and I still do it today . I believe it's important to be conscious of what we do and to show respect for all living things . And as some of you have already pointed out , I find myself more aware of it as I get older and I don't need to kill an animal to have a good hunt . In fact , I enjoy taking out younger hunters and helping them to find game more than taking an animal myself . Perhaps it just part of getting older , I seem to see myself in the younger hunters who come hunting with us , my daughters included . When we start out , it's all about getting an animal , as we get older , it's more about the surroundings and the people we're with . Wow , I'm starting to sound like my old man lol . Old guy rambling over .

AB
 
An interesting thread, my view is that your quarry ( irrespective of what it is inclusive of vermin)should be given the highest regard and respected after youhave take it's life. The animal has been a challenge to cull it should be honoured as such. The Germans have maintained thelast bite but due to EU regulations rarely, now, pay honage to the day's shooting to ensure larder timelines are met.
 
An interesting thread but perhaps not a very practical one.

Every hunter/farmer I know makes some distinction between those living creatures that are "unworthy" of living status, all the way up to human status.

while I would clearly be deeply concerned about taking a human life, for any reason, I would be completely unconcerned about killing a tick. Deer, dogs, ducks reside somewhere in between. Surely the more positively emotionally connected (or projected) we are onto a life form, the more likely we feel some remorse. Likewise, negative emotional connection may result in deliberate removal of remorse.
 
I believe it's important to be conscious of what we do and to show respect for all living things . And as some of you have already pointed out , I find myself more aware of it as I get older and I don't need to kill an animal to have a good hunt . In fact , I enjoy taking out younger hunters and helping them to find game more than taking an animal myself . Perhaps it just part of getting older , I seem to see myself in the younger hunters who come hunting with us , my daughters included . When we start out , it's all about getting an animal , as we get older , it's more about the surroundings and the people we're with AB

AB, That part of your post is almost as if written by me as they are my thoughts entirely.
I have acounted for numerous animals over the years and now it seems that as I get older, I still pull the trigger but feel a touch of sadness for whatever has been shot.
I even have a respect for Foxes, once dead, I admire their colourful beauty and sleek lines, they even seem to die with a 'smile' on their faces.
 
AB, That part of your post is almost as if written by me as they are my thoughts entirely.
I have acounted for numerous animals over the years and now it seems that as I get older, I still pull the trigger but feel a touch of sadness for whatever has been shot.
I even have a respect for Foxes, once dead, I admire their colourful beauty and sleek lines, they even seem to die with a 'smile' on their faces.
I haven't shot a fox for ages where they are no 'pest' for the reason that I like dogs and find them a bit close to domestic dogs to want to kill them - coupled with the fact that they can't be eaten for me it isn't really appropriate. Would be different if I was a gamekeeper on a shoot I am sure.
 
I haven't shot a fox for ages where they are no 'pest' for the reason that I like dogs and find them a bit close to domestic dogs to want to kill them - coupled with the fact that they can't be eaten for me it isn't really appropriate. Would be different if I was a gamekeeper on a shoot I am sure.

It seems today the fox is treated by many as an out and out pest and must be shot on sight.
Where no game rearing or domestic free range poultry are concerned the fox has a definite place in our countryside.
It keeps rabbits down so decreasing the damage done by them, eats mice, rats and voles which in turn do damage to the roots of new trees, it also will pick up and remove carrion, so in effect tidying up the countryside to some extent.
I'm not sure they have a place in cities but then the countryside is being taken over by buildings and maybe pressure is being put on them by Lampers so they have no choice but to move into town.
I do believe every living thing has a place on earth but it is man that chooses to what extent.
I am sure that were there a 'higher' being than us humans, we would come under some sort of culling programme too due to over population or damage we do to our environment. !!
Before I left school and had unlimited access to acres and acres of ground with cheap pest control cartridges I would have classed what I have written as absolute drivel.
Perhaps some of the younger members do too !!
 
Every man has so much killing in him. The problem is you don't know how much you have, so don't know when the desire will run out. I spent all mine very quickly in youth

There's a lot of truth in that saying. More and more I find myself passing up opportunities to kill things - fish, fowl and deer. I get as much if not more pleasure from working the dogs these days.
 
So linking the 2 points:

1. do you occasionally or all the time (hence last bite as per our German cousins) think about it at every kill
2. moderate your shooting/stalking behaviour to create personal rules that spin out what you think your own ration might be

D[/QUOTE]

Interesting points.

When I'm stalking and lucky enough to take a deer I always say a quiet thank you to the deer before going onto the gralloch. I like the Germans last bite ritual, a nice way to pay your respects to the harvested beast.

In terms of moderating my shooting behaviour Im very rarely been in a position to take much! So haven't had to moderate it yet. But in terms of personal rules… I shot a snipe once…never again, there is so little meat on it that its in my opinion pointless.
 
Maybe the older you get, the closer you get to death yourself and the more you think about how great life really is.
 
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Being presently occupied with road transport as a main earner, I am constantly reminded by the passing of vehicles, filled to bursting point with Sheep, Pigs,Fowl of one sort or another, of the frailty of life...I kill an odd Deer/Fox/Rabbit,Goose or Duck, but it rarely becomes aware of it's imminent danger of becoming a food item, or an ex pest, But I feel for those unfortunates who must fill our supermarkets shelves, as they clatter past, I then ponder on my preferred sport ...... for a while.:old:
 
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