RTA humane dispatch courses

[jamross65]

Personally I fail to see why this is such an emotive and divisive subject in particular the use of pistols for humane despatch. There’s no one more than me who misses pistols but there is no way that I personally could demonstrate good reason and I don’t believe that the majority of stalkers could either, but there are some for which it is exactly the right tool for the job under certain circumstances..

this pretty much says it all.

If not for you and in all honesty not necessary for your stalking on your ground then fine, but please don't tell those of us who work weekly with deer on difficult terrain, in particular tracking with a dog, that a handgun is not necessary or more suitable under certain circumstances that we on occasion face because without that experience, at the risk of being rude, you simply don't have a clue what you're talking about...

 

[Jelendeer]

I'm intrigued!

Why do people go out at 2.00am to dispatch a deer free of charge???? .... What drives them???? .... Just interested!

Regards,

Mike.

Mike, I think l have said it before,but will say it again, deer have and continue to give me a great deal pleasure, so if I can give something back then I will, thats what drives me to get up at 2am and do it for nothing when the police call,

I take it you only see deer as a way of making money and am surprised you have to ask what drives people like me to do these call outs.

As I said CF, I was interested. Thanks for answering it! ...

But for the record, yes I make money out of deer. But I don't just see them solely as a way of making money, I actually have much more respect for the deer than most would imagine, and that's why I don't run around shooting at them with pistols!!!!

I love deer! I love the deer business and I love the deer people who pay me for their experiences. Thats what I do as a job, and as its my profession, yes! If I do any work with deer I expect to be paid for it.

On the occasions when I have been called out (presumably because the Police can't get hold of anyone to do it for nowt) then I have been paid for it. And guess what! ... Never needed a pistol EVER in 34 years!!

If guys want to work for sweet FA, then good luck to them. If I do it I want paying for it, and I'm not ashamed of that. If the Police/RSPCA etc. can get folks like you to do it for nothing, then good on 'em I say. I am sure they'd cover it if they couldn't get anyone for nowt. .. Thats when they'd call me.

Regards,

Mike.

​

 

[pheasant sniper 1]

this pretty much says it all.

If not for you and in all honesty not necessary for your stalking on your ground then fine, but please don't tell those of us who work weekly with deer on difficult terrain, in particular tracking with a dog, that a handgun is not necessary or more suitable under certain circumstances that we on occasion face because without that experience, at the risk of being rude, you simply don't have a clue what you're talking about...

Im happy to call it a day with the above comment

 

[User00047]

Please explain why it would be at the expense of deer surely if you need a handgun 1 time out of a hundred that is your justification.If you have a pistol for humane despatch it would be dafter leaving it at home and then needing it when you are stalking.
Geordie

Actually I said that playing Clint Eastwood was at the expense of deer welfare NOT that using a handgun was at the expense of deer welfare. By "playing Clint Eastwood" I mean: attempting to use a handgun to put animals down, when it is not an appropriate time to do so, purely to look "the big man" in front of police/public whoever.

I dont understand why it is daft to stalk with a hangun to use if needed surely its the deers welfare at risk when you bob off back home to go get the shotgun.
and as for playing clint eastwood you can't use one unless you have reason so thats out.
There are many reasons to use one and as terry pointed out knowbody has said a reason not too that can back up why you should not and mikes examples where operator error not the error of the hangun or bolt gun the same with bobs findings.
like others have said plenty of people doing the same with a rifle what i do find strange with all this health and safety talk that it is acceptable to possibly shoot a rifle on hands and knees into forestry or out of it with a bullet that will exit but yet use a heavy slow lead bullet that won't exit a beast or cause harm to others in the same situations, with a handgun you have full field of view unlike using a rifle and you can only download a rifle so much. atb wayne

I did not mean that for everyone it is daft to stalk whilst carrying a handgun, I used the words "for many of us........................carrying a sidearm around whilst deerstalking would just be plain daft" If a person feels that they need to carry a handgun whilst deerstalking due to their particular method of stalking/circumstances then that seems perfectly acceptable to me.
What do you mean by "you can't use one unless you have reason so that's out." ?
can you not fire one just for fun then?

Well if there are guys using it as an excuse to play Clint Eastwood, then that is a failing in the vetting system and a matter for the police authority to address, it does not mean that those of us who see it as a valuable tool to be used as dictated by the circumstances are wrong.

Your last point however, regarding 'at the expense of deer welfare...', can you explain? Are you suggesting that because a handgun is owned it will be used for something other than dispatch of a wounded deer?

See above.
And yes I am suggesting that some people use handguns for things other than the actual dispatch of a wounded deer.

 

[cookingfat]

As I said CF, I was interested. Thanks for answering it! ...

But for the record, yes I make money out of deer. But I don't just see them solely as a way of making money, I actually have much more respect for the deer than most would imagine, and that's why I don't run around shooting at them with pistols!!!!

I love deer! I love the deer business and I love the deer people who pay me for their experiences. Thats what I do as a job, and as its my profession, yes! If I do any work with deer I expect to be paid for it.

On the occasions when I have been called out (presumably because the Police can't get hold of anyone to do it for nowt) then I have been paid for it. And guess what! ... Never needed a pistol EVER in 34 years!!

If guys want to work for sweet FA, then good luck to them. If I do it I want paying for it, and I'm not ashamed of that. If the Police/RSPCA etc. can get folks like you to do it for nothing, then good on 'em I say. I am sure they'd cover it if they couldn't get anyone for nowt. .. Thats when they'd call me.

Regards,

Mike.

​

Thanks or your reply Mike,

I still find it hard to see how you love deer if you wont turn out for a RTA unless you get paid, its about deer welfare Mike and shame on you for not helping to end that suffering.

For the record I attended my first RTA in 1976 and have do it for nothing ever since, I did own a Smith & Weston 686 until about 1983 but I never used it on a rta.

Regards

Tony.

 

[jamross65]

And yes I am suggesting that some people use handguns for things other than the actual dispatch of a wounded deer.

Is that through hearsay in the pub or actual experience? It would be very easy to the detriment of our sport (which I won't do on a public forum) to now make detailed reference to the use of .22RF under the same circumstances as your hinting at and ask what you think the ratio of inappropriate use is between the tiny amount of handguns in use and such a small calibre rifle of which there are tens of thousands in the UK...