Stalking V Shooting

ezzy6.5

Well-Known Member
Hi all, I have just read an article in shooting times that raised the question do we hunt or shoot game?
It brought to mind a coversation that i had about 5 years ago with a friend of mine, we had been lamping together for about a year and he had been telling me all about stalking (he had been a profesional stalker before moving to the UK)
After a dissapointing week wildfowling/pheasant shhoting i decided to give roe stalking a try.
After getting the appropriate variation for my 223 and changing my V max's for soft points off to scotland i went.
On my return i couldn't wait to tell my mate all about how i had 'stalked' my first roe buck, i explained how i had rangefinded it and taking a rest off a dry stone wall and dropped it with a perfect heart shot at (i can't remember exactly) 180yards.
He regarded me solemly and said 'you may have shot a deer but you certainly didn't stalk it'.
Last week the same friend asked me if i would help him work up a hotter load for his 17rem so he could reach out further when sitting up for foxes ( i told him to buy a 243).
So i guess my question is, at what point does stalking stop and shooting begin. Interested in your opinions. Ezzy.
 
Does it really matter? :rolleyes:

As long as you are having a good time.
Don't let people belittle your efforts. Sounds like jealosy to me.
Enjoy your shooting and ignore Prima Donna's.
 
I agree Poddle. Every bit of ground is different and every animal you take is different. Enjoy yourself.
 
And some could argue as to where the sport in driven phaesant shooting is? - Afterall not a lot of field craft required to get out of the land rover, walk ten yards to your peg and shoot away and birds driven over you - but it is very good fun!

Likewise with deer - I have had difficult stalks to crawl into beasts and then taken an easy 80 yard shot. Have bumped inot beasts and had a quick shot at 30 yards. But also have taken shots at getting on for 300 yards when taking out an old beast that's on it last legs in the snow and no chance of getting an closer.

At the end of the day what is right for one is not necessarily another's idea of fun. Provided that the animal doesn't know anything about the shot and doesn't suffer and you are safe I think it is all that truly matters.

I use to frown on trophy hunting - but then I do get a lot of pleasure from my Bronze medal head that is on my wall above my desk.

I think the beauty of, particularly woodland, stalking is that it is an independent sport and you can exercise your own judgement.
 
For me there is a huge difference between walking the land and stalking an animal or sitting up a high seat waiting for it to come to you. I am not saying that one is better or fairer or any qualitative judgement,merely that I find the stalk the most exciting part of the outing.
 
Hunting is how close you can get to an animal and shooting how far away from a target.
Done well both are equally humane and satisfiying.

Mark
 
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