Respect of quarry

[bongo]

Had a moment of remorse/honesty if thats what you call it on a new shoot this morning , and fox's came up, So i put it that i liked fox's but if they were haveing problems i would shoot them if requested . We are not monsters but the whole reason we get to shoot on most farms is to do a job first , And the fun is part of it as an extra .

 

[sikamalc]

If you shoot/hunt/stalk, call it what you will you will find as we all have done, I am sure a common thread that runs through everyone that partakes in hunting/stalking.

There is always a pang of regret at times, the red deer you have taken on a perfect winters day on a Scottish hill side, the Roe Buck you have stalked on a spring day in a wood full of bluebells with the dawn chorus in the background, or maybe the prized Fallow Buck you have been after on a crisp autumn morning with a clear blue sky overhead.

Many of us have been there, for many of us it has yet to come, but as long as we all show the respect for the deer that we hunt and the environment we hunt them in, then we can all hold our heads high and say we did the job of deer management ethically, professionally and with respect.

 

[Muir]

I have often been out with non hunters in the off season and come upon groups of mule deer or whitetails and they have commented that I seemed a little schizophrenic. I smile and speak gently at the deer we stumble upon, yet come fall -they claim- I become a cold blooded killer. That might be true. When in the season, and I decide to shoot, I do become a cold, calculating killer. I focus on only killing. After kill there is time for regret but not before. I would venture that anyone who gets emotional or doubtful in purpose before the shot should either become more focused, or stick to paper-punching. You do the deer no good otherwise.~Muir

 

[User00003]

As Prior says, as long as you are engaging in Deer Management, culling bucks/does/kids is doing good to the natural population and survival of its species (since its natural predators are long gone), the second you are doing it only for a trophy, for the stalk, or to pull the trigger, it's exploitation! I fully agree, and even though I started out shooting for the more 'fun and excitement' element, I have grown to take deer management more and more seriously, and will now be happy letting a nice six-pointer move by, should it be a beast in his prime who complements the population I am trying to sustain/build.

The more I learn about which deer to cull, what to look for in a healthy population, how to calculate the right sex-ratio and age demographics on my grounds, etc. the more I enjoy the sport, and the better I feel shooting deer. My personal goal is to manage the deer on my grounds, but 'treat' myself to two nice buck trophies per annum (if 'I' can) at most. ...along with whatever else the annual management plan may produce, which may include a few 4 pointers, even some old 6 pointers...but I will only take up to 2 'prime' bucks pa..just to clarify.

As for foxes, well, it's how I feel on the day. I'm not going to kill every fox just because its a predator, but I am going to take the ones that are in excess of my perceived capacity of natural balance, and will opt for the ones in poorer condition, or the ones pestering my release pens. will I shoot an elegant fox sitting in the sunset with its pup's or resting in the last rays to get warm,,,no. I also believe that if I have a clean miss on a deer, to let it go,,I've had my chance, I lost, it won. fight another day

 

[MJM]

I went to Peebles in early December stalking with a Lad called Tom who when I had shot my Sika hind he made me repeat this prayer;
"I am sorry I have killed you, when we meet again in the next life may your spirit forgive mine"
He then went on to repeat it again in Gaelic...
I had never heard this before and I was touched that such an experienced stalker such as him would still hold such respect for the quarry.
I thought this short prayer was perfect for the moment and I will use it now always.

 

[tjwaines]

I always look for a clean kill with any quarry, but wounding is inevitable in our game - if it can be avoided we all like to do so. I do all the predator control on my fathers shoot and thankfully I only have fox to contend with, no mink that I've seen anyway. The foxes get no reprive, they're all shot on sight, regardless of time of year, what mood I'm in, or age / sex. I'll shoot them at ranges I wouldn't dream of shooting deer, but that's not to say I don't miss them occasionally and I (or anyone else that shoots foxes seriously) would be a fool to pretend I've never wounded a few.

With deer though I always head out with a pre-decided plan and 99 times out of 100 stick to it, no getting caught up in the moment and shooting a couple too many doe's or taking 'that' buck, that last week I decided was to be left this year. That way there's no room for disappointment or regret later on.

Tom

 

[njc110381]

I often stalk to within range of Deer and then leave them. Some days they just look so graceful nibbling the grass I just can't do it! I think it's a sad day when you don't feel that way about the animals you take. Even Foxes do what they do to live and you can't hate them for being clever.

I don't understand myself some days. I shoot because I enjoy it but sometimes I feel bad for taking somethings life?

People find me odd too. That I care so much about wildlife yet the next thing they know there's a cut open Deer hanging in my shed! I guess it's a respect thing - one thing I absolutely will not do is eat an intensively farmed Chicken which makes a lot of people laugh! They just don't get it!