Technology- sporting??

mudman

Well-Known Member
Putting aside the equipment that aids accurate and humane shooting such as telescopic sights, moderators, range finders etc I was wondering what opinions are of the other developments that are now finding there way into the world of rifle shooting?

I have read articles in print and on internet forums where on or two things have got me thinking on the ethics of various techniques and devices. To name a few:

Electronic animal calls, widely used for fox calling, but I have also seen them advertised for Sika deer and if I looked hard enough I dare say they are available for Roe, Red etc etc.

Night vision equipment and scopes, I've read mention of them used in the pursuit of rats, rabbits, foxes, and even wildboar. I would guess they are used in places under license for night shooting deer.

Lamping, a very effective technique for controlling pest species but lamping deer is regarded as unsporting (and of course illegal except under license), so why is it acceptable to lamp boar?
 
LAmping Boar

This might be something to do with the animals being nocternal.

You cannot shoot what you cannot see. deer are visible in daylight hours, foxes and boar..................

Point laboured enough.
 
I think its the world we live in lead by marketing and advertising. when i started stalking i had a rifle bino's and a knife. I shot hundreds of deer.
But i did learn field craft.
Most of the accesories sold for stalking today are worthless crap. This includes most camoclothing ,face viels etc,etc.
look at the debates about the latest rifles in #¤% WSM what a crock of poo. Most of us don't shoot past 200 mtrs and most shots are taken at a lot less than that.
People would be better of learning a bit of field craft and saving a bit of money.

Must go out this week and buy new batteries for the electronic ear muffs, dog tracker. hunting radio and telescopic site. :D
 
If you can't squeak a fox in with your mouth, can't find a blood trail without a lumilight (get a dog), can't train that dog without an electronic zapper, well, you just shouldn't be out there in my opinion (runs ducking for cover)

Batteries, pah! (of course, I'll change my tune as soon as I can afford a pair of the new Zeis range finding binos)
 
Frax said:
If you can't squeak a fox in with your mouth, can't find a blood trail without a lumilight (get a dog), can't train that dog without an electronic zapper, well, you just shouldn't be out there in my opinion (runs ducking for cover)

Batteries, pah! (of course, I'll change my tune as soon as I can afford a pair of the new Zeis range finding binos)

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
I always smile at the mention of sporting in connection with shooting. To my mind sporting implies that both participants have an equal chance of success, and save for dangerous game hunting, bull fighting or in some extreme environment hunting with the vast majority of shooting it is a decidely one sided affair.

As to technology - new technology will always be percieved as unsporting in that it makes it somewhat easier for shooter to kill his intended quarry. Scopes in my fathers and definately grand fathers day where deemed unsporting.

I do think it is up to each of us to decide what the priorities are. Regardless though I think anybody pulling the trigger has a responsibility to try and ensure a clean kill, whether it be a high flying phaesant, or a buck.

If you are culling and having to meet cull targets etc then use of highly accurate rifles, range finders, electronic calls etc make good sense. I used to help out on an estate where the stalkers had big hind cull targets and to be honest having very accurate rifles, rangefinders and target scopes into which you could dial the range made the 300 yard shot for them actually pretty easy, and given the short daylight and the ground they were stalking across, the taking of 250 to 300 yard shots meant you could cull four or five beasts in the same time it would take to stalk in closely to cull one at 150 yards.

The same could equally apply to shooting rabbits (picking them off at 100yards plus with 17 HMR as opposed to 20 with an airrifle) or foxes.

But all my stalking now is for pleasure and I don't have any pressure on getting a cull. My enjoyment now comes from the stalking and then the eating and since I only shoot three or four bucks a year I do want to enjoy the stalk on each one, thus always try to get as close as possible and most shots are taken at 50 yards, and frankly I don't need much more than the rifle, scope, binoculars and a knife, and to be honest at that range you could probably do without the scope and just use open sights.

But then he who has most toys wins always comes to mind, and he who can't afford the new toys will deem the new ones unsporting.
 
They always used to say that trout and salmon flies catch more fisherman than fish .......... still true today, and just as applicable to stalkers I suspect.

Mrs Mole (who enjoys sitting on a horse and chasing flufffy things around the countryside) & I have a continuing argument about lamping. She says it's unfair. I say that's the point. We agree to differ.
 
Technology, Sporting.

Heym, you put it well. when I got my first shotgun as a boy and then moved on to a .22, that was it, nothing else. I never even thought of binos. Then I progressed to lamping, primitive in the extreme, it had to be there was no money! I seem to remember doing pretty well with this gear travelling many miles not in my 4x4 but on a bike.

Things today are very different there is much more money for leisure pursuits and where there is money the commercial side will cash in. I have a load of gear that I use from time to time, and very nice some of it is too. However having shot for so long with precious little else but the gun/rifle and a little ammo I am not so sure that we have moved that far. I know that I could ditch most of my equipment now and still do a reasonable job. There has undoubtedly be a change in the quarry we pursue foxes in particular are more wary and there are many reasons for this so if, like me you need to reduce fox numbers you have to move with the others and take advantage of modern equipment. Despite all of the gear available, the UK fox population remains fairly static so perhaps all is not lost!

One day I will seriously look at what gear I really need and what I take with me because I enjoy using it, I might be suprised. :eek:
 
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