Trophy Game Hunting...

[Jedidiah]

And 2,000 lbs of meat from an 18 year old animal? I think that was just a very weak attempt to justify this idiocy.

And, yeah, hunting for food, particularly where the population of the hunted is not endangered.....

I believe it is pretty standard for locals to get all the meat from such kills. That is just how it works. I have a friend who has been on safari in Africa and that is what I got from him. A trophy for the hunter and meat for the locals.

[Littlejoe]

'Hunting' isn't a sport unless the deer has an uzi and knows how to use it.

so...you're a vegan?

I'm of the opinion that only professional culls should be allowed - not idiots so intent on killing something that they will shoot at practically anything from any angle, no matter how ridiculous.

Removing hunting because there are some idiot hunters is like removing cars because there are idiot drivers...(and BOY are there a lot of idiot drivers)

[Littlejoe]

Pretty sure baiting is illegal in most states.

You'd probably be surprised. In Texas, it's allowed on private property but not public land. We typically use corn and soy beans. It's really good for baiting in wild hogs as well. (Which there is an epidemic of). Texas has many areas that are overpopulated with deer even with generous bag limits, a long season, and the legal right to use bait. I'm not sure why people are ok with using sex bait (doe-in-heat) but not food bait. During the rut, bucks ignore food (and almost EVERYTHING else) to the exclusivity of breeding.

Hunting is my only outdoor hobby. I hunt deer, wild turkey, and wild hogs. My family and I eat everything I shoot (except what I gift to friends and family). Last year I shot 2 deer, a turkey and 2 wild hogs. Wild game is the original organic/free range food. No GMO's, no antibiotics, no worm medicine, no growth hormones. We rarely by meat from the store. I hunt on a lease with 8 other hunters, we know each other, where each of us hunts and have rules for what's legal to shoot and what's not. Not to mention the fellowship of the camp fire, as we grill meat and bacon wrapped, cheese stuffed peppers and swill grog (at night only, none allowed in the field). This year, my oldest son has joined the lease. Giving us extended father and son time.

[Littlejoe]

Yeah like I bet that giraffe really put up a fight.

I believe in hunting (for food), and in thanking God, but I don't see God in this kind of hunting. She mentions 2000 lbs of meat, so maybe she did something good with it afterward, but still, I see this as senseless. Her purpose was not food, it was pleasure in killing a rare animal for a photo op.

I have trouble supporting this kind of hunting...but I was told that most of the time, it's almost impossible to get all (or any?) of the meat home from Africa. I've read though that often the meat is donated to a local village and that it actually keeps many of these villagers from starving.

[Cow Poke]

You'd probably be surprised. In Texas, it's allowed on private property but not public land. We typically use corn and soy beans. It's really good for baiting in wild hogs as well. (Which there is an epidemic of). Texas has many areas that are overpopulated with deer even with generous bag limits, a long season, and the legal right to use bait. I'm not sure why people are ok with using sex bait (doe-in-heat) but not food bait. During the rut, bucks ignore food (and almost EVERYTHING else) to the exclusivity of breeding.

Hunting is my only outdoor hobby. I hunt deer, wild turkey, and wild hogs. My family and I eat everything I shoot (except what I gift to friends and family). Last year I shot 2 deer, a turkey and 2 wild hogs. Wild game is the original organic/free range food. No GMO's, no antibiotics, no worm medicine, no growth hormones. We rarely by meat from the store. I hunt on a lease with 8 other hunters, we know each other, where each of us hunts and have rules for what's legal to shoot and what's not. Not to mention the fellowship of the camp fire, as we grill meat and bacon wrapped, cheese stuffed peppers and swill grog (at night only, none allowed in the field). This year, my oldest son has joined the lease. Giving us extended father and son time.

I love this.

Are turkeys your biggest challenge? They're purdy durn smart.

[Littlejoe]

I love this.

Are turkeys your biggest challenge? They're purdy durn smart.

I think it's a misnomer to say turkeys are smart. They're not really any smarter than most wild game. What they have going for them is:

1. they usually travel in groups, sometimes as many as 30 or 40
B) they have INCREDIBLE eyesight. (as many birds do) and they see in color unlike many game animals.

Which means that when you see a flock or (technically a rafter) of turkeys, there's many sharp eyeballs looking your direction at any one time. One wrong, little bitty movement and your pegged...and...they're gone! It is quite frustrating at times.

Surprisingly, wild hogs are really hard to hunt...I'd argue they are the smartest wild game. Deer have phenomenal noses, but hogs make them look like us humans do when compared to deer or dogs...hogs can smell odors as far away as 7 miles away and 25 feet under ground.

[Cow Poke]

I think it's a misnomer to say turkeys are smart. They're not really any smarter than most wild game. What they have going for them is:

1. they usually travel in groups, sometimes as many as 30 or 40
B) they have INCREDIBLE eyesight. (as many birds do) and they see in color unlike many game animals.

Which means that when you see a flock or (technically a rafter) of turkeys, there's many sharp eyeballs looking your direction at any one time. One wrong, little bitty movement and your pegged...and...they're gone! It is quite frustrating at times.

Surprisingly, wild hogs are really hard to hunt...I'd argue they are the smartest wild game. Deer have phenomenal noses, but hogs make them look like us humans do when compared to deer or dogs...hogs can smell odors as far away as 7 miles away and 25 feet under ground.

Yeah, I've never turkey-hunted (yet) but have hunted wild hogs, and, yup - they can be pretty smart. On my bucket list is to hunt wild hogs from a helicopter!

Feral Hog Hunting From a Helicopter

R66-Field-Hunt-Helibacon.jpg

[rogue06]

Real Men™ go wild boar hunting armed only with pistols. Of course one of the ones I had was a machine pistol.

[Littlejoe]

Real Men™ go wild boar hunting armed only with pistols. Of course one of the ones I had was a machine pistol.

Actually, REAL men go wild boar hunting with dogs and only knives for a weapon. A buddy of mine went with a group that killed over a dozen wild hogs using only a sharp knife.

I've never gone...and not sure I want to...

[LeaC]

I believe it is pretty standard for locals to get all the meat from such kills. That is just how it works. I have a friend who has been on safari in Africa and that is what I got from him. A trophy for the hunter and meat for the locals.

They usually also have to pay a high price to kill the animals(including endangered ones), and the money typically goes toward conservation efforts to protect the animals. I don't know this particular story, but trophy hunting - while distasteful, imo - is a necessary evil. The locals need incentive not to let poachers kill them, and trophy hunters provide that. Assuming it's done ethically.

[Teallaura]

so...you're a vegan?

Not a fan of slaughter - but there are perfectly humane methods of killing livestock that don't involve gut shooting them from a tree stand.

Culling only by licensed professionals would have the added benefit of allowing venison to return to restaurant tables - for those of you inclined to eat Bambi (personally, Bambi is a bit too dry and 'dusty' tasting for me).

Removing hunting because there are some idiot hunters is like removing cars because there are idiot drivers...(and BOY are there a lot of idiot drivers)

You're saying that like it's a bad idea.

When I was a girl, I was shot at two (I think three but I could be wrong about the last time) times, had several dogs killed, a cat (how the HECK do you 'mistake' an orange cat for a deer?) and a NEIGHBOR killed by the local hunters. The neighbor was ACROSS a LAKE, standing in his living room when a moron took a wild shot off the top of a cliff.

I have friends who hunt. I have read hunting magazines with good articles on hunting safety. I will concede that responsible hunters exist - BUT I have NEVER personally seen one in years of living in and around woods. I HAVE seen plenty of idiots on tailgates waiting for their dogs to flush something to the road along with a host of other crap. Intellectually, I make the concession that there are hunters who take it seriously and responsibly ( a few in this thread) - but there's a part of me that will never fully accept the idea. Like unicorns, it would be cool if they existed, but I've never seen the evidence where it mattered.

[Teallaura]

Actually, REAL men go wild boar hunting with dogs and only knives for a weapon. A buddy of mine went with a group that killed over a dozen wild hogs using only a sharp knife.

I've never gone...and not sure I want to...

Weenies - leave the dogs at home and use your pocket knives...












































Okay, kidding - these are crazies and we shouldn't encourage them...

[Sparko]

I have trouble supporting this kind of hunting...but I was told that most of the time, it's almost impossible to get all (or any?) of the meat home from Africa. I've read though that often the meat is donated to a local village and that it actually keeps many of these villagers from starving.

My point was that while the meat was probably going to good use, I don't think she killed the Giraffe out of a desire to feed people. Her motivation was to get a photo op and a trophy and used the meat as a pass so she can feel OK about it afterwards. The meat was a byproduct to her ego.

at least in my opinion.

[Cow Poke]

My point was that while the meat was probably going to good use, I don't think she killed the Giraffe out of a desire to feed people. Her motivation was to get a photo op and a trophy and used the meat as a pass so she can feel OK about it afterwards. The meat was a byproduct to her ego.

at least in my opinion.

And God gets the Glory!

[Teallaura]

Um, locals can be fined or jailed for hunting endangered species - is it really a good idea to let them be dependent on bush meat from game hunters? Wouldn't developing photo-tourism and using that influx of capital to further develop the economy be a better plan?