westcliffe01
Well-Known Member
Guys, I have been out of hunting for many years (since the early 70's to be honest). The last time I had an opportunity was while my uncle still had a huge family farm which saddled a mountain range in the Orange Free State (South Africa). Base was at about 4-5000ft and rose to probably 9000ft and the climate was dry, so no snow covered peaks. I was about 8 years old when he and his sister had a falling out over their inheritance (my uncle was the only family member actively involved on the farm and she had moved to the city and only wanted money.) It about killed him when he had to sell and of course he never owned another piece of property like it after.
My family moved away, and then starting in the 80's hunting became directed at foreign hunters who had more disposable income and the price of a hunt quickly rose well over what a regular working class person could afford. For those who don't understand, there is no concept of public land hunting in South Africa. If it is public land, conservation is in effect and hunting is banned, except for professional culls by rangers out of helicopters. Otherwise, hunting as we know it is all carried out on private land for whatever price the landowner (and wildlife manager) asks.
So in an attempt to get to the point, the hunting culture instilled in South Africa was that one never walked away or abandoned a wounded animal. There was no going home for lunch or overnight and coming back the next day to look for it. This rule applied all the way from a Springbuck to a lion or Buffalo, some of the most dangerous animals one could ever want to encounter.
So I have been rather perplexed by the apparently widespread practice of leaving shot game out in the field overnight with no attempt to track it whatsoever (even whitetail deer, which are hardly the most dangerous game). Even more perplexing, this behavior has been shown on the Sportsmans channel by many different hunters shooting rifle, bow, pistol or whatever ?
So I would ask: is this being shown in order to encourage other hunters to do the same ? Is it considered humane to leave a wounded animal to die slowly over hours and potentially to be eaten alive by wolves or coyotes ? Is it reasonable to behave in this way when there is a high likelihood of the meat spoiling, so the hunter is showing that the only value in the animal is the rack ?
I fully understand that this kind of behaviour is "comfortable" for the hunter. Tracking and stalking a wounded animal at last light is never fun. But virtually every example shown on TV had the animal expired less than 200 yards from where it was shot. Most of the time it had taken a line that was known to the hunter at the time he took his shot.
I would at least try to track it down with the only consideration being dangerous terrain, something that should be weighed before taking the shot. If alone, get backup, come back and try to find it. On that last hunting trip in mid winter at about 7000ft, we lost one of the hunters in the group. My uncle and father and several other men (in the days before cell phones) left us kids in the pickup parked about 30ft from the edge of a precipice and searched all night for the hunter until it was discovered that he had fallen and walked in a delirious state onto a neighboring farm, still dragging his trophy. He couldn't remember his name or where he lived etc, so he got taken to hospital where someone identified him many hours later.
So what do you think ?
I think about this stuff now since I have just gotten back into firearms ownership and thinking about a winter Texas hog hunt. I have been practicing regularly, but I always believe that one needs to have thought about how to deal with all potential outcomes before you are put on the spot without a plan.
My family moved away, and then starting in the 80's hunting became directed at foreign hunters who had more disposable income and the price of a hunt quickly rose well over what a regular working class person could afford. For those who don't understand, there is no concept of public land hunting in South Africa. If it is public land, conservation is in effect and hunting is banned, except for professional culls by rangers out of helicopters. Otherwise, hunting as we know it is all carried out on private land for whatever price the landowner (and wildlife manager) asks.
So in an attempt to get to the point, the hunting culture instilled in South Africa was that one never walked away or abandoned a wounded animal. There was no going home for lunch or overnight and coming back the next day to look for it. This rule applied all the way from a Springbuck to a lion or Buffalo, some of the most dangerous animals one could ever want to encounter.
So I have been rather perplexed by the apparently widespread practice of leaving shot game out in the field overnight with no attempt to track it whatsoever (even whitetail deer, which are hardly the most dangerous game). Even more perplexing, this behavior has been shown on the Sportsmans channel by many different hunters shooting rifle, bow, pistol or whatever ?
So I would ask: is this being shown in order to encourage other hunters to do the same ? Is it considered humane to leave a wounded animal to die slowly over hours and potentially to be eaten alive by wolves or coyotes ? Is it reasonable to behave in this way when there is a high likelihood of the meat spoiling, so the hunter is showing that the only value in the animal is the rack ?
I fully understand that this kind of behaviour is "comfortable" for the hunter. Tracking and stalking a wounded animal at last light is never fun. But virtually every example shown on TV had the animal expired less than 200 yards from where it was shot. Most of the time it had taken a line that was known to the hunter at the time he took his shot.
I would at least try to track it down with the only consideration being dangerous terrain, something that should be weighed before taking the shot. If alone, get backup, come back and try to find it. On that last hunting trip in mid winter at about 7000ft, we lost one of the hunters in the group. My uncle and father and several other men (in the days before cell phones) left us kids in the pickup parked about 30ft from the edge of a precipice and searched all night for the hunter until it was discovered that he had fallen and walked in a delirious state onto a neighboring farm, still dragging his trophy. He couldn't remember his name or where he lived etc, so he got taken to hospital where someone identified him many hours later.
So what do you think ?
I think about this stuff now since I have just gotten back into firearms ownership and thinking about a winter Texas hog hunt. I have been practicing regularly, but I always believe that one needs to have thought about how to deal with all potential outcomes before you are put on the spot without a plan.
