Big game hunting

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LCPete

LCPete

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Not sure if this is a good idea as the last thread was closed but I will try anyway :D
Pro or anti hunting in Africa and places like it?
It would be interesting to have a proper discussion on this no crap please I'm genuinely interested in people's views on this
On the telly tonight they interviewed a conservationist who was in favour of controlled hunts as it apparently brings in big money which can be used for conservation
In Namibia for example they have used the money from these hunters to increase the Lion population from a very low number to about 150 or so animals
I still can't get my head around this tho and genuinely don't understand why anyone would want to shoot a big cat
It's something I'm passionate about as I'm mad about big cats , I always believed that the income from tourism was enough to save wildlife in places like Africa
 
I don't understand why people want to shoot big game.

However I realise they do. Me getting outraged on Facebook etc. won't change that. I doubt Ricky Gervais greatly worries the average hunter either. So I'd rather hunting was managed in a controlled way, that was in someway useful to conservation then not managed at all. Controversially I think canned hunts (where the animal is bred to be hunted and never truly wild) are better for a species then someone taking a top of the pride lion.
 
Against it.
I can't get my head round it ether.

I'm not one for killing for fun. If you going to kill an animal at least make it as humane as you can and for a decent reason.
 
There are some that don't give a monkeys about wildlife, or the pain and suffering inflicted that they endure, because the only thing that matters is £££££

Some of those include people who like landscape photography. I presume they won't mind if I pollute the waters that they photograph with oil, and burn the same hillsides.

Anyone posing with a crossbow/rifle beside the corpse of a once majestic animal has serious psychiatric problems.
 
boyfalldown said:
I don't understand why people want to shoot big game.

However I realise they do. Me getting outraged on Facebook etc. won't change that. I doubt Ricky Gervais greatly worries the average hunter either. So I'd rather hunting was managed in a controlled way, that was in someway useful to conservation then not managed at all. Controversially I think canned hunts (where the animal is bred to be hunted and never truly wild) are better for a species then someone taking a top of the pride lion.
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Yes agree with you and I've got to admit to being one of those outraged on Facebook but it made me look into it
I knew the hunting went on but didn't realise the scale of it apparently it generates big money
I guess if it does go into conservation it's ok but as far as I can tell the case of Cecil the Lion was just a bribe to a local to turn a blind eye
 
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My view in terms of conservation is you have to be pragmatic. The end, headline goal is for the population of x animals to stop declining and then increase to whatever the sustainable population is for the land area that is within the area under consideration.

How do you engage the local population to ensure they get benefits from this increase, how do you raise funds so support park maintenance \ anti-poaching etc. If the best option is the selective killing of animals that does not alter the long-term chances of animal population, and if anything increases it's chance, then that is the hard choice that should be made. If the animals were simply culled so maintain the population I don't think most people would mind, what people have an issue with is people getting an enjoyment out of it.

Whilst I don't understand how people would enjoy it, people do in pretty much every country in the world. If it's poachers getting the money vs organised hunts targeting old etc animals where money goes back into conservation I'll take the latter.

I also always find these arguments a bit hypochritical - we have hunting in this country and throughout Europe, some of it purely for fun and there is nowhere near the uproar, and I also don't see huge campaigns in the UK to re-introduce Wolves and Bears so it's a bit easy to preach having eradicated all our dangerous animals pretty much.
 
LCPete said:
I guess if it does go into conservation it's ok but as far as I can tell the case of Cecil the Lion was just a bribe to a local to turn a blind eye
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if there are any wrong doing, the appropriate authorities should deal with him as they seem fit.
 
I hunt hippies. One day they will be extincto_O
 
Nah, the f***ers breed like rabbits!

Oh, and anti any killing for fun.
 
I fish for sport and food so I am a killer. That said, none of my catches could ever be classed as 'big game.' I might go shark or Marlin fishing in Portugal next month.
 
I fish for salmon and trout, to eat. Anything too small goes back. And I don't leave them in pain for 40 hours.
 
I've never understood the idea of hunting for fun. Essentially it's just greed. In the space of 2000 years we've taken a pretty amazing planet and trashed it. I understand hunting for food, but unless you are hunting for food it's not a sport, it's not fun, it's simply humans being so greedy that they don't value life itself. If you want to prove yourself as a sportsman or sportswoman there are many ways to do it without killing something. Breeding & killing for food I understand, killing for fun, I don't
 
Ferj said:
I've never understood the idea of hunting for fun. Essentially it's just greed. In the space of 2000 years we've taken a pretty amazing planet and trashed it. I understand hunting for food, but unless you are hunting for food it's not a sport, it's not fun, it's simply humans being so greedy that they don't value life itself. If you want to prove yourself as a sportsman or sportswoman there are many ways to do it without killing something. Breeding & killing for food I understand, killing for fun, I don't
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Not all strictly true. At times culling is necessary for the good of the species. Up here it's for the likes of Red Deer and that is done as sport and generates a lot of money for the local communities as well as keeping healthy, well numbered herds of wild Deer.
 
At least the deer are eaten.

I've nearly hit a few, around Blair Atholl.
 
akr said:
My view in terms of conservation is you have to be pragmatic. The end, headline goal is for the population of x animals to stop declining and then increase to whatever the sustainable population is for the land area that is within the area under consideration.

How do you engage the local population to ensure they get benefits from this increase, how do you raise funds so support park maintenance \ anti-poaching etc. If the best option is the selective killing of animals that does not alter the long-term chances of animal population, and if anything increases it's chance, then that is the hard choice that should be made. If the animals were simply culled so maintain the population I don't think most people would mind, what people have an issue with is people getting an enjoyment out of it.

Whilst I don't understand how people would enjoy it, people do in pretty much every country in the world. If it's poachers getting the money vs organised hunts targeting old etc animals where money goes back into conservation I'll take the latter.

I also always find these arguments a bit hypochritical - we have hunting in this country and throughout Europe, some of it purely for fun and there is nowhere near the uproar, and I also don't see huge campaigns in the UK to re-introduce Wolves and Bears so it's a bit easy to preach having eradicated all our dangerous animals pretty much.
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Yes I think that you are right you have to take the long view and do the best thing that will save the species even if it means sacrificing a few
Apparently only 2 to 5 % of big cats are killed by hunters most are lost to habitat loss and farmers killing them and if the income from hunting goes back to the community then they will have a reason not to kill them
Still a real shame to kill perfectly healthy animals tho
 
BRASH said:
Not all strictly true. At times culling is necessary for the good of the species. Up here it's for the likes of Red Deer and that is done as sport and generates a lot of money for the local communities as well as keeping healthy, well numbered herds of wild Deer.
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Yes agree and the numbers of deer to need to be controlled as there are no big predators to keep their numbers in check
And at least controlled hunts are humane for the animals
I would rather photograph a deer than shoot it tho :D
 
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Wild life conservation
Poaching is still the major problem in Southern Africa, it is not only decimating the numbers of Rhino and Elephant but also other animals, (look at what happens in Mozambique!),............. even from well secure Game Reserves (in South Africa) and it will continue as long as the Far East will pay almost any price for Rhino horn and ivory ..........

...... it even go as far down as the "common" shark and globally it is estimated 23-73 million sharks are finned each year ..... chop the fin off and throw the shark back to die ...... ("finning" and throw back is not illegal in SA as long as it's caught in international waters, but you can imagine what happens and what the locals get up to - finning and throw back is illegal in S African waters) ........ look the subject up it is quite surprising!! ........ maybe it's good to feed the sea, but that's a lot of meat wasted just to satisfy the Chinese etc., desire for Shark fin soup
 
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RIR said:
At least the deer are eaten.

I've nearly hit a few, around Blair Atholl.
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Yes they are but they are not bred for that purpose, tho some are famed nowadays, generally they are wild and free.
 
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Ferj said:
I've never understood the idea of hunting for fun. Essentially it's just greed. In the space of 2000 years we've taken a pretty amazing planet and trashed it. I understand hunting for food, but unless you are hunting for food it's not a sport, it's not fun, it's simply humans being so greedy that they don't value life itself. If you want to prove yourself as a sportsman or sportswoman there are many ways to do it without killing something. Breeding & killing for food I understand, killing for fun, I don't
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Yes I don't understand anyone who kills for fun either and until the case of Cecil the Lion was dead against big game hunting
I'm not sure now what to think to be honest if the money from hunting is used for conservation then maybe it can be justified
 
BRASH said:
Yes they are but they are not bred for that purpose, tho some are famed nowadays, generally they are wild and free.
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Yes, but they are eaten, not skinned and beheaded and left to rot. That would upset the tourists.....
 
The surest indication that there is INTELLIGENT life out there in the Universe, is that they have not contacted us.
 
Killing for food is acceptable, but for fun? no!
I don't understand anyone wanting to do that. I actually think many who do must have personality disorders/inferiority complexes & tbh they are probably the folk who actually SHOULDN'T own/use weapons.

Any animals that need culling to keep numbers in check, or for health reasons etc can be performed humanely by licensed game keepers. You don't need to pander to the rich, or those that need to massage their twisted ego's.
 
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I am for hunting, I'm not for hunting endangered species, I am for game management.

I don't see the problem in it, hey the animals would do it themselves. It is nature, it is the circle of life.

I wouldn't want to shoot a healthy big cat, however if it was for game management purposes I would absolutely love to be involved in it. I'd also be sad when it happened, and definitely wouldn't pose all smiles, but yes I would want to be part of a hunt in such a case.

Calling those that don't agree with anyone stand point silly names, or referring to wealth or ego's is just plain unnecessary in my opinion and immediately gets this discussion on track to be closed again.
 
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akr said:
and I also don't see huge campaigns in the UK to re-introduce Wolves and Bears so it's a bit easy to preach having eradicated all our dangerous animals pretty much.
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Really, these are ongoing, including lynx
 
Gremlin said:
Really, these are ongoing, including lynx
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Yes, the are speaking about reintroducing Wolves up in Highlands. Absolute nonsense imo.
norters said:
Kill it to eat it.

Don't kill it for fun.
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You are allowed to kill hippies for fun.....................and great fun it is too.:cool:
 
BRASH said:
Yes, the are speaking about reintroducing Wolves up in Highlands. Absolute nonsense imo.



You are allowed to kill hippies for fun.....................and great fun it is too.:cool:
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You know 1977 was nearly 40 years ago don't you? ;)
 
BRASH said:
Yes, the are speaking about reintroducing Wolves up in Highlands. Absolute nonsense imo.
.
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Last I heard it was going to be an enclosed area to start, not a zoo as such, all the animals mixed in together with relevant prey.
Will it happen, who knows be nice if it could
 
I would happily pay whatever the price would be to see wolves back in Scotland. Beautiful intelligent animals. They were here first.
 
BRASH said:
Yes, the are speaking about reintroducing Wolves up in Highlands. Absolute nonsense imo.



You are allowed to kill hippies for fun.....................and great fun it is too.:cool:
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X2. It's a dreadful idea to reintroduce wolves. We don't need them and it costs money. What we need is game keepers to keep deer numbers down.

norters said:
Kill it to eat it.

Don't kill it for fun.
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My mate does both. He enjoys pheasant and grouse shooting, and he likes to eat them too.
 
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Gremlin said:
Last I heard it was going to be an enclosed area to start, not a zoo as such, all the animals mixed in together with relevant prey.
Will it happen, who knows be nice if it could
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Apparently, it couldn't.
I read a while back that animal protection legislation kicks in if you let wolves have a go at deer in an enclosed area. If they're not completely wild/free they have to be fed prepared meat like other captive carnivores.
 
ST4 said:
X2. It's a dreadful idea to reintroduce wolves. We don't need them and it costs money. What we need is game keepers to keep deer numbers down.
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Game keepers keep and care for game birds. Deer stalkers tend to control deer numbers,or not,as the case may be.
 
fracster said:
Game keepers keep and care for game birds. Deer stalkers tend to control deer numbers,or not,as the case may be.
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What did you expect? Knowledge? That would be so out of character, the gathering of knowledge is just a drain on society.
 
I'd happily kill deer, bison, etc - to eat and clean our roads from these dangerous animals. They breed like rats and there are now far too many of them. Their meat is tender and lovely. I'm really not interested in sport shooting or killing carnivores other than farm livestock protection in case of farmers.
 
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fracster said:
Game keepers keep and care for game birds. Deer stalkers tend to control deer numbers,or not,as the case may be.
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Phil V said:
What did you expect? Knowledge? That would be so out of character, the gathering of knowledge is just a drain on society.
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Come on guys does it have to be playing the person? Before you know it another thread gets closed, by all means kick the topic but come on play it nice.

Game management is a perfectly fine umbrella terminology both here in the UK and abroad.
 
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