Against Ones Self?

[just-A-snap 1,269]

Against Ones Self?

Just a question out of curiosity.

When hunting, stationary or on the move, exactly what is the motivation for you to hunt? Is it hopefully as with most hunts to get the kill as most would say? I may not be hunting at the moment but that is not to say that I have never did so. Also in a lot more ways than most of today in my Sixty years of life I think that I can say.

 

Like most of my age when we also was young, we hunted in a more laid back environment with weapons, home made and otherwise and with attitude more broad minded to today's, but has the years change the reason or reasons that one hunts?

Just what is one hunting. If it is to eradicate, then there are more efficient ways than a small projectile. Is It Against Ones Self? Nature? Is it just the pure Pleasure of the kill or whatever kind of Pleasure it brings or gives?

Me, never did cum in my pant with a kill.

S**t in them a few times at almost being killed though.

 

Me, OK it was from the anticipation of and then the hunt in all weathers, and then with my brother or just I coming home with food for the table and the look on my Mothers and Aunty's face. Oh yes Eating all the game not just breast or legs.

All the very best to you all

[Rez 4,961]

Some will say its our 'instinct'

 

For me, its what I did as a young nipper having seen JD in Airgunner and something I originally got into while my old man was shooting back in the day. He did shooting, so I did shooting, I guess. Which led to hunting. But Im not really 'hunting', Im just interested in a hobby of shooting which allows me to get out in the fields and maybe offer a service for a land owner.

 

Maybe even hunting is perhaps the wrong word these days as were not spearing mammals or using darts etc. I know its technically the right word, but sitting on my arse in a hide all day doesn't suggest hunting

[just-A-snap 1,269]

Some will say its our 'instinct'

 

For me, its what I did as a young nipper having seen JD in Airgunner and something I originally got into while my old man was shooting back in the day. He did shooting, so I did shooting, I guess. Which led to hunting. But Im not really 'hunting', Im just interested in a hobby of shooting which allows me to get out in the fields and maybe offer a service for a land owner.

 

Maybe even hunting is perhaps the wrong word these days as were not spearing mammals or using darts etc. I know its technically the right word, but sitting on my arse in a hide all day doesn't suggest hunting

Thank You Rez. How we see things is always personal. who is to say this or that?

 

All the very best

[pianoman 3,587]

It's changed for me as I've gotten older. When I was a younger man it was partly the thrill of the kill and, I agree with Rez, it is an instinct thing. a primeval instinct to hunt to feed and survive. I take great satisfaction for a clean, humane kill with no suffering inflicted as far as possible. \It's not always possible but, I practice my shooting as far as I can to reduce that risk. I have a great respect for the animals I shoot. I don't take pleasure in killing for killing's sake.

I shoot because I get the job done good and proper and that is satisfaction enough for me.

 

I love being out in the fresh air and the evening light and watch the sun go down over the fields. Corvid birds are no problem to me at Lambing time. Magpies any day of the week, I'd shoot the lot! Got a large warren of them chewing up a corn or barley field is one thing. Yes, fair enough, they have to be shot and thinned out.

 

But, a single rabbit nibbling on a bit of grass is not enough of an excuse to shoot the poor bloody thing as a pest in my book.

 

I don't want the countryside shot bare and barren of its wildlife. Don't you think it would be a poor place without it?

[mattwhite 1,993]

I get just as much satisfaction from hitting the bull over and over (If possible) on a target or the same notch on a fence post as i do from going to a perm to thin out what the land owner says are "plagues of rabbits". This usually means they have seen a few about and think there are whole battalions of them waiting in the burrows to eat all they see.

The only difference for me personally is I enjoy the fieldcraft.

Approaching them with sun at your back or the wind in your face and the dilemma when the two won't go hand in hand and you have to find another route so not to spook them. Plus the fact that a target card doesn't twitch or suddenly hop or fly off so there is no pressure on taking the opportunity as soon as! And of course there is the satisfaction that it tastes so much better because you have gone out and humanely shot said quarry, butchered and cooked it yourself. Self sufficiency is very satisfying even if it's only once in a while.

Why do we grow our own tomatoes when we can buy them......because they taste better?

[just-A-snap 1,269]

It's changed for me as I've gotten older. When I was a younger man it was partly the thrill of the kill and, I agree with Rez, it is an instinct thing. a primeval instinct to hunt to feed and survive. I take great satisfaction for a clean, humane kill with no suffering inflicted as far as possible. \It's not always possible but, I practice my shooting as far as I can to reduce that risk. I have a great respect for the animals I shoot. I don't take pleasure in killing for killing's sake.

I shoot because I get the job done good and proper and that is satisfaction enough for me.

 

I love being out in the fresh air and the evening light and watch the sun go down over the fields. Corvid birds are no problem to me at Lambing time. Magpies any day of the week, I'd shoot the lot! Got a large warren of them chewing up a corn or barley field is one thing. Yes, fair enough, they have to be shot and thinned out.

 

But, a single rabbit nibbling on a bit of grass is not enough of an excuse to shoot the poor bloody thing as a pest in my book.

 

I don't want the countryside shot bare and barren of its wildlife. Don't you think it would be a poor place without it?

A way of life that is fast becoming obsolete and redundant for so many as today's politicly correct take over the made house Simon. I also think that the kill is not the be all and end all for the majority. If it was then I think that they would be a mercenary in some back end S - H of, WELL, on this Earth.

 

All the very best to you and Helen

Edited April 18, 2017 by just-A-snap

[just-A-snap 1,269]

I get just as much satisfaction from hitting the bull over and over (If possible) on a target or the same notch on a fence post as i do from going to a perm to thin out what the land owner says are "plagues of rabbits". This usually means they have seen a few about and think there are whole battalions of them waiting in the burrows to eat all they see.

The only difference for me personally is I enjoy the fieldcraft.

Approaching them with sun at your back or the wind in your face and the dilemma when the two won't go hand in hand and you have to find another route so not to spook them. Plus the fact that a target card doesn't twitch or suddenly hop or fly off so there is no pressure on taking the opportunity as soon as! And of course there is the satisfaction that it tastes so much better because you have gone out and humanely shot said quarry, butchered and cooked it yourself. Self sufficiency is very satisfying even if it's only once in a while.

Why do we grow our own tomatoes when we can buy them......because they taste better

Thank you mattwhite, if we do no harm then are we not entitled to gain the pleasures of life in the manner we like? I believe that we are all part of nature some just thing that they are better and all must obey them. Some will kill me or you to save a ? forgot I must obey.

 

All the very best for you and yours

[pianoman 3,587]

Matt I think you are of a similar mind as me. It's interesting as you point out, what you or I would see as one or two rabbits, the farmers see hundreds if not thousands. The call I always get is....

 

"Simon, can you come over when you can, it's the rabbits. We are being overrun!"

 

Then I get there and there's barely a couple out at any time, if any at all.. Oh well, the farmer's land it is and I'm grateful for the sport. I won't argue the point with them. I just get on with it and go hunting. I can only shoot what comes out into sight .

[j j m 6,551]

mine used to be the thrill of the kill and putting food in the freezer for my breeding birds of prey,but now i dont hunt its unbelieable how many piegeons and crows i see when im out on walks

[just-A-snap 1,269]

mine used to be the thrill of the kill and putting food in the freezer for my breeding birds of prey,but now i dont hunt its unbelieable how many piegeons and crows i see when im out on walks

Know that felling when I am not driving and want the Bus, none to be seen, when driving bloody traffic jams. Thank you for you comment jjm.

 

All the very best to you and yours

[philpot 5,009]

I would agree with Simon in that my views have changed hugely over the years. As a young man not earning much money with a young family, the animals and birds shot formed an important role in our eating habits. Many years have passed with myself being more than happy to blast away at small black discs of tar/pitch going at a fair rate of speed, or in other words, clay pigeons.

 

The old saying 'what goes around, come around' and I find myself back to where I was as a teenager enjoying sport with an air rifle and with that the old interest in hunting again but in the main with a single pellet. In truth more of my shooting is now things like rats, wood pigeon and corvids with a few bunnies to please the farmer, not me.

 

I have no issues shooting rats whatsoever, the corvids without doubt do much damage to freshly drilled fields and I have been very active over the last couple of weeks reducing numbers over decoys with both rifle and shotgun depending if they land or not.

 

Wood pigeon are the only thing we eat and love the taste of them but not in the numbers I used to shoot as a young man and regard them as a very demanding target flying downwind at considerable speed on this windy coast line.

 

I enjoy watching the wild life of our countryside but only hunt a very small proportion of it and long may it continue. I must also agree with Matt and say making good kills on paper targets to be very satisfying as well. In fact only today I am looking at a rifle purely for paper punching at local clubs / pubs. As long as we enjoy what we do and pay great respect to our quarry and all those that are not our quarry I for one will be more than happy.

 

Lastly, I have found over the years to enjoy and cherish the friendship of like minded people at clay clubs, rifle ranges and forums which have become some of the dearest friends I have ever known and to those I say thank you.

 

Phil

[just-A-snap 1,269]

Good post Phil, Thank you.

 

All the very best to you and yours