Thread: Ethics of shooting pregnant / lactating Hind deer

depends if you want to build the population or fill your freezer
If I accidentally shoot a hind with a young fawn I am for sure taking it home to me my new mate
never could catch a tahr baby but damn I wanted one

Originally Posted by Bos

Ethics around all things hunting is a personal thing. I agree, hinds are pregnant 8 - 9 months a year so we shouldnt shoot them??
For me, If Im freezer filling and Ive got a choice, I'll shoot a yearling, a spiker, a hind, and a stag in that order. Although in saying that, a mud-fat stag in February takes a bit of beating. If theres no choice then its whatever has the crosshairs on it.

A farmer I was working with once told me if I wanted the best tasting beef I should kill a pregnant heifer very close to calving. The idea repulsed me but if accedently shooting a well fed hind about to drop the quality of the meat might be fantastic and maybe it should be a consideration on a "pest animal" in the eyes of doc ect land wanting to keep deer numbers below 1080 levels and harvesting the best "quality" meat
It's a hard sell to hunters as we all want more deer around

Yep the greens have no problem dropping 1080 or killing thar, pregnant or not.

A mate of mine stopped shooting young animals, then stopped shooting pregnant hinds, then wouldn't shoot stags in velvet, then gave up hunting.

I agree its a personal thing. I have probably killed thousands of pregnant or fawn in tow hinds on waro and meat shooting. So can't be a hypocrite. However I havent shot a hind, nanny or doe for years unless I am 100% sure its a yearling or barren.
Had fawns literally crash into me while hunting, bleating their heads off they're so lost and hungry. Having to put a few of them down changed my way of doing things pretty quick.

The Waro era lost another Legend yesterday to a horrible disease.

RIP Phil. I learnt a lot off you. Hope you and Morgs are sharing a beer after you had a burn around in the dirty D.




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When selling animals we shot most that the crosshairs were on, but these days it's nice to pick and chose. Nowdays I don't like the idea of the fawn starving, if you do take the hind take the fawn also if you can.

It is plainly unethical to shoot a hind that has a young fawn, a fawn that is left dehydrate, starve and die if it's mother is shot. That lactating animal isn't going to be great eating anyway.
I have accidently shot a hind thinking it was a yearling and then later seen its fawn and not been able to catch or shoot it. That episode still causes guilty feelings.

We are pretty lucky to be gifted with it being our own individual choice based on our own circumstances, where we are hunting, what we have seen and what we want to do etc. It really is a can of worms that opens up multiple other discussion points around it aswell in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Cordite

Screw Disney's emotional manipulations and all vegan propaganda.
Attachment 151626

Maybe someone can edit the photo and replace the blood with realistic green pellets??? Let's have a competition.

Cheers for everyone's opinions and I appreciate all the thoughts and seems like there is a general consensus which is all i'm after. I will pass on the good wisdom to the young fella.

I don't shoot hinds.
It happened once,and once only. Gutting it and had to pull out the slinky. Never again.

Never with young, due to drop etc. Barren or clearly not Hapu at certain times of year.....hell yes. The alternative is green rain

Originally Posted by kidmac42

I don't shoot hinds.
It happened once,and once only. Gutting it and had to pull out the slinky. Never again.

I dont feel guilty shooting a pregnant hind, that is something we must do to keep numbers in check. At this time of year, last years fawns are still at foot so shooting a hind that has raised a small poor quality fawn and the fawn is doing good for the herd. Shoot the poorer grade animals and leave the best to breed. Also at this time of year stags are lean with all excess going into velvet antler and certainly not at their best, so why shoot one when a hind is better on the table.

There are enough hind shooters around here that I don't need or want to. Iam quite happy to take a photo and watch them, and go home empty handed.
I don't feel the need to kill that strongly. Each to their own.
Incidentally, the young stag i shot a week ago was still in hard antler even tho the farm animals are in velvet. It was never going to be a trophy animal.

Originally Posted by kidmac42

I don't shoot hinds.
It happened once,and once only. Gutting it and had to pull out the slinky. Never again.

This here is exactly what I mean by the can of worms. You have to draw a line somewhere. Hinds need to be shot and let’s be honest, the best time of the year to ethically shoot them (winter) is not when most hunters are actively out and about and wanting to shoot hinds over the current hard antlered stag for that matter. But, if you choose to be that person who doesn’t shoot hinds, you are contributing to the failure of our ability to manage numbers and therefore contributing to the need for commercial management that will then be complained about. Can of worms alright aye.