Thread: Ethics of shooting pregnant / lactating Hind deer

So be it. Call me unethical by your standard. Thats fine by me.

Originally Posted by kidmac42

So be it. Call me unethical by your standard. Thats fine by me.

At no point did I call you unethical. Simply pointing out alternative lines of thought. The ethical way isn’t always the only ethical way. Especially with the situation we have here in NZ.

Fair point.

Originally Posted by kidmac42

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.

By my prior post I only meant for you (or really the OP) to not feel guilty for shooting a hind, especially one that has raised a small fawn. There are enough hinds around now that we can shoot them at the right time of year ( March to Nov ) without guilt.
Just yesterday my brother was offered 400 fallow for pet food as there is no export market. There is no market for feral venison off helicopters either.

Is it ethical to shoot an outstanding mature trophy stag when his genetics could contribute so much to the herd ?

To clarify, 'round here' was in reference to where I live, not as in round here on this forum.

Doesnt bother me what i shoot. i hunt for meat and of cause being just out there etc but im a meat hunter. Hinds are great meat, so are young velvet stags and the rest.
So i have no problem shooting what i come across, that includes pigs, and goats.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Is it ethical to shoot an outstanding mature trophy stag when his genetics could contribute so much to the herd ?

His genetics will already be in the herd 10 fold prior to him being ready to shoot. He would likely have had 6 or 7 years of breeding.

As for contributing to herd management by way of shooting hinds. The handful of people I know including myself that do not shoot them anymore have either killed enough over the years or are out numbered by those that do.
Killing a hind that has a fawn at foot and leaving it to starve is abhorrent to some and not an issue to others. Each to their own.
Shooting a potential trophy stag in early velvet for meat is imo, just plain fucked up no matter what excuse you make.

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It is a personal thing. I don't shoot 'children' of any species if possible but it sometimes happens. If so, shooting has to be preferable to a painful lingering 1080 death dispensed at the demands of our 'nature loving' greenies!

I've shot a heavily pregnant hind in March. Unusual but does happen.

Typically I'll leave them alone October onwards. But as others have pointed out they are pregnant from April onwards so really you have to be comfortable shooting pregnant hinds most of the year if you want to take them.

Im a meat hunter...and looking back over my kills from last 30 years,most have been hinds....only once have I shot hind with fawn at foot and not managed to get fawn as well...and that was shot by my son under my supervision,close range bush stalked and his first "real deal deer" I wasnt quick enough to get fawn when he handed me rifle....it was 50/50 if fawn was big/old enough to survive on own....I can sleep at night.
twice Ive shot fawn instead of hind...
tell you one thing for nothing...a hind is a hell of a lot easier to cut up and carry all usable meat out from that a stag of same age....some of them fellas get mighty big.
I will happily take any pig seen,but have let sow with younguns walk away...Ive also shot sow suckling and took the two piglets home for mates family to raise....

Originally Posted by R93

His genetics will already be in the herd 10 fold prior to him being ready to shoot. He would likely have had 6 or 7 years of breeding.

As for contributing to herd management by way of shooting hinds. The handful of people I know including myself that do not shoot them anymore have either killed enough over the years or are out numbered by those that do.
Killing a hind that has a fawn at foot and leaving it to starve is is abhorrent to some and not an issue to others
Shooting a potential trophy stag in early velvet for meat is abhorrent to some and not an issue to others. Each to their own..

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Fixed it for ya

You can see why doc started there Tahr cull now.

Originally Posted by Rusky

I've shot a heavily pregnant hind in March. Unusual but does happen.

Typically I'll leave them alone October onwards. But as others have pointed out they are pregnant from April onwards so really you have to be comfortable shooting pregnant hinds most of the year if you want to take them.

Pretty much how I operate as well, leave the hinds alone from October to March. My philosophy is to leave them alone when heavily pregnant or when there are young fawns at foot. Outside of those parameters I have no hesitation in shooting them

Shot heaps of hinds at any time of the year during meat hunting days. Focus was on paying the bills and so any deer was an income regardless of what it was. Times have changed as we get older and don't have to kill everything so can be more selective. The hind population is what needs keeping in check as that's where the breeding is. DOC are breathing heavily down our neck in respect of animal numbers.