Bowhunting

[TJ Mason]

Fancy a controversial subject?

In recent years, bowhunting has been introduced to many European countries -- France, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania. There are others where it's always been legal -- Spain, Turkey, Portugal, Poland (I think).

Bowhunting is currently illegal in Britain and Ireland -- but would you support its re-introduction?

A clean shot from a rifle is an instant kill, but a clean shot with an arrow can take 20 seconds or more to kill, since the animal bleeds to death. A dirty shot is another matter...

I'd support the introduction of bowhunting to the UK and ROI, since I don't think the death is any worse than what happens in an abbatoir, and the animal certainly had a better quality of life than a farmed animal. But I think anyone wanting a bowhunting licence should have to complete an accredited course in a country where bowhunting has been established for a long time.

Your opinions?

[Armchair Archer]

I'd support it, although I reckon that the animal right activists would go nuts !!!</p>

I'm sure I read somewhere that it's been considered. I think it was scotland, where deer are becoming a nuisance and a hazard as there are far too many nowadays, although I might have interpreted that one wrong and it may just have been for rifles.</p>

I STRONGLY agree on the licence part though, otherwise you'd have all sorts of nutters running around with lethal weapons (saying that we already are, LOL)</p>

[Matatazela]

As long as the individual doing the hunting is ethical and does his utmost to ensure a clean harvest, then bowhunting is acceptable.

I must first pass a competency test and be registered as a bowhunter by the provincial conservation body. This reduces "loose cannons" by a large amount. Unfortunately, firearm ownership in South Africa is becoming tricky and bowhunting is increasing rapidly, perhaps faster than the ethical side can be properly instilled in new bowhunters. This leads to shots being taken that shouldn't be, by hunters that do not necessarily have the right mindset for bowhunting.

I think the UK stands to benefit from allowing bowhunting, providing some controls are put in place.

http://www.kznhunters.co.za is a link to our provincial hunting association, and on the left are a lot of links. Go to the Code of Ethics.

BTW - a friend of mine spent the past two days chasing two Impala, both gut shot by a rifle toting "hunter" with a .308 at less than 50 yards, in Utrecht Kwazulu Natal. On the other hand, in our bowhunting magazine, I recall a picture of a 12 year old girl with her first bowhunted Impala!

[Haywain]

Armchair Archer - 20/5/2005 2:44 PM
I'd support it, although I reckon that the animal right activists would go nuts

It's for this reason it'll never go through.

Personally I don't care, but I wouldn't take part. It's hard enough hitting a stationary target

[Gold Flinger]

I'd support it in principal; I have nothing against shooting game, indeed I've hunted with shotguns and rifles and enjoy fishing for game too.
The only thing I'd worry about is that the anti blood sports lobby in the UK have such a loud voice that their intervention would inevitably lead restrictions across the board including all other forms of archery. Do we really want to be forced to keep our equipment in approved locking cabinets? Do we want to have to apply for a government licence to own and use a bow?
Proceed with caution!

[Armchair Archer]

Hmmm, what Gold Flinger says is probably true, I say we drop this subject now and get Dave to erase all traces, just in case the anti blood sports lobby get a hold of it and try to punish us all anyway!!!

[Matatazela]

The animal rights people are a serious threat, if not because of their vociferous nature, then the incompetence of hunters, who feed them with enough incidents of animal suffering as a result of hunts gone wrong.</p>

http://www.fishinghurts.com#is another website that appeals to people to graze and browse rather than be carnivorous.#Take a look and see for yourselves!</p>



I would like to see the animal rights groups going around and looking at incidents of serious animal abuse. I recall an incident recently where students in a residence got a cat and cookes it to death in a microwave. That repulses the even the hunter in me. </p>

[Haywain]

Fishing is a long way off being made illegal in the UK, despite what the animals rights brigade might say. The rod licence pays for the Environment Agency on it's own, so the Government are loath to make that money come from the public purse.

Hunters on the other hand, pay no money to any group except themselves.... an easy target for animal rights and government alike.

[Matatazela]

Hunters in SA pay a fee per animal. They also purchase the animal itself from the ranch. They pay for a guide, accommodation and their equipment, all of which make up a significant investment. The saying goes that hunting pays for conservation, because land that can generate income and still be managed as conservation land will be viable a lot longer than public lands that need vast amounts of funding. I think that the situation in the UK is slightly different, as few private landowners own very large areas of land with game populations large enough to harvest an economically viable percentage thereof.#</p>



An area of 800 hectares (approx. 2000 acres) is probably as small as one can go, but that is in a local context. I have no experience with the management of game in the UK context, so I may be off by miles here.</p>