UK's largest stag shot dead on Exmoor

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

sapper1

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 3, 2008
2,572
1
swansea
I have no problem with it being shot for food ,but to just leave it behind after shooting is just killing for the sake of it.
I think Cart horses are bigger.
 

Bushwhacker

Banned
Jun 26, 2008
3,882
8
Dorset
that would be heaviest then ;) was it 9ft tall

It was after they gaffer-taped some branches to its head. :)

It's a fishermans mindset, I go by weight.

I think I got the wrong end of the stick, I thought they meant largest hunted animal :confused: :dunno:
 
Last edited:

1234

Tenderfoot
Dec 9, 2009
95
0
england
why isn't trophy hunting banned?
its just another form of murder in my eyes,
killing something for food is one thing
but to kill something because you can is just wrong
my hope in humanity is slowly but surely going down the pan
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Matt.S

Native
Mar 26, 2008
1,075
0
36
Exeter, Devon
Wondered how long before this was raised...

why isn't trophy hunting banned?
its just another form of murder in my eyes,
killing something for food is one thing
but to kill something because you can is just f**ked up

my hope in humanity is slowly but surely going down the pan

Emotional rhetoric does nothing for your argument.

Trophy hunting is a bit like the ridiculously expensive driven bird days; I can't fathom the reason why some people would do it but it has enormous, real, direct benefits to the conservation of the countryside and discourages development of wild areas.

PLEASE people don't go off half-cocked. Read the article again. There is absolutely no indication that this was the stag in question -- for one the carcass is supposedly only 130Kg. For second the actual 'source' is some bloke from Dulverton with no recognisable credentials. Great so he lives in a town on the edge of the moor and claims to be a 'wildlife expert'. Doesn't make him correct, and I have a sneaking suspicion that there's something fishy about this.
 

TallMikeM

Need to contact Admin...
Dec 30, 2005
574
0
54
Hatherleigh, Devon
why an animal is killed is largely irrellevent, an animal killed for food is no more or less dead than an animal killed for sport. Personally I don't agree with trophy killing, so I don't do it but I have no real problem with those who do do it, so long as it's don humanely etc. I find no special reason why this animal shouldn't be shot, being the largest is meaningless.
 

Melonfish

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 8, 2009
2,460
1
Warrington, UK
See now why shoot in the rutting season? surely this prevents further population and thus future hunting? mongs.
also if it was just for trophy then the hunter should have his licence revoked, what a waste of a beautiful animal, if your going to kill something you best damned well be prepared to eat it!
 

DFCA

Nomad
Aug 11, 2009
295
0
Monmouthshire
I dont understand trophy hunting at all, I do however understand hunting as a challenge and a skill.

If a large red deer is hunted and then eaten - I have no problem with a venison steak on my plate nor someone mounting the antlers on a board and sticking them on the wall or even their head (though I'd rather the antler for use myself!)

Shoot something and then have a picture taken of you with a carcass, hmmmmmm pointless.

Maybe they should marry the ethics of angling and hunting. If they arent catching fish to eat, then many people have a picture of them with their specimen carp or whatever and then return it. Perhaps if some smart guillie out there took their clients hunting with tranquiliser guns, got a picture and then left the animal to wake up, sports hunting could be a little more acceptable?

Or maybe not - far too silly, drowsey wild boar all over the Forest of Dean, just imagine it ;)

ATB

Dave
 
Last edited:

wattsy

Native
Dec 10, 2009
1,111
3
Lincoln
wow seems all the anti's have woken up. it actually says in the article that the carcasse was removed i don't think you'll find many hunters that will shoot a deer then just take the antlers, even if they don't eat it it'll go to a game dealer and someone else will. trophy hunting actually improves the quality of deer stocks, you pay upwards of 150 pounds a day to hunt the deer obviously trophy hunters want the big heads which are on the old animals. taking the older animals leaves room for the younger stags to come up and start mating improving the gene pool and leading to healthier deer populations. a lot of the money made from such enterprises is put into the environment the estate managers want the land good for deer so they leave it fallow which brings in more wildlife as well. if there was no trophy hunting what incentive would there be for landowners to leave the land in a natural state?
 

Retired Member southey

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jun 4, 2006
11,098
13
your house!
There is nothing in the report to say wheather the animal was sick, injured from the rut or in perfect health it also says it was removed, so nothing about it being left to rot, it may very well be being eaten at this very moment, it is in fact a very scetchy report with no phtographic evidence, so you have a hearsay statement that a deer was shot, whats the issue,
 
Last edited:

lucan

Nomad
Sep 6, 2010
379
1
East Yorks
I've just seen this on the news now,
Without getting into the whole Hunting is good/bad debate, For the simple fact i know very little about it, I just think its sad that such a beautiful animal has been shot for no reason at all. I.M.O.
 

Bushwhacker

Banned
Jun 26, 2008
3,882
8
Dorset
They're also worried that it has been removed from the gene pool. Is that to say it has never ever mated in its life during previous ruts?
 
says it was leagally shot

usually on shoot like this you are told what you can and cannot shoot normally the gillie is next to you

deer herds in UK are all very carefully managed
amd weather the trigger guy was a punter paying big money for a trophy or the gillie taking out a injured animal the carcass will be used (if not sick etc ) andth anilam would have been selected to best serve teh herds over all health etc

ATB

Duncan
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE