It’s very much a sport here also although “stalking” isn’t something we normally do. Most deer hunting nowadays is done from an elevated stand or by driving deer past standers. Usually the standers will surround the driven area while one driver with several dogs will make the drive. The tradition was for the hunter that makes the kill to get the trophies and half the meat while the others in the party share the other half of the meat. That type he noting is less common now but still not really “UN”common.
The biggest single reason people here hunt is for the sport and comaraderie. Those camps I mentioned just happen to be a very large part of the sport and tradition.
Venison was never allowed for sale here unless it was/is farm raised. That said, many in Southern rural areas still feed their families on loads of venison. Possibly because of the dramatic rise in the deer population. When I was,growing up you had to get a deer “tag” which entitled you to harvest a single buck in a season (usually two gun seasons and one archery season per year back then) Now every southern state has eliminated tags and raised the limit to two bucks per day and add a special doe weekend. It still isn’t making a dent in the population.
Don’t misunderstand me, I understand that not all deer killed will be used and that’s more than fair under the circumstances. That said, the choice of terminology has a profound impact on public acceptance. Still, “cull” has a negative connotation with Bambi thinking urbanites whereas “harvest” brings a somewhat different picture to mind.
That also brings up the question of other critters that eat them. What do hedgehogs eat and how are their populations doing?
Last edited:
