Thread: What sort of hunter are you?

The latest posts in the thread on MPI involvement in deer control lead me to looking at the GAC website.
On the section that talks about herd management, it reads weighted towards hunters being motivated for chasing trophy animals.
Which isn't my motivation for hunting at all.
And leads me to ponder whether the bemoaning of the lack of a unified voice for 'hunters' is in part due to not everyone who goes hunting, being aligned in their values.

So I thought I'd put up a poll to try and get a quick snapshot from here.

For myself it's both time in the bush and filling the freezer. Couldn't care less about trophy hunting but will still sometimes take heads.

Primarily its about being out in the open beauty of NZ. Secondly I like to fill the freezer- its food, and I get a huge sense of achievement and having done something with my time ...If I see a trophy, then that is a nice 'bit of icing on the cake' but not the main reason I go. I se hunters overseas hunting animals I would love to stalk in places I would love to explore, but my desire to actually go there and hunt is tempered by the fact that I wouldn't be filling the freezer so why bother pulling the trigger...

I'm probably similar to @Preacher When it comes to deer, it's for the freezer.

I don't have any interest in chasing tahr for trophies, but would shoot a nanny for meat or a bull for the coat.

It might seem strange, but I'm always on the lookout for a trophy-sized goat, though they're hard to come by!

Of all the hunters I know, I only know one dedicated trophy hunter. The rest of my friends would probably leave a stag to mature only if their freezer isn't empty...

It’s missing a poll. I’m both. I enjoy hunting. I’m happy hunting for meat and I’ll search for a trophy depending on time and place. What’s important to me is that we have hunting and healthy herds and environment, and to an extent that fits with the trophy hunting ethos better than the straight meat hunting one.

Pest control on farm. Taking the odd deer or goat for the freezer.

Originally Posted by whanahuia

It’s missing a poll. I’m both. I enjoy hunting. I’m happy hunting for meat and I’ll search for a trophy depending on time and place. What’s important to me is that we have hunting and healthy herds and environment, and to an extent that fits with the trophy hunting ethos better than the straight meat hunting one.

An 'all of the above' option or similar would be good. Depends on context/place/species/time of year.

There is trophy hunting and 'Trophy Hunting' though - take a head home for the wall and you are a trophy hunter by definition. That's different from a sole or overriding focus on heads

Meat only, not carrying something that can't be eaten.

For me it would be all of the above if it was an option.I enjoy being out and about in the hills or where-ever. My primary focus these days is animal control, be it DOC land or private. I fill the freezer as and when required and I also supply meat to local food kitchen, food bank and RSE workers. I'm not a dedicated trophy hunter but have shot a good representative example of every game animal in NZ, apart from a Moose of course, with a 308 and most of them with 223. I just enjoy being out there as much as possible while the body can hack it.

The whole lot. At my age you gotta stuff yourself at every smorgasbord.

Firstly I go to get into the hills, second would be for the freezer & lastly for a trophy. However if a trophy presents itself 1st, then it would take priority.

Originally Posted by techno retard

Firstly I go to get into the hills, second would be for the freezer & lastly for a trophy. However if a trophy presents itself 1st, then it would take priority.

Same

All of the first three, varies with time of year but always enjoy the great NZ backcountry

Time in the hills for me as the freezer is normally pretty well topped up.
Got a couple farms I do work on to knock the numbers back down.

The only heads I've bothered keeping were a few stag heads, a few nice goat heads and pigs jaws that are all are more sentimental than impressive.
Thinking on it I've got more skins than heads

I've done many years of problem animal control and culling, so I'm comfortable to do herd management to keep numbers down.

When I hunt, I mostly hunt for the opertunity to get outdoors, get something in the freezer. I've done PH for some years and nowadays will generally pass up on any trophey animals, as I dont eat horns.

I will however do a green hunt and try to get close for some pictures, measuring my skill against that of the animal.