Cull or Hunt?

[Raptor]

Raptor asks: Just a thought. I have been up to the Zama area many times and have seen many a Buffalo by the roads, on the lease sites, etc. and they are pretty docile as far as not being to afraid of vehicles or people.
Just a question to throw out there - "Was this Buffalo hunt, really hunting in the true meaning of fair chase rules or was this just Cull killing?" I'm not judging, because the meat is great, but what do you guys say on this?
Myself personally, I think this was more of a cull than a hunt, but that is just my opinion. What's yours?

From: munyee4321 - Well technically it is a cull hunt just thinning down the herd in these areas. This doesn't necessary mean its not fair chase its not like these animals are caged or fenced in and shot, they were all free ranging and lets face it just like any other animal out there that hasn't been shot at ever over a number of years they adapt to the fact that humans drive by them all the time with out signs of any danger. The lucky guys that got drawn and were successful worked extremely hard to get these large beasts, some trophy hunted others shot the first one they saw for the meat. I would consider this a hunt of a lifetime.

From: Raptor - No question, the tough part would be after the shot. But hunts like these sometimes gives hunting a bad name. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against it, and I would have gone had I'd been drawn, but it does have the border deer cull markings all over it, minus the CWD.

[209x50]

How about if I do take you the wrong way? All hunts exist for the sake of controlling populations, while some maybe more difficult than others they are all still hunting and I personally would never criticize the opportunity to hunt. Who cares what the antis think? They are against hunting period and there are no levels of good or bad hunting in their minds.

[Chet]

My Opinion:

Sending a boney old Angus cow that doesn't throw a decent calf to the auction is a cull.

Hunting a wild, free ranging Bison in northern Alberta would be a great hunt.

[Tundra Monkey]

I'll agree with Chet. All hunting could be considered a "cull". It is a tool in managing wildlife period. If it is not sustainable....they cancel or cut it back.

An animal that gets passed by 200 vehicles a day eventually gets used to them. Now if everyone stopped and shot at them....do you think they would be hanging around??.....no different with bear on the tundra with all the mining exploration. Man is not seen as a threat anymore.....until the bear runs into the wrong person....then it's game over. Gone are the days of a bear running in fear of man up here boyz.....50/50 at best unless you're letting them know they ain't welcome.

tm

[goober]

Originally Posted by Raptor

Raptor asks: Just a thought. I have been up to the Zama area many times and have seen many a Buffalo by the roads, on the lease sites, etc. and they are pretty docile as far as not being to afraid of vehicles or people.

Take the same animals and put them in a high traffic hunting area and I do not think they would appear so docile and fearless. They simply do not see the traffic that is needed to install fear of roads and people in to them.

[Vindalbakken]

Chet already got it. Every hunt is a cull.

[packhuntr]

I dont think Chet was saying what you guys have interpreted from his comments. Im going to agree with him, its a hunt for one of the greatest Western Big Game animals on the continent, it surely isnt a cull, nor is it anything like it.

[packhuntr]

When its -40 degrees C. and there is 4 feet of snow, everything stands on the road, travels the road etc etc. If they had a moose hunt that time of year, youd see a heck of alot of game off and on the gravel roads all over Northern Alberta. Would any of those other situations be considered culls? When a trapper snares wolves in 4 feet of snow on a trail broken by a snow machine, is it considered a cull?

I do see what you guys are saying, and i do agree, its just the way it was interpreted by the initial poster that defies what the true meaning of this actually is.

[deanmc]

Taken from Gov of Alberta website;
http://alberta.ca/home/NewsFrame.cfm...678F90364.html

"Is this management hunt unique in Alberta? Canada?
This is a unique management hunt for Alberta. Bison hunting has been implemented in the Yukon and Northwest Territories for similar reasons - to control populations and distribution in order to limit the spread of disease."


As defined in Websters dictionary.

Main Entry: 1cull
Pronunciation: \ˈkəl\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French culier, coillir, from Latin colligere to bind together — more at collect
Date: 13th century
1: to select from a group : choose <culled the best passages from the poet's work>
2: to reduce or control the size of (as a herd) by removal (as by hunting) of especially weaker animals ; also : to hunt or kill (animals) as a means of population control
— cull·er noun

[Raptor]

Man, a guy can't post anything these days without people ripping others opinion.
I never said I would'nt have hunted the buffalo, matter of fact I said I would have gone had I been drawn. But the fact is these buffalo were culled to keep the population from spreading east and become infected by other buffalo. This is culling in it true sense of the word. I am a bow hunter and rifle hunter and I know what fair chase rules are. Yes, animals are always by the roads, especially when there is deep snow. But from my experience, they high tail it when you get out of the truck. You could have walked up to these buffalo and hand fed them. I know because I witnessed this on the rig sites. I think maybe a year of scaring the crap out of them by phantom hunts might have helped make them more afraid, thus my definition of fair chase would kick in.
209X50 - you need to chill out.
Everyone has their own opinion, so be it. That doesn't mean I am wrong or you are wrong.
I just laid out the question and if this is what this board is about - cut the crap out of the other guys opinion, a person might as well just keep silent.

[Tatonka]

I wouldn't consider a hunt for a buffalo regardless of where it takes place as a huge challenge, but it's still a hunt. If I were to get lucky enough to get a tag I'd probably view it more as a chance to get some great meat and and a buffalo hide. Not all hunts are for game that is extremely wary and difficult to find... I've seen hunts on TV for Moose and Muskox that didn't exactly tax the hunters hunting skills and ability. If you're enjoying the outdoors and abiding by the game laws it doesn't matter whether you are culling an animal that needs to be culled, hunting for meat, for horns, or whatever.

[209x50]

Originally Posted by Raptor

Man, a guy can't post anything these days without people ripping others opinion.
I never said I would'nt have hunted the buffalo, matter of fact I said I would have gone had I been drawn. But the fact is these buffalo were culled to keep the population from spreading east and become infected by other buffalo. This is culling in it true sense of the word. I am a bow hunter and rifle hunter and I know what fair chase rules are. Yes, animals are always by the roads, especially when there is deep snow. But from my experience, they high tail it when you get out of the truck. You could have walked up to these buffalo and hand fed them. I know because I witnessed this on the rig sites. I think maybe a year of scaring the crap out of them by phantom hunts might have helped make them more afraid, thus my definition of fair chase would kick in.
209X50 - you need to chill out.
Everyone has their own opinion, so be it. That doesn't mean I am wrong or you are wrong.
I just laid out the question and if this is what this board is about - cut the crap out of the other guys opinion, a person might as well just keep silent.

You expressed an opinion and I expressed mine, isn't that what this board is all about? Or did you just want people who agreed with you to post?

[deanmc]

Originally Posted by Raptor

Everyone has their own opinion, so be it. That doesn't mean I am wrong or you are wrong.
I just laid out the question and if this is what this board is about - cut the crap out of the other guys opinion, a person might as well just keep silent.

X2

[packhuntr]

Why start a thread looking for view points and others perceptions if you dont want to hear what others think about it?

[209x50]

^^^ X2,^^^


I guess I need smilies in my posts so people don't get so upset when I disagree with them!

[hwkirby]

As this thread is already getting side tracked I can't help but throw in my .02 cents worth. Raptor you flat out asked what others opinions were in regard to the hunt and you got them. What else do you expect? I personally did not find 209x50 to be rude or arrogant. I thought what he had to say was very truthful. In forums/threads like these I think we need to agree to disagree.