Rich Lucibella
Staff
12-34-
Good question...one that I asked myself often before I started hunting. Other than common garden variety deer, hogs, etc most of us simply do not have the knowledge to track a specific game animal over miles of varied terrain.
In fact, let's face it...any time we use a guide, we're really not the "hunter"....we're the shooter. I find nothing wrong with this, so long as I continue to learn a bit of field craft with each outing and so long as I keep it in perspective. I daresay that anyone who goes to Africa and uses a PH to track, spot and identify targets has a lot of gall claiming himself to be a great "hunter".
When it comes to predators, our practical options are limited to baiting and blinds, calling or dogs. (If you ever decide to hunt lion or leopard in Africa, I assure you you'll be baiting...hardly the same as stalking Buff, but that's the way it is.) In this case we used dogs and the skill in training them is every bit as impressive as tracking personally. Again, I didn't train the dogs, so I'm just the shooter. But it's no less impressive to watch them work. (Ever hunted quail with dogs? It's an absolute amazing thing to watch them work.)
As for personal effort, I'd invite you to spend a day with Richard Ley. Get up there at 8,000 plus feet and start chasing those dogs up sheer cliffs with full pack and weapon in 17 degree temps. Believe me, it's work.
Finally, we have the bigger picture. When we crossed and identified the fresh tracks (without dogs), we found we'd jumped the lion off a two day old deer kill. There was about 100 yards of blood leading up to the kill...the deer went down hard. Now that's no justification for shooting the cat, but it does remind us that the Circle is a pretty violent and natural one. To step into it for a few days causes me no conscience problems. The fact that the meat is not wasted makes it even more palatable. (pardon the pun)
I'm not particularly impressed with my shoot on this one, but I am impressed with that cat. The work involved was certainly greater than sitting in a deer blind.
Rich
Good question...one that I asked myself often before I started hunting. Other than common garden variety deer, hogs, etc most of us simply do not have the knowledge to track a specific game animal over miles of varied terrain.
In fact, let's face it...any time we use a guide, we're really not the "hunter"....we're the shooter. I find nothing wrong with this, so long as I continue to learn a bit of field craft with each outing and so long as I keep it in perspective. I daresay that anyone who goes to Africa and uses a PH to track, spot and identify targets has a lot of gall claiming himself to be a great "hunter".
When it comes to predators, our practical options are limited to baiting and blinds, calling or dogs. (If you ever decide to hunt lion or leopard in Africa, I assure you you'll be baiting...hardly the same as stalking Buff, but that's the way it is.) In this case we used dogs and the skill in training them is every bit as impressive as tracking personally. Again, I didn't train the dogs, so I'm just the shooter. But it's no less impressive to watch them work. (Ever hunted quail with dogs? It's an absolute amazing thing to watch them work.)
As for personal effort, I'd invite you to spend a day with Richard Ley. Get up there at 8,000 plus feet and start chasing those dogs up sheer cliffs with full pack and weapon in 17 degree temps. Believe me, it's work.
Finally, we have the bigger picture. When we crossed and identified the fresh tracks (without dogs), we found we'd jumped the lion off a two day old deer kill. There was about 100 yards of blood leading up to the kill...the deer went down hard. Now that's no justification for shooting the cat, but it does remind us that the Circle is a pretty violent and natural one. To step into it for a few days causes me no conscience problems. The fact that the meat is not wasted makes it even more palatable. (pardon the pun)
I'm not particularly impressed with my shoot on this one, but I am impressed with that cat. The work involved was certainly greater than sitting in a deer blind.
Rich