Horns Without the Hide - Would You?

[OregonSteeler]

Some good thoughts on this and lots of varying opinions. Interesting stuff.

Let's change it up a bit and let's say:

Would you travel to a different state and pay a premium non-resident tag to hunt an animal where you can keep the horns; but meat must be given to the state's wildlife agency for research purposes. You also don't know if any unused meat will be "donated" to a food bank or not.

FYI: I didn't post this for it to be an ethical dilemma. More so of how much we enjoy the hunt outside of being able to take meat home. As long as it's legal, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, comfort zone, where that line is drawn, etc...

For me: As mentioned, I wouldn't drive out of state or pay a big amount to hunt something I can't eat. But if I had the opportunity to hunt an elk or deer and in my local area and give it away for science, I'd definitely jump on that opportunity. I also hunt coyotes and sage rats with absolutely no intention of eating them. It's just plain fun. Not ashamed about that at all!

 

[OregonSteeler]

I have also shot deer that were hit by cars and walked away simply because the law at the time didn't allow recovery of roadkill. I would rather have seen the meat go to use but I knew I was right to kill them regardless.

This is where your own personal ethics really come into view. Standing over a car-hit deer or elk, knowing it's suffering and not going to make it. I'd also put that animal out of it's misery and wouldn't think twice about it; legal or not. Leaving the meat would suck, but would not be worth the trouble of trying to explain to LE.

 

[5MilesBack]

Hunting is different than killing. Like you, I would love to hunt elk every day of the season. But I interpreted your comments to mean that if you could kill an elk, or 10 elk, or 100 elk every day, you would.

Would you shoot them from a helicopter if legal?

Helicopter hunting would be difficult with a bow, and the whole bugling and interaction thing would go out the window......so no. But if it were legal, yes, I would keep hunting and killing through the season even if I had to take care of all of them myself. If that was 1, 5, or 10 in a season, I'd still hunt to the end if it was legal. Heck I only get one month a year to do this. I know guys in some states that get 6 deer tags a year, and yes they hunt and kill until they're done filling those tags.

That's the only reason I'm selective.....if 10 bull tags were legal and in my pocket, I wouldn't be as selective. It is possible and legal now to have an either sex and a cow tag in certain units in CO, and I have used both tags a few times when hunting those units. But beyond that, this is all just a fantasy thread at this point as unlimited elk tags is never going to happen......unless I'm doing some herd thinning with some damage tags. But that isn't hunting at all if they're in the fields.

 

[5MilesBack]

Would you travel to a different state and pay a premium non-resident tag to hunt an animal where you can keep the horns; but meat must be given to the state's wildlife agency for research purposes. You also don't know if any unused meat will be "donated" to a food bank or not.

If it is bowhunting elk, then absolutely. I don't even need the horns, regardless what size they are. Deer? No.

 

[Dos Perros]

Personally, I get sick of the "holier than thou" types who say things like "I only kill what I eat". If you only hunt for meat, that's fine but don't make it sound like hunting for the antlers, hide, AND meat is somehow wrong. It's my opinion that most people who make comments like that can only kill young fawns/does instead of old, cagey bucks.

I don't see anyone in this thread that has said killing for antlers hide and meat is wrong. That's not the question of the thread.

I'll have to admit it took me quite a few years and probably too much effort to kill a mature buck with my bow. I'm not sure how you expect that to bias my thoughts on the subject, though.

 

[tdhanses]

I don't see anyone in this thread that has said killing for antlers hide and meat is wrong. That's not the question of the thread.

I'll have to admit it took me quite a few years and probably too much effort to kill a mature buck with my bow. I'm not sure how you expect that to bias my thoughts on the subject, though.

Seems like maybe your thinking all management would go out the window and some would hunt them to extinction. I think most are saying if populations allowed the take of multiple they would, no different really then if you had an elk tag in 5 different states and had the resources to hunt them all, you would and you wouldn’t do it for need of meat and the meat would more then likely be donated to the needy.

If there is a legal tag which all tags are based on management of the animals then hell yes I would.

Wasn’t long ago you could get 2 bull elk tags in ID.

 

[Wyomuleskinner]

Sure keep the horns too