Am I too sensitive?LOL

[Rogue]

#6853

I was reading on another forum “I took out a cull buck” in reference to a deer that was killed. Can someone explain what the heck a cull buck is? I have been around breeding enough(AQHA,APHA,AKC) to understand what a cull is but we are talking domestic stock at this point.
Using the word cull as relates to wildlife is I believe disrespectful at best. Are we so omnipotent over all living things now that wildlife should be treated as just another livestock?
Your thoughts?

Bill

[tucsonbowhunter]

#55470

That seems weird to me to degrade wild free creatures like that. Its like killing them for the good of the other critters. And that just sounds a bit wrong to me.

[Cottonwood]

#55496

It is a term used mainly in high fence operations, where the outfitter ie land owner will tell you to cull a certain animal. If you still watch those bowhunting shows, you will hear it all the time. A dead give away, where they are hunting.

I agree with you, that it is disrespectful to the animals.

[Stephen Graf]

#55633

Cottonwood is right. Another term used by the high fence guys is “management buck”.

The film crews get to “hunt” for free if they shoot a lesser buck and make a show out of it.

[jmsmithy]

#56412

I’m all for property management, I do it on my 250 acres in the Adirondacks but true wildlife is not livestock, nor can it ever be by definition. They are wild and free as opposed to animals specifically placed on ranches etc for breeding purposes etc, thus the fenced operations…

I understand that certain genetic “inferiorities”(sp?) can permeate certain herds / areas etc and some guys feel they must “cull” those traits but first: How many guys can truly define a “cull” on their property? It would mean they would have to be intimately aware of ALL bucks in that area which, unless fenced, is impossible due to dipersion etc and the fact that wild critters move around! Second: how does one know if the issue is truly an inferior trait they don’t want in their herd or just some genetic anomaly OR injury that a particular deer has?

While “cull” is a term that is appropriate to the ranch operations, be they deer, other farmed wildlife or stock, IMHO I think it is wrong to call a wild animal a “cull” in true fairchase conditions…Who’s to say what the animal will look like (antler-wise) next year, after shedding etc?

Proven fact that the old “cull” spikes of last year can be the 150″ 10 pts two seasons later……

But then again, what do I know???? If my kids, or you kids, or nieces/nephews etc are hunting with me for the first time or two, I will explain the idea of management etc but then I will talk them through a good ethical shot on what ever legal critter shows itself to the youngster….

[wildschwein]

#56840

The word cull is disrespectful. But then again I feel the same way about the word harvest. I might harvest wheat, apples or taters, but I KILL Deer, Rabbits, Bear, etc. Iv’e never heard somebody say that Wolves harvest their prey. I think its sad that we hunters and especially traditionalists, who care more for the game we hunt than any other demographic that I know of, feel the need to hide behind a word used to “soften” an act that we take so seriously. Almost makes me feel like we are apologising, when we are not doing any wrong in the first place.

[STEVEN]

#56885

Yep, I think you’re too sensitive. Although I don’t agree with fenced in hunting, the bottom line is that if that guy was doing this on his own property, or with the property owner’s permission, than he should be able to do what he wants. And although you may not own the animals on your property, it is possible to control which one lives or dies.

[Mark Turton]

#57945

I’m fortunate to live between two deer parks, I say fortunate because they do escape occasionally, I quote from Spetchley web site:

‘The Estate has its own deer park which is stocked with both Red and Fallow deer. The deer roam over 150 acres of parkland and are culled once a year.’

These parks were established in the middle ages to provide meat for the privileged few and as such many of the hunting terms have carried on such as culling when they are killing just for the larder or for market, another term I like is unmaking which is basically ritualised butchering.

I take exception to anyone saying that the killing of deer in parks is hunting apart from that I don’t have a problem.

Mark.

[William Warren]

#58533

Just some jargon the trophy crowd uses to justify an “inferior” kill. Glad I don’t have live by those rules……

[Frank H V]

#59121

From what I’ve gleaned from some reading, & the TV shows, which are not a real good example of hunting. There are some ranches in states like Texas where the land is so vast & they cater to guided hunts, they creat food plots, & feed stations for the wildlife & hunters. Doing this does seem to lead to larger deer as food is readily available there. The animals don’t have to spend as much energy getting food. Genetics are also involved. Now let’s not get into the argument of ethics on these, they are legal in the areas they are used. But those ranches cull/remove bucks that don’t exibit the quality that they are striving for. Again this is a two facated situation, genetics & food. When good genetics and good feed are available better animals result. This can easily be verified by reading a good book on feeds & feeding.Which I did in College. I’m not going to argue ethics here, but that’s what I take culling to mean.
Frank

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