Hunting Ethics Of Taking Female Animals In Africa

[mark-hunter]

but less understandable that there are more and more hunters who are willing to make such shootings, especially of buffalo and elephants, but to each his own.

For me this is logical development of affairs.
Considering the level of pricing of hunt on iconic species, this becomes WESTERN rich man activity.
Working class of EU or USA cannot afford.
But buffalo cow or ele, yes (maybe), and even with this reduced pricing this is only for 1% of world population that can afford.

There is another story to my ethics - believe it or not - I never shot anything even close to medal record score, as per CIC. The question can be turned in a way: is it ethical that only the richest can shoot golden CIC red deer stag?

 

[grand veneur]

No problem with shooting does, young animals etc. Also eradicating whole families of foxes, geese shooting birds off nest etc. All in the big family called hunting.

Sometimes it is population control, preventing damage to crops, pest control, preventing the spread of diseases etc.

But everything has to be within a certain context. Some of these practices are not "fair chase" hunting.

Regarding the subject can a female species be your trophy of a lifetime, sure. Is it within the context and definition of trophy hunting that would be debatable. Most hunting organisations do not count a female specimen a trophy but that is only their "rules".

I yearly shoot more does than bucks because the main objective is to manage the population. You cannot manage a population without shooting females.

Everyone has to decide for themselves. What I cannot afford, I don't do it, but I would never choose a cheaper alternative. This applies to trophy hunting of buffalo or elephants, hunts that can afford less and less people nowadays, including me.

 

[DieJager]

Everyone has to decide for themselves. What I cannot afford, I don't do it, but I would never choose a cheaper alternative. This applies to trophy hunting of buffalo or elephants, hunts that can afford less and less people nowadays, including me.

Certainly, my reaction was more about the broad scope I call hunting. For each his own.

I don't mind people hunting cow elephants. For me and a large spectrum of people those are management hunts. For me a trophy elephant hunt would be a bull.

I would glad to do either of those.
And will in the future..

 

[IvW]

It is called game management.......males and females pass breeding age and if properly managed is a good game management tool. Simple.....

Take whatever species you want.......if managed correctly all are huntable.......unless you are a greenie....

 

[grand veneur]

Certainly, my reaction was more about the broad scope I call hunting. For each his own.

I don't mind people hunting cow elephants. For me and a large spectrum of people those are management hunts. For me a trophy elephant hunt would be a bull.

I would glad to do either of those.
And will in the future..

Sorry, I made a mistake, I wanted to answer @mark-hunter.

 

[Nyati]

It´s called game management !

I will do it for free, but will not pay for it.

 

[goforthebighorn]

My wife and I have made two trips to South Africa just for cull hunting. Most of the animals we shoot are females. We do it with archery equipment and have a great time. What species we target during our trip is dictated mostly by what the manager (PH) needs to balance the herds inside the fenced property. We have taken broken horned males and old non breeding females of other species as well. Some people would say this is not what they would go to Africa for, but to us, its a great experience and affordable. Just my experience and view on things.

 

[C.W. Richter]

From Day one of my Africa adventures the taking of females and immature males is /was strictly taboo. I now notice some species, Cape Buffalo, hunting companies are offering female Capes for 1/3 the cost of a trophy Bull. It seems the market is there from USA Hunters.
How do you feel about this kind of hunting?
I recently experienced a hunter who shot across a small canyon made a good one shot kill, and now says he has taken a Daggaboy! How do others feel about this?

Also VERY common for (a PH to request it be shot as) camp food (including feeding villagers that assist on the hunt!) Plentiful species (i.e. impala, oryx-and the females sometimes have longer horns!) It will not be allowed in the case of low-quota, high value species. I think cow buffalo hunting is a wonderful, less-costly way to break one into DG hunting. All that said, under the previous adminstrations here, I'd swear I saw small herds of Daggagirls in W. Coast cities (and Burlington, VT)!! A dangerous bunch indeed.

 

[C.W. Richter]

My wife and I have made two trips to South Africa just for cull hunting. Most of the animals we shoot are females. We do it with archery equipment and have a great time. What species we target during our trip is dictated mostly by what the manager (PH) needs to balance the herds inside the fenced property. We have taken broken horned males and old non breeding females of other species as well. Some people would say this is not what they would go to Africa for, but to us, its a great experience and affordable. Just my experience and view on things.

It's still experiencing everything Africa and you're NOT just trophy hunting, but practicing wildlife conservation on the ground (in addition to the funds). My Son went over solo with his bow for same on Oryx herds in Namibia. Some of the tribes do (plains) zebra culling up in the Caprivi. I might just do that oneday...long-range Namibian varmint culling! ALL meat/hides presented to the tribal people. Nothing is taken but photos. *And, I eyed up a good stand location when last there...stairs/platform on the water tower.

 

[Doug3006]

Harvesting female game animals is a necessary part of managing the herd. Not only in “estate” hunting areas, but in wild, free-roaming areas. Keep in mind that “wild areas” have been reduced in number and size everywhere around the world. This means less acreage suitable for wild game, especially so in the case of elephants. So, taking females is essential.

The experience of hunting female animals is the same as hunting males. If you limit yourself to taking only old females that are no longer active breeders, you make the challenge of hunting them much the same as hunting their male counterparts.

Finally, it’s usually less expensive to hunt females.

So, it’s necessary, just as fun and cheaper.

 

[Field28]

I've actually thought about shooting a cape cow. I keep getting people trying to get me shoot a bull. I'm a Tragelaphus guy at heart and I have a lot of those subspecies that are higher on my list. I want to shoot a bull in the future but the Spirals come first. So I thought that a cow might make a nice icebreaker into DG without taking my eyes off the prize...Sitatunga, Bongo, and all the Kudu, Nyala and Bushbuck that you can shake a stick at!

Oh yeah Eland too!!!

 

[BJH65]

Hunting the female game animals is a viable conservation tool regardless if it’s a fenced game farm or cow elephants or lioness in wild areas. Speaking of lioness, they were offered on safari many years ago well before CBL. I recall our mid 90’s Mozambique Safari, a lioness trophy fee was only $1100, substantially cheaper than male lion.

I guess a “trophy” is in the eyes of the beholder. I personally don’t consider most of any female game animal species especially desirable trophies although there are exceptions. A dominant matriarch female hyena is larger than a male hyena and a more desirable trophy. In North American most of the game laws allow the taking of a sow bear without cubs (black, grizzly & brown) and mountain goats because determining the sex can be difficult at times and the laws reflect this.

I still think the hunting of a female species can still be an exciting and rewarding hunt. By all accounts, cow elephant can be very exciting.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Harvesting female game animals is a necessary part of managing the herd. Not only in “estate” hunting areas, but in wild, free-roaming areas. Keep in mind that “wild areas” have been reduced in number and size everywhere around the world. This means less acreage suitable for wild game, especially so in the case of elephants. So, taking females is essential.

The experience of hunting female animals is the same as hunting males. If you limit yourself to taking only old females that are no longer active breeders, you make the challenge of hunting them much the same as hunting their male counterparts.

Finally, it’s usually less expensive to hunt females.

So, it’s necessary, just as fun and cheaper.

And, the hunting can be harder as most females will be found in a herd situation with many more noses/eyes/ears...

 

[mdwest]

Should be part of a herd management plan. Shooting of whitetail does helps keep balance

between my wife and I we are generally take 3-4 whitetail doe every year (in addition to a buck or two)...

our property has WAY too many deer on it.. as a result we don't get great bucks (they tend to move on pretty quickly since competition for food is so great)... we also have an abundance of hogs (unfortunately)..

We very purposefully target sow pigs and does in an attempt to get the population numbers under better control.. (and as a rule a 2-4 year old doe eats a lot better than a 6 year old rutting buck)..

Ive long since given up hunting whitetail as "trophy" animals.. I would obviously be elated if a big 160 class buck walked out at my blind and would very gratefully take him.. but for the most part we deer hunt at the mdwest house because I enjoy getting out of the city and into the woods as often as possible and I truly enjoy venison.. to the point that we've probably reduced our beef consumption by 70% or more over the last several years..

 

[IvW]

Hunting ethics for me is about how you hunt not what you hunt......
Is it less of a hunt if you hunt a old non breeding female eland vs a prime high scoring breeding bull? And yes I understand the differance between trophy hunting of old bulls/rams vs management hunts including females.....

 

[Flbt]

I am divided.
Personally: at home, I dont hunt females of big game. And I hunt only what I eat. But, on the other side of coin, female animals are part of legal quota of approved game managment plan. Somebdy has to do it.
I hunted roe deer doe, two times in 20 years. Once, it was required for meat in hunting club lodge, for social event. Second time during corona, I missed the season for roe buck and needed the roe venison for home use.

Africa is another story of my ehtics.
I can not eat in one week, 5 animals I shot in that week. Yes I I tried all of them, but meat was left to outfitter (or community). I had to make compromise here with my ethics.

Would I hunt females in Africa?
Well, ethics get slacked when money is involved. I would hunt buffalo cow, for the reason of better pricing then bull.
If I hunted for trophy size, oryx cow has better horn length then a bull. I would have to consider. But inches or pounds are not my cup of tea.

I think that in this case of hunting in Africa, measuring stick is the law. If it is legal, then it is ethical.

I think that money involved also brings new degree of ethics. For example, animals have value. If wounded, it is paid for. So, hunters will take care not to wound, and PH will take care and effort to track and find.
I have seen cases, when animals have no value, then wounded animal is not tracked.... At my place.

I have never been to Africa or Australia.
I was watching a hunting show hunting the buffalo in Australia.
In the heard there was a older female buff.
I believe I would have wanted her more than the normal bulls.
Her horn went way down and the tips went backwards
A very different horn type

 

[jbirdwell]

As long as sound management practices are being followed, the hunt itself is the true trophy. Your memories that you look back on will always been a more vivid reminder of your time spent afield. I understand both sides, as I have taken part in both trophy and meat hunts and will continue to do so. The best thing the hunting community can do is not take issue with another person's hunts as long as it is legal. There are enough people in this world that would like to see all hunting be stopped.

When I was on my 1st safari last year, the outfitter was running lower prices on Zebra and Buffalo cows due to drought conditions so I took him up on the offer. I took a nice Zebra mare and would have settled for a nice Buffalo cow if I was not staring at a skull mount of both a bull that Mark Biggerstaff had taken and cow right next to that in the dining area at the lodge. Speaking of that, I need to let him know he cost me a bunch more money since that bull skull got me fired up. (Just kidding Mark, Your the reason I went on safari the 1st place).

 

[Hunter-Habib]

From Day one of my Africa adventures the taking of females and immature males is /was strictly taboo. I now notice some species, Cape Buffalo, hunting companies are offering female Capes for 1/3 the cost of a trophy Bull. It seems the market is there from USA Hunters.
How do you feel about this kind of hunting?
I recently experienced a hunter who shot across a small canyon made a good one shot kill, and now says he has taken a Daggaboy! How do others feel about this?

I’d personally love to hunt a tuskless cow elephant someday. I’ve only taken two bulls on my own so far (a third one needed my white hunter to step in and save my life). I’ve hunted Cape buffalo cows and a lioness over bait.

Immature animals, I can’t ever bring myself to hunt. Except for culling purposes, where (with a heavy heart) I concede that they are fair game.

 

[Philip Glass]

From Day one of my Africa adventures the taking of females and immature males is /was strictly taboo. I now notice some species, Cape Buffalo, hunting companies are offering female Capes for 1/3 the cost of a trophy Bull. It seems the market is there from USA Hunters.
How do you feel about this kind of hunting?
I recently experienced a hunter who shot across a small canyon made a good one shot kill, and now says he has taken a Daggaboy! How do others feel about this?

It’s all part of the management. From the hunters POV it is their call.

 

[migrabill]

I shot a female zebra on my safari last June. It had a beautiful coat and I wanted a rug. I also Gemsbuck on my list and would have gladly taken a female as their horns tend to be longer than the males, but saw no gemsbuck during my safari.