Howdah Pistol Ammuntion

[270Guy]

After the Indo-Pak war in 1971, the new government passed the Wildlife Conservation Act in 1973. This act offered complete legal protection to Royal Bengal tigers and made it a criminally punishable offense to kill one. A Royal Bengal tiger could only be legally killed if it had become a man eater and the Ministry of Forests had issued a Death-Order for the animal in question. This would only be done if the Sundarban Department of Forests had proven to the Ministry of Forests that ALL NON LETHAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTEND WITH THE MAN EATER HAD CULMINATED IN UNSUCCESSFUL RESULTS (Firstly, attempts would be made to ward the animal away. If that didn’t work, then attempts would be made to capture the animal alive and relocate it).

The Act granting protection to Tigers and other Wildlife was needed,specially for all the Wildlife in Schedule 1 of the Act,i might be wrong on this but a Moratorium of 25 Years should have been put and enforced very strictly.If it was enforced properly Tiger Population would have stabilized and grown within a couple of years.But unfortunately for this part of the world and the wildlife in particular the demand for Tiger Skin and other body parts grew in China.The Poaching gangs became active and Tigers and other Wildlife was Poached. Even Today in India we still havent reached the pre Act numbers.Its something very Sad.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

The Act granting protection to Tigers and other Wildlife was needed,specially for all the Wildlife in Schedule 1 of the Act,i might be wrong on this but a Moratorium of 25 Years should have been put and enforced very strictly.If it was enforced properly Tiger Population would have stabilized and grown within a couple of years.But unfortunately for this part of the world and the wildlife in particular the demand for Tiger Skin and other body parts grew in China.The Poaching gangs became active and Tigers and other Wildlife was Poached. Even Today in India we still havent reached the pre Act numbers.Its something very Sad.

270Guy

The trick is zero tolerance. I was posted as the DFO when President Ershad ran the country. His administration gave us very specific orders in relation to the Sundarbans (and forest resources in general). Permits were (and are) issued at the discretion of the local forest department for hunting Axis deer, wild boar and golden snipe. But only two Axis stags and 50 golden snipe would get permitted per season (with very strict monitoring). Anybody caught killing an Axis doe or more than two adult Axis stags per season faced up to three years in prison. He was desperate to protect and stabilize the population of Royal Bengal tigers in the Sundarbans and wildlife in general. He even gave us the authorization to use lethal force on tiger poachers in order to deter them. Seems a bit extreme now, but it was actually necessary and it greatly helped.

In 1984, the President released six pairs of Axis deer into a set of islands in the south of the country. Today, they have multiplied into thousands (having no natural predators there). Licensed firearms owners could/may hunt two adult Axis stags a year for a fee (which had to be submitted to the game warden). And that fee would go back into funding anti poaching and conservation measures. Since the country is so densely populated, poaching with a firearm is next to impossible without alerting the authorities. He also ordered that hunting permits for Axis deer and wild boar in the Sundarbans only be given in the forest ranges where the population of tigers was more or less nonexistent (so that the tigers would have enough prey for feed on). In other parts of the country (where the concerned game may be found), he imposed a two adult stag bag limit for Muntjac deer and Sambar deer and ordered bird shooting to be closed during the seasons when waterfowl breed (alongside imposing bag limits).

I’m not just saying it because I worked for him, but his wildlife policies saved the country’s fauna. Even though he went out of power and died years ago, none of the later governments tried to change his wildlife laws because everybody (even his biggest critics) admitted that they worked.

Without pretending to know what’s best for your country, I can only say that perhaps they could adapt an American/European/African/Pakistani model of conservation. By allowing hunting of a select set of species (in controlled numbers) in areas where the rate of human-wildlife conflict is high, in exchange for a fee. And then using that fee to fund proper anti poaching measures. Of course, three challenges exist here:
- As you pointed out, the antis have an extremely strong hold in India
- The chain of custody for the hunting fees would have to be very fool proof and the money would actually have to go into conservation (and not line some corrupt official’s pocket).
- India being much more vast than Pakistan/Bangladesh, anti poaching patrol units have a more difficult time monitoring all forest resources.

 

[PerH]

.577 Revolvers | Classic Arms Journal

Here is a borrowed a bit from Howdah into the next step weapon and ammo evolution,a good way forward as both a defensive arm and combat weapon.

Also as i have followed and seen Hunter Habib tell about his numbers of maneating Royal Bengal Tigers taken, i seem to have not gotten with me how many Tigers been taken by other members of the forum like 270 Guy . I just wondered about it ,and nothing more than that.

 

[270Guy]

Of course, there are times when a man eating Royal Bengal tiger attacks locals and a resident gun owner/hunter (of legally huntable game animals such as deer or wild boar or birds or rabbits) manages to shoot and kill the man eater during a random encounter (without premeditation). In that case, sympathetic forest department officials sometimes choose not to pursue charges (if there was no evidence of premediation).

Here it was a little different, a Confirmed Problem Animal,1st Cattle Lifters were also put in this category,later after awards were given for loss of Domestic Animals this was Withdrawn,now it for Animals deemed Dangerous for Humans,you might have read an Article on "AVNI" a Tigress in Maharashtra who had gone sour.Though some people {specially Keyboard Warriors and other assorted Greenies} said that she should have been Captured/Tranquilized,but i really doubt if these people have even seen a Tiger in the Wild,let alone have one come at them really Pissed off.But it takes all kind to fill up our beautiful world.

 

[270Guy]

Also as i have followed and seen Hunter Habib tell about his numbers of maneating Royal Bengal Tigers taken, i seem to have not gotten with me how many Tigers been taken by other members of the forum like 270 Guy . I just wondered about it ,and nothing more than that.

Dad took 18,all gone sour,i was with him for 14 of those hunts,studied the species very well,their habits,started joining him since 1978,i was 14 at that time.He used to hunt other species,but never the Tiger,the Jungle Bagh as it was know to us.A gentleman of the Jungle,never killed more than he needed,unlike his Spotted Cousin.He started shooting in 1945 at the age of 15.It was a tradition in our family.

 

[270Guy]

270Guy

The trick is zero tolerance. I was posted as the DFO when President Ershad ran the country. His administration gave us very specific orders in relation to the Sundarbans (and forest resources in general). Permits were (and are) issued at the discretion of the local forest department for hunting Axis deer, wild boar and golden snipe. But only two Axis stags and 50 golden snipe would get permitted per season (with very strict monitoring). Anybody caught killing an Axis doe or more than two adult Axis stags per season faced up to three years in prison. He was desperate to protect and stabilize the population of Royal Bengal tigers in the Sundarbans and wildlife in general. He even gave us the authorization to use lethal force on tiger poachers in order to deter them. Seems a bit extreme now, but it was actually necessary and it greatly helped.

In 1984, the President released six pairs of Axis deer into a set of islands in the south of the country. Today, they have multiplied into thousands (having no natural predators there). Licensed firearms owners could/may hunt two adult Axis stags a year for a fee (which had to be submitted to the game warden). And that fee would go back into funding anti poaching and conservation measures. Since the country is so densely populated, poaching with a firearm is next to impossible without alerting the authorities. He also ordered that hunting permits for Axis deer and wild boar in the Sundarbans only be given in the forest ranges where the population of tigers was more or less nonexistent (so that the tigers would have enough prey for feed on). In other parts of the country (where the concerned game may be found), he imposed a two adult stag bag limit for Muntjac deer and Sambar deer and ordered bird shooting to be closed during the seasons when waterfowl breed (alongside imposing bag limits).

I’m not just saying it because I worked for him, but his wildlife policies saved the country’s fauna. Even though he went out of power and died years ago, none of the later governments tried to change his wildlife laws because everybody (even his biggest critics) admitted that they worked.

Without pretending to know what’s best for your country, I can only say that perhaps they could adapt an American/European/African/Pakistani model of conservation. By allowing hunting of a select set of species (in controlled numbers) in areas where the rate of human-wildlife conflict is high, in exchange for a fee. And then using that fee to fund proper anti poaching measures. Of course, three challenges exist here:
- As you pointed out, the antis have an extremely strong hold in India
- The chain of custody for the hunting fees would have to be very fool proof and the money would actually have to go into conservation (and not line some corrupt official’s pocket).
- India being much more vast than Pakistan/Bangladesh, anti poaching patrol units have a more difficult time monitoring all forest resources.

Here its more of a Knee Jerk reaction.When they banned hunting officially it was a complete ban,but under the Table one if had connections one could do pretty much anything,when hunting was allowed it was an all out war.People have shot Females,Juveniles and displayed the same very proudly.I have seen Head Mounts of Tigers who wont be an year old.Their only fault was they were in a Beat.
We right now have a Wild Boar/Feral Hog, Nilghai,Monkey problem,permits are issued but its too little too late.Madhya Pardesh is having an Axix deer {Cheetal} problem,Maharashtra is having a Gaur problem,states in the South are dealing with Wild Boar,if these permits were issued back in the 90s thing wont have gone this bad.For Wild Boar and Nilgai its too late,the population cant be controlled,Most of their Natural Predators were killed for Sport,with no check on them,the populations boomed,poachers could take very low numbers.There was a time when one had to drive for 50 KMs in the night to spot a Boar,now one sees 50 in a KM.In certain areas boars are not in the Jungles,but just in the Fields,they come out at night,feed and come day break they go straight back,same is with Nilgai,have a piece of Land in the Hills,have a small Apple Orchard there.Its harvest time here,there is just about nothing on the Trees,would be lucky to collect 100 Boxes,this is with 4 People and 6 Dogs guarding the Orchard.Same happened to Apricots,Peaches.Peas & Cauliflower.Its Monkeys and Langurs in the Day,Muntjac {Kakkar and Chowsinghas} at night.Shoot a Monkey and one has to deal with the Religious Guys,try for other two and one has the Forest Guys at one neck.
We the farming community are Screwed.