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Deer hunting

International practices

New Zealand

See also: Hunting in New Zealand

New Zealand has had a number of deer species introduced and in the absence of predators became to be considered an animal pest due to its effect on native vegetation. From the 1950s the government employed hunters to cull the deer population. Deer hunting is now a recreational activity.[citation needed]

North America

The deer most sought after in North America, east of the Rocky Mountains, is the white-tailed deer. West of the Rockies, the mule deer is the dominant deer species. The most notable differences between the two, other than distribution, are the differences in ears, tail, antler shape(the way they each fork), and body size.[citation needed]

Whitetail Male Deer at night in Central Texas

The mule deer's ears are proportionally longer than the ears of a white-tailed deer, and resemble that of a mule. Mule deer have a black-tipped tail which is proportionally smaller than that of the white-tailed deer. Buck deer of both species sprout antlers; the antlers of the mule deer branch and rebranch forming a series of Y shapes, while white-tailed bucks typically have one main beam with several tines sprouting from it. White-tailed bucks are usually smaller than mule deer bucks. Both of the species lose their antlers in the spring time.[citation needed]

Moose and elk are also popular game animals that are technically species of deer. However, hunting them is not usually referred to as deer hunting, it is called big game hunting. They are considerably larger than mule deer or white-tailed deer, and hunting techniques are rather different.

In Canada and Alaska, reindeer (caribou) are hunted extensively.

United Kingdom

There are six species of deer in the UK : red deer, roe deer, fallow deer, Sika deer, muntjac deer, and Chinese water deer, as well as hybrids of these deer. All are hunted to a degree reflecting their relative population either as sport or for the purposes of culling. Closed seasons for deer vary by species. The practice of declaring a closed season in England dates back to medieval times, when it was called fence month and commonly lasted from June 9 to July 9, though the actual dates varied. It is illegal to use bows to hunt any wild animal in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Victorian era dramatist W. S. Gilbert remarked, "Deer-stalking would be a very fine sport if only the deer had guns."

While "deer stalking" is widely used among British and Irish sportsmen to signify almost all forms of sporting deer shooting, the term is replaced in North American sporting usage by "deer hunting" - an expression that in Britain and Ireland has historically been reserved exclusively for the sporting pursuit of deer with scent-seeking hounds, with unarmed followers typically on horseback.

Australia

In Australia, there are seven species of deer that are available to hunt. These are Fallow deer, Sambar deer, Red deer, Rusa Deer Axis Deer (Cervus timorensis russa and Cervus timorensis moluccensis), Chital Deer, Elk and Hog deer.

Deer were first introduced to Australia between 1800 and 1803. All States/Territories have populations of deer including many coastal islands. Deer hunting in Australia is mostly practiced on the eastern side of the country. Hunting access varies from state-to-state with varying classifications from pest to game animal with some species afforded the protection of hunting seasons and a requirement for a Game Hunting permit or license.

Method

North America

A New Hampshire Deer Hunt

There are five common methods of hunting deer: stalking, which consists of following signs and trails of deer; stand hunting, waiting where deer are likely to travel (including tree stands); still hunting, alternately walking quietly and waiting concealed in the pursuit of game; line drives, which consists of flushing deer toward a line of hunters; and spot and stalk hunting, which consists of spotting and then stalking the deer. Spot and stalk hunting is generally a method of hunting used in places where there are large visible areas, such as mountainous terrain where a person can see across canyons. The other four methods of hunting are used in places such as rolling hills or in country that is more level, where a hunter can hardly see over trees or bushes to spot and watch the deer. Scouting and stalking involves following deer sign. Common signs to pursue include deer rubs, scrapes, and tracks. Scrapes are places where bucks scrape the ground and urinate below low hanging branches on the edge of fields, bucks rub their faces on the low hanging branches leaving their scent. Bucks do this to mark territory and attract female deer. Deer tracks may reveal the size, age, and species of a deer. Rubs are marks on the trunks and low branches of trees which indicate where bucks have rubbed the velvet off their antlers; this leaves a tell-tale mark because it removes tree bark where the deer rubbed. Another purpose for this is to mark territory with a visual signpost.[citation needed]

Modern Hunting Methods

Deer hunting may be done from a stand which places the hunter above the line of sight of a deer. There are various types of stands including portable hunting stands, climbing hunting stands, ladder stands, self-made stands, and tripods each which can be used for different hunting methods.[citation needed]

Deer hunting for trophies may also take place from ground blinds. These can be natural blinds; like dead falls and brush; hay bails in open farm country, or specifically manufactured for this purpose.[citation needed]

United Kingdom and Ireland

Depiction of deer hunting with hounds from a 15th century version of The Hunting Book of Gaston Phebus, MS. f. fr. 616

The vast majority of deer hunted in the UK are stalked. The phrase deer hunting, however, has also been used to refer (in England and Wales) to the traditional practice of chasing deer with packs of hounds, now illegal under the Hunting Act 2004.

In the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, there were several packs of staghounds hunting "carted deer" in England and Ireland. Carted deer were red deer kept in captivity for the sole purpose of being hunted and recaptured alive. More recently, there were three packs of staghounds hunting wild red deer of both sexes on or around Exmoor and the New Forest Buckhounds hunting fallow deer bucks in the New Forest, the latter disbanding in 1997.

The practice of hunting with hounds, other than using two hounds to flush deer to be shot by waiting marksmen, has been banned in the UK since 2005; to date, two people have been convicted of breaking the law.

There is one pack of stag hounds in Ireland and one in Northern Ireland, the former operating under a licence to hunt carted deer.

Norway

Most of the deer hunting in Norway is by hunters driving the game towards other hunters posted in strategic locations in the terrain, though there is also a fair bit of stalking.[citation needed]

Australia

The majority of hunting methods in Australia are similar to North America, except for Sambar Deer which are commonly hunted with hounds.

Equipment

A pop-up pack-in style blind

Many different weapons are permitted in various states of the USA during certain times of deer season. These include bows, crossbows, rifles, shotguns, pistols, and muzzleloaders.

Archery season usually opens weeks or months before a state or locality's gun season and usually is permitted for several weeks or months afterwards. Modern compound bows and recurve bows are used, as well as some primitive recurve and longbows by historical enthusiasts when permitted. Crossbows are often reserved for disabled hunters who are unable to draw a bow, but are allowed to be used in Alabama and Tennessee by anyone disabled or not[citation needed] and in Minnesota, Kansas, and some other states during firearm season. Most bows and crossbows offer an effective accurate range of 30-40 yards.

Rifles, shotguns, and pistols are all commonly used for hunting deer. Most regions place limits on the minimum caliber or gauge to be used; rimfire rifles and centerfires under .22 caliber are often prohibited due to ethical concerns, although they have been used to hunt deer and larger game in some cases.[citation needed] Some areas of the United States prohibit rifle hunting altogether.[citation needed]

Muzzleloader hunting is also practiced. Modern muzzleloading rifles equipped with synthetic stocks, telescopic and fiber optic sights, in-line ignition systems, advanced conical or sabot bullet designs, and black powder substitutes such as Pyrodex are much more effective than the muskets of generations past.[citation needed] However, many traditionalists still use wood stocked, iron sighted rifles with round lead balls and traditional black powder charges.[citation needed]

Hunting deer with edged weapons, such as the lance or sword, is still practiced in continental Europe, primarily in France. In such hunts, the hunters are mounted on horseback, and use packs of deerhound or greyhound dogs to track and drive deer. Only the hunt masters have the right to deliver the death blow, while other mounted hunters simply ride to the chase.[citation needed]

Alabama permits spear hunting of deer during its archery season.

Tools

Use of a Hitch-Haul platform to transport harvested game

Hunters employ many tools, among which are camouflage, tree stands/blinds, knives, vehicles, chainsaws, and handheld GPS units. Camouflage has been used for some time and while it is very important, it is not essential, especially during gun season when it is required that hunters wear blaze orange clothing.[citation needed] An industry of equipment suppliers and outfitters has grown to supply hunters with equipment.

See also

Animal welfare

Bayou Bucks (documentary)

Big Buck Hunter

Deer farm

Deer horn

Deer Hunter - video game

Deer Avenger - video game

Deerskin trade

Reindeer hunting in Greenland

Venison

References

^ Naturenet: Shooting, Hunting and Angling Seasons. Naturenet - Countryside Management & Nature Conservation.

^ Forests and Chases of England and Wales: A Glossary.St John's College, Oxford.

^ Grossmith, George in The Daily Telegraph, 7 June 1911

^ http://www.gamecouncil.nsw.gov.au/

^ Bentley, A (1967), An Introduction to the Deer of Australia.

^ Gegelman, Andrew, pot and Stalk Hunting - The Lost Art. Nodak Outdoors.

^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/1997/07/29/nhun29.html

^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7053016.stm

^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4247341.stm

^ http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=DAL20050126.xml&Dail=29&Ex=All&Page=91

^ http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/Hunting/Hunting-Regulations/Deer/Legal-Guns-Bows

^ Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (Minnesota DNR), Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook (2007). Pp. 5, 58.

v  d  e

Game animals and shooting in North America

Game birds

Bobwhite Quail  Chukar  Hungarian Partridge  Prairie Chicken  Mourning Dove  Ring-necked pheasant  Ptarmigan  Ruffed Grouse  Sharp-tailed Grouse   Snipe (Common Snipe)  Spruce Grouse  Turkey  Woodcock

Waterfowl

Black Duck  Canada Goose  Canvasback  Gadwall  Greater Scaup  Lesser Scaup  Mallard  Northern Pintail  Redhead  Ross's Goose  Snow Goose  Wood Duck

Big game

Bighorn Sheep  Black Bear  Razorback  Brown Bear  Bison (Buffalo)  Caribou  Cougar (Mountain Lion)  Elk  Moose  White-tailed deer  Gray wolf  Mountain goat  Mule Deer  Pronghorn  Muskox  Dall Sheep  Polar Bear

Other quarry

American Alligator  Bobcat  Coyote  Fox Squirrel  Gray Fox  Gray Squirrel  Opossum  Rabbit  Raccoon  Red Fox  Snowshoe Hare

See also

Bear hunting  Big game hunting   Deer hunting  Waterfowl hunting  Wolf hunting  Upland hunting

Categories: Archery | Dog sports | Hunting in the United Kingdom | Hunting in the United States | Survival skills | Deer huntingHidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from June 2009 | Articles with unsourced statements from December 2009 | Articles with unsourced statements from December 2007
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