The European Hunting System

[sjsmallfield]

Very nice thread Edelweiss. This was a nice change of pace. Sounds like you made the most of your stays over seas.

[Edelweiss]

I appreciate the post, Edelweiss.

I also appreciate the North American Model. I hope we never lose it.

It is kind of a strange concept, but not every state follows the North American model.

I wish there were enough 6 point 380 bull elk, 60 inch moose, 850 pound grizzly bears, 92 inch pronghorn, 190 mule deer, and 500 pound black bears for everyone. Since there isn't and we are all competing for a finite number of tags for basic animals, to say nothing of super trophies, we have to play the game.

Then again we have poaching problems in North America that don't exist in Germanic Europe, especially when you consider the accepted norms of some states (I am not going to name states names, if you have lived there you know what I am talking about).

I'll do a similar post on Australia since it is where I am living in a few days. Poaching in Australia is an epidemic.

[Bitterroot Bulls]

It is kind of a strange concept, but not every state follows the North American model.

I wish there were enough 6 point 380 bull elk, 60 inch moose, 850 pound grizzly bears, 92 inch pronghorn, 190 mule deer, and 500 pound black bears for everyone. Since there isn't and we are all competing for a finite number of tags for basic animals, to say nothing of super trophies, we have to play the game.

The only game I am interested in is the unfenced, wild animal, fair chase game. If I never book a trophy: So be it.

[Jon Boy]

The only game I am interested in is the unfenced, wild animal, fair chase game. If I never book a trophy: So be it.

I agree, IMO the experience you will have in the states and canada is much greater than any where else. Ill take that over a book animal any day.

[Edelweiss]

That's not quite what I am saying.

I don't care if I ever shoot an animal in the record books. I took a gold medal steinbuck in Namibia in 2005 (jackrabbit with 5 inch spike horns). I could care less that it's big enough for Safari Club, and no I didn't register it.

We are all competing for a finite hunting resource, wether you are after big trophies or not.

As for fair chase, most of Europe is fair chase. I don't know the exact percentage, but I would think it is very close to America.

It is nice to to take a very large animal, and that is all I am saying. But there isn't enough of those dream trophies to go around, especially on public land. I would much rather take a very old animal than one that is prime.

As for experiences, the greatest hunting experiences of my life have been hunting with my father. All of this has happened in 3 states; Wyoming, New Mexico and Montana. And as my father get's older it is much harder to get him out of Wyoming.

I haven't taken a red deer, in Spain we couldn't get onto the stags as it was well after the rut. When I was in Germany I couldn't afford the trophy fee since I was hunting a guided operation. Though I took a wonderful old roe buck with a cataract in his eye. The experience of stalking that roe buck was wonderful, probably next to hunts with my father my single greatest hunting memory.