And now the time is near

[fatchap]

I think the time has come to call it a day with the shotgun. I've held my sgc for over 20 years now and my heart just aint in it no more, I nipped out this morning and to be honest I just wanted to go back home. There wasn't a great deal flying about, so didn't bother with the hide or decoys, in favour of a wander around.
Walking down the side of a field I spooked two woodies out of a tree and bagged one of them, I picked it up and listened as it took its last breath, and the sound of the blood bubbling in its beak, and I actually felt remorse and found myself apologising to it.
I have no idea how many woodies, rabbits and crows I have shot over the years but its the first time I've felt that bad.
I remember the mixed feelings I had with my first rabbit, the pang of guilt when you pick it up. 
I used to enjoy pigeon shooting, lamping and all types of shooting, but lately its become a bit mundane. maybe its just a phase and NO I'm not morphing into an anti!

[islandgun]

I know exactly what you mean, my own opinion is that its better to harvest your own wild meat than rely on some factory farmed animal. I think you shouldn't make any hasty decisions because you might want to get out again when the conditions are right and theres nothing on the TV..

[chesterse]

Know how you feel, went through a similar thing a few years ago. What I used to spend on on two syndicates now spend on clay shooting - at least the clays are pretty well guaranteed to turn up.

Still go beating  and enjoy a couple of beater’s day at the end of the season. 

Guess it’s an age thing?

[fatchap]

I know you cant beat wild rabbit. Ive had rabbit cooked in just about as many ways possible, The best was a recipe on here for rabbit stroganoff seriously delicious. 

[Stimo22]

Exactly the same as above, love beating and watching others shoot, but just no longer want to stand and shoot pheasants. Can shoot most weeks a 50 round for £8 as you say it seems an age thing. Many of the beaters even prefer to work their dogs on beaters day rather than bring a gun

 

[fatchap]

Most of the local clay shoots have gone round these parts, Dartford and Essex shooting grounds are still going but you can rake up a serious end of day bill there if your not careful and get carried away.

Plus If I'm honest I'm pretty **** at clay shooting never really got the hang of it. Especially the bolting bunny round never hit one yet.

[Scully]

I remember well the first rabbit I shot. It wasn't a clean kill and I could hear it squealing and ran up to it in shock, apologising and swearing I would never do it again.  I was very young and have no idea how many I've shot since. 

I can understand someone deciding they no longer want to kill anything. My Dad grew to this stage as did a mate of mine who was heavily into game shooting, and I know a former 'keeper who sold all his guns and hand feeds pheasants in his garden nowadays. 

There are one or two species I prefer not to shoot, but I hope I'm a long way from calling it a day, and hopefully that day wont arrive. 

[washerboy]

Buy yourself a collie Lurcher pup and enjoy the joys of mooching about, a catch is an added bonus 

[Walker570]

I have met many who have absolutely no concern for the quarry they shoot, particular on driven pheasant days when they come back with a pheasant hanging by the legs and just chuck it in the game cart or on the ground. They have just used it as a 'target'.  Inevitably they then refuse to take a couple of brace home to eat.  I was very fortunate to meet and become friends with a well know shooting/hunting writer from the USA. John Wootters had won a prize I gave through the BASC back in 1984, I knew this man had shot numerous Cape Buffalo etc etc., and here I was about to take him out ferreting. His first outing with me was for a chance at a fallow and as luck had it a medium size buck walked out 100yrds away and John made a good job of shooting it.  Wnen we got to the animal I could sense he was a bit quiet and thought maybe this buck wasn't good enough for him.  I gralloched it and on the way home he said, "I hope I didn't seem grateful but I always have a quiet moment with any animal I shoot, even a coyote. I've taken it's life"

So do not in any way feel embarrased by your feelings fatchap, all genuine good hunters feel the same.

Edited March 11, 2018 by Walker570

[Ultrastu]

I honestly believe if you feel nothing towards the quarry we shoot. Then you should stop. 

Last year i shot a rabbit while out with my boy camping. It was the first he ever  saw shot .and was pretty upset as we prepped  it for the table .

He apologized for crying and i told him it was perfectly natural,  and id be more worried  if he wasnt upset. 

I guess in time we all might go full circle. .I have maximum  respect for your feelings and hope im old enough one day to get to the same place

.Ps.it takes guts to admit this to your self let alone others. 

 

[islandgun]

Great replies from one and all

Edited March 11, 2018 by islandgun

[fatchap]

Cheers chaps thanks for the advice. Shooting has been part of my life for a long time now, I used count the days down in the week for the weekend and be out lamping Friday night and in the hide Sat/Sun no matter what the weather, clipping on a bit now and it just don't get the old pump going like it used to. 

I've felt like it a while now. A few weeks ago before the snow I was out wandering around and I thought to myself why am I out here? the freezers full do I personally need to kill something just because Im here and I can?. 

The farmer always appreciates you turning up as just the sound of a shotgun going off has everything decamping from the fields for miles.

Edited March 11, 2018 by fatchap

[Ttfjlc]

I stopped shooting hares quite a few years ago, can't explain what triggered it, one day on a syndicate shoot a fellow gun shouted to me that a hare was approaching, it was running towards us standing guns so I shut the gun ready but had to wait for it to run by me to ensure a safe shot, this meant I had a few seconds to wait and all I could do was admire it, I opened my gun and that was it. I still wonder what my body language must of looked like because at the end of the drive the same gun who shouted was some 50 yards away, he came up to me and simply said, "you never were going to shoot at that hare were you?" 

 I thought 'going soft in the head' occurred in your fifties based on personal experience but how wrong I was.

Edited March 11, 2018 by Ttfjlc

[Walker570]

Yep, I don't shoot hares unless requested because numbers are causing problems, then prefer to do it with the 17HMR.

It really is all in the mind and only you can resolve the situation.  Sometimes it is physical. I have had to give up air travel because standing around in airports is seriously painful but I plan accordingly and now spend my money what little I have on days here in the UK where I can sit down until the need to shoot.  Find climbing into high seats a bit tiresome these days so purchased a pop up blind and enjoy ambushing things. Built five purpose designed cabins for the same job.  I can not ever believe I will some day give the joy of being out in the countryside a miss. I sat this morning on a field of rape for five hours, shot two pigeons and one carrion crow. The church bells in the valley were ringing and the mist lifted as the sun came up.... the English countryside takes some beating, specially with a gun under your arm.

Edited March 11, 2018 by Walker570

[team tractor]

I had a rabbit a few years back with the hmr. It went to run as I pulled the trigger. 140 yards so had slight delay.

i walked up to it to see its rear hanging out and still alive . Gutted I was . 

 

I had a fox about 7 years ago bolt in front of be on a fox drive. I put no 3’s into it at 3 yards max. It took its last breathe right next to me and it made me feel so guilty for days.

 

ive shot for 25 years now but pick my good shots and use a bigger gun . 

 

 

Ive seen lads literally not care one bit. Just rack up the numbers.

[Robden]

25 minutes ago, team tractor said:

I had a rabbit a few years back with the hmr. It went to run as I pulled the trigger. 140 yards so had slight delay.

i walked up to it to see its rear hanging out and still alive . Gutted I was . 

 

I had a fox about 7 years ago bolt in front of be on a fox drive. I put no 3’s into it at 3 yards max. It took its last breathe right next to me and it made me feel so guilty for days.

 

ive shot for 25 years now but pick my good shots and use a bigger gun . 

 

 

Ive seen lads literally not care one bit. Just rack up the numbers.

IMHO I think your last sentence says it all........."lads."  Maybe it is an age thing. In the last 5 or so years I've noticed that I've become a lot more emotional about things and especially defenceless animals that are just trying to survive. Hell, I even get wet eyes at some of the stupid programmes on tv now. Maybe I'm a hypocrite as I eat a lot of meat but have no wish to kill it myself or see it being killed. When I was younger it never bothered me at all. Now, being older, thinking about my own mortality and getting nearer to my last breath, I think differently.

I'm taking up shooting again after a 15 year lay off but only clay pigeons now.  

[serrac]

I've never been keen on the killing aspect of shooting. 

Yet there's a sense of purpose, maybe a connection with our hunter gatherer past, in walking the land with a gun that's just missing from target shooting. 

I hate the thought that I might cause unnecessary suffering to any living creature but realise that our quarry doesn't generally end its natural life in a care home side-room surrounded by family - death by predator, starvation or disease awaits the ones that get away.

At the end of the day we are just another predator - except we have the capacity for empathy even as we carry out the task we have volunteered to do - maybe it's the ones who lack that empathy who should be encouraged to find another pastime.

[Vince Green]

I can't be bothered shooting anything but targets these days. Clay or paper, my view is if I am going out for a day's shooting I want to go and shoot not sit drinking coffee from a flask. I stopped eating what I shot years ago and although I go foxing occasionally with friends I am happy to be on the lamp

[d foxxer]

• thankyou fatchap I thought I was alone and going soft in the head  for I too have been reluctant to go out and kill anything I have been finding all sorts of excuses to tell my shooting buddy lately to avoid going out except clays preferring to work my dogs instead I still take the gun but rarely fire it unless I want something for the ferrets  I had to shoot a vixen last year that was hammering my chickens  she leapt out of the hedge in my meadow  and ran across in front of me in broad daylight and swiped a hen I was unarmed at the time  she hammered my mate up the road and the lady across the lane and accounted for nearly 30 chicken from us my mate suffered most as he has lots of poultry she outwitted us severel times  with her antics I once waited all afternoon and popped indoors to make a brew to carry back up the meadow  the feathers were still floating in the air  I had only been gone 5 or 6 mins  when I finally caught up with her I walked over to her knelt beside her as she lay ther panting with a .22 in her chest I put my hand on her side she lifted her head and looked straight at me as if to say ok you got me then lay her head back down and died   [ admired her brazen behaviour  and felt sad having ended her career      I am 61 now and find the older I get the less I want it   perhaps it is an age thing      I expect her offspring will be around this year eyeing up the chicken  I hope they aint as smart as she was