Hunt the Timbavati Game Reserve ?

[livehunt]

Ethical Questions

LiveHunt has the oppotunity to dart hunt GREAT BIG TUSKERS in the Timbavati Game Reserve - South Africa as part of an elephant management programme. These trophy sizes will not be recognised by SCI and many hunting fraternities consider this hunting not to be acceptable ???????

What do we all think about this ?? Should it be acceptable

The hunt is managed under extreamly proffesional conditions and all hunters will get replica's of the trophy and a full video of the hunt from start to finish.

Would you consider a dart hunt elephant ?

doug@livehunt.co.za

[TimV]

Dear LiveHunt. Perhaps this is not an ethical question at all. If the darting is conducted out of a chopper, which I doubt, it is safe but not ethical, and sure as hell, it’s not hunting. If an elephant has been ethically hunted, i.e. spotted and tracked on foot, for a period for time and is shot with a dart gun, why should it not be included under a specific classification for specifically darted animals? Or am I wrong?
BUT what if… you’ve crept to lets say 40 yards of your big tusker, position yourself for the shot, shoot the elephant with a load of M99 in the ass… and the tracker (or camera operator!) decides that it is time to gather the Nike Airs’ and take to flight? The elephant becomes aware of the unnoticed danger and gear up to code red, curls its trunk under its chest and pulls its ears flat against the sides if its head AND CHARGE. I assume that your PH remembered to bring his BIG gun just in case? … and you sit with a big heap of canned meat…?
Your questions: hunting video? – too much negative publicity has come from videoed hunts that has gone wrong – and let’s face it, any hunt have the potential to go wrong.
Would I consider a dart hunt elephant ? Not this year…

[Balla Balla]

My ( personal opinion ) is that hunting is hunting, and darting is darting, and darting should only be used for game relocation etc, not for sport or fun or whatever other name one wishes to call it.

These "green hunts" as they are sometimes termed are just fuel for the antis 2 start a campaign going, next they will be saying why hunt when we can dart ... not my cup of tea at all unless it is done for genuine ecological reasons and game relocation etc etc

Consider it ? Hell No !

This is an idea straight from the anti's.

[livehunt2]

Peter,
The timbavati dart hunts are a very important tool used in the study of the bigger tuskers. The funds are all used in the management of the greater Kruger park eco system. The hunter has the satisfaction of receiving a monthly update on the progress being made on his/her particular elephant.He is accompanied by the head ranger as well as a full complement of vets etc..I have watched the video made of the last hunt and the proffessional manner in which it was done is excellent.Having inspected all there facilities and met the personel I have no hesitation in recomending the Timbavati as a dart hunting venue as it is a genuine conservation necessity.
Happy hunting.
William.(Livehunt)

[Balla Balla]

Livehunt2,

My personal opinion is that ( provided the darting ) as you have pointed out, is 100% for "conservation", or relocation, or ecological studies, then I dont have a problem with it at all ....

I am ( not in favour ) if the "darting operation" is being marketed or construed as a hunt, which it is not, and when a mould is taken as a trophy, and when picures taken dont clearly state that it is a "darted specie" used for ecological purposes only. It should not be entered in any record book for any purpose whatever or construed as a hunt, green or otherwise.

I have a problem if/when darting might be used to replace hunting ... as pointed out previously, darting is darting, and hunting is hunting, may the two never cross paths.