bigrich wrote:JohnV wrote:The roo shooting regulations are stupid . They want them all head shot but in the code of conduct you can still euthanize a wounded roo with a steel bar . Not many armature shooters can afford to shoot a lot of roos on tags anymore . Ammo is too expensive now .
I don’t see how the rules are stupid for setting a humane level of practice for culling.
Maybe armature shooters who don’t have the skills or money to afford ammo shouldn’t be culling in the first place. I don’t mind culling ferals but I have a certain amount of empathy for them and don’t take “iffy” shots.
While I agree that the Code sets a minimum level of accuracy for practicing your shooting (which all hunters should endeavour to exceed anyway), I don't agree that the Code does anything to enforce humane shooting. How to humanely take an animal should be left to the hunter in the specific situation. We should certainly educate people so they can better make these decisions but we shouldn't be forcing people under legal ramifications to make very specific shots when other choices may be more humane in the circumstances. A whole swathe of "amateurs" were given free reign a couple years ago to take roos on private property without requiring cull tickets (but still adhering to the Code) in NSW to help during the drought - has there been a slew of complaints of inhumane roo shooting as a result? A 150gn .30-06 into the boiler room at 30m will drop a roo emphatically on the spot, but is not legal under the Code. When I was up north the locals were taking roos with LR and WMR every day. In the US many states have "hunter education" which you have to do to be able to get a hunting licence, and it bullies you away from head-shooting by labelling it as "unethical". They try to force hunters to take boiler room shots and track the grievously wounded animal (for hundreds of metres at times) because a head shot that kills in an instant is "not ethical".
Many farmers have serious roo issues and simply don't have money for ammo, regardless of their abilities. I bought a slab of 12ga. and 200rds of .223 a while back for a mate in NSW that was stuck watching birds and pigs destroy his orchards because he couldn't afford ammo - he certainly couldn't pay pro shooters to come in. I would hope other farmers doing it tough on the land with feral pest problems are also getting help from others when they need it.