Jackal at midday

[Dimitri]

I don't normally hunt/shoot predators.

On occasions when farmers specifically request that I shoot a predator on their farm, I'll do so. I apply the same rules as when I shoot/hunt any other game i.e. that the animal must be within the distance at which I am comfortable with taking the shot. This means that most predators beyond 150m or so go free.

This past weekend I was walking in the mountains in the Verkykerskop/Harrismith area with my 2 young sons. You could say we were hunting but the boys are still too young to cover lots of ground required to find the mountain reedbuck we were hoping for, so we were more just walking in the mountains.

When my 5-year old son announced he was tired we sat in the shade of some oudhout trees and had a snack.

Although it was almost midday, I thought I'd give my little Critr Call a try. I wasn't expecting anything other than to entertain the boys with the "funny sound" from the caller.

Well, I had only been calling for two minutes when a grey duiker ram came running in toward us. It was actually a very nice trophy ram. The ram stopped briefly at about 50m then ran behind us where we could not see him but where he must have got our scent. The boys were very impressed that we were able to call the ram in.

I continued calling and barely a minute later a black backed jackal came sprinting in toward us and stopped at 40m to have a look at us. He still gave me time to whip off my scope cover, disengage the safety catch and lift the rifle to take aim.

The farmer was happy with the outcome and the boys were intrigued by what they had witnessed. It's just a personal thing but somehow I didn't feel all that great about shooting that jackal. 'Not saying it shouldn't be done. Just how I honestly felt.

[Geno]

It's just a personal thing but somehow I didn't feel all that great about shooting that jackal. 'Not saying it shouldn't be done. Just how I honestly felt.

Verkeerde forum om so te voel.
Mooi geskiet.

[Dimitri]

Verkeerde forum om so te voel.
Mooi geskiet.

Yes, this is the Problem Animal Control Section so you wouldn't generally expect someone to feel the way I did.

And yet, people don't always feel happiness/elation when they have shot something. Many hunters have stated that they felt sadness/regret/remorse or similar emotion upon shooting an animal.

[Eduard Venter]

Die naweek toe ek gou gaan help om jagters se hartbees op te laai 11 uur die oggend draf daar 'n jakkals weg. Net toe hy op 200m gaan staan en ek wou skiet toe spring my hond ewe skielik teen my op en ek kon nie skiet nie. Ek het ook nie so great gevoel nie want die jakkals het weggekom en ek deel in die verliese wat die jakkalse veroorsaak. Miskien as ek nie direkte belang in die boerdery gehad het nie sou dit anders gewees het. Groete

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[Eduard Venter]

Bygesê ek het laas baie sleg gevoel toe ek 6 klein jakkalsies moes skiet. Maar dit sal nog erger wees as hulle my diere vang eendag

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[Dimitri]

About a kilometre from my friend's farm we saw 3 fallow deer stags on the side of the road. These are wild free-ranging fallow deer. I was sad that I did not find them a kilometre down the road as I would have been happy to have the opportunity to stalk and shoot one of them. They are considered problem animals by some. Apparently you can call them in

[Trompie]

About a kilometre from my friend's farm we saw 3 fallow deer stags on the side of the road. These are wild free-ranging fallow deer. I was sad that I did not find them a kilometre down the road as I would have been happy to have the opportunity to stalk and shoot one of them. They are considered problem animals by some. Apparently you can call them in

Yes a farmer I know demands us to shoot them when we see them on his farm when we go Jackal shooting. They drop their horns which he says causes irreparable damage to his tractor tyres and some of his planting machinery. We shot 14 the one night with him driving us around. Even though we drove around the whole day and saw none...they hide well.

[Dimitri]

We shot 14 the one night with him driving us around. Even though we drove around the whole day and saw none...they hide well.

Wow Trompie! That's a lot of deer. What region of the country were you shooting them?

[Trompie]

Its between witbank and secunda but dont know what the exact region is called. He plants very big in that area and he doesn't own a rifle. Only handgun. So he asked us to remove some when we see them.

[dehacked]

I feel sad when I shoot a beautiful animal. Never when shooting a predator.

[Balljoint]

As jy eers gesien het wat 'n jakkals doen, of, nog erger, terwyl hy dit doen…. dan skiet jy die wetter nog voor hy gebore word!

Ek voel ook maar aardig as ek daar by die mooi dier aankom wat deur my daad sy lewe gelaat het, maar ten minste weet ek ons almal skuld 'n dood…

Koos Barnard het in 'n onlangse artikel mooi beskryf hoe sleg hy oor 'n uitsonderlike koedoe gevoel wat hy geskiet het.. totdat sy vrou hom vas gevat het :-).