Hello Guys

Have just come back from a few days goat hunting round Queenstown. Went with a very nice chap from this forum who is visiting from Oz. We shot several goats, both large and small. I missed 4 shots in a row with my (new to me) 243, at not very long ranges either - bugger. Later I redeemed myself but no-one is ever interested in that. The visitor handled the mountains pretty good, I walked him thoroughly up and down a couple of thousand feet each day, over good rugged terrain. He grizzled a bit but hung in and even went out for a second day.

Now, contary to my usual rules we did not bring any meat home from the 6 animals taken. The goats were in very poor condition meat wise, pretty lean even for dog tucker, and we were a long way from transport (just to be clear, goats are deemed to be a pest in NZ). They still had good heavy coats, although were shedding.

However I sort of discovered an idea that is new (to me at least). My visitor was wrapped to have been in the mountains hunting, made some very nice shots, and took a lot of photos. He shot a very nice coloured billy which I photographed him with. Since I got home I'm thinking that that photo in itself is really a legitimate trophy.

What do you think - is a photo of an animal a trophy ??

Cheers - Foster

Most certainly IMO.
A more personal kind of trophy.

quote:

Originally posted by Tentman:What do you think - is a photo of an animal a trophy ??

Absolutely!!

Sometimes just the location, or the difficulty in locating the quarry and then finding it, can be reward in itself... Normally, I won't take an animal unless I can make use of at least a part of it (I won't take meat from a 'stinky') but I will take the skin if possible.

Maybe I'm a bit like your friend - I've shot a lot of animals as part of pest extermination, and I've also hunted hard for 'that special deer (or goat)'.

One of my most treasured 'trophies' is having the pleasure of leading my 15 year old son onto a herd of about 20+ fallow (in very difficult country) that included does and very young animals up to adolescent bucks interacting with each other... on the way, we stumbled across a a fawn that was maybe a few weeks old... we just sat and watched... we could easily have taken a few for meat (which was the purpose of the hunt) but even my son was entranced. Being a 'meat trip' with no possibility of antlers (wrong time of year) we didn't take a camera, but those memories are with us forever.

Yep!! A trophy!!

Yes and cheaper too.

It`s being there,the hunt,the sounds,smells,the memories,the people you meeet,the whole kit and caboodle is the trophy,it`s not just the "score" or what the tape measure reads.

Most definitely. The trophy is what you take away from the experience. Be it a photo or whatever gets your motor running. I would rather have the photo than the hide and horns (much easier to clean and move) any day. I just need some trophies from Australia now and I will be happy, for a year or so anyway.



Brian