Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Rhino poachers killed.

in the newspapers this morning in SA:5 rhino poachers shot and killed in the Kruger Park. this brings the number of poachers killed in the last 5 months on 10. congrats to the park rangers for their excellent shooting skills.

Excellent news!

+1

Is it a shoot on sight proposition or were the rangers defending themselves?

Harsh.

If killing poachers on sight, is a good idea for Africa - why not do it in North America? If ever poacher was killed when they attempted it - I wonder how many list members we'd loose?

But then, if we did that - some prominent guides, outfitters and gun writers would be dead now - wouldn't they?

Ahh, I guess it's OK, since the guys they are killing are only Africans.

BCB
You must have a lot of inside knowledge of specfic facts to make such a statement.
I have hunted with guides in Alaska, Nefoundland Canada and 7 states in the US and have never seen or heard any person recommend such actions nor in any of our deer camps.
Why don't you quote specfic facts or____

On this very list we have had people rush to defend and trip over themselves apologizing for the actions of a few guides, outfitters, and "fire-arms celebrities" - who were caught breaking some of our wild-life laws.

It seems to me, that the feeling is that when it's an African who poaches - the common sentiment is - +1 on killing the man in cold blood!

BUT - when it's a "good-ole-boy" (over here) who poaches - it seems to be a more normal reaction, on this forum, is to try and excuse away what he did.

I hear of no calls to start executing North American poachers - is there anyone on this list that believes in doing that?

If not - why not?

Personally I tend to have have way more sympathy for a poor African who might poach - to feed his family - and who might well live with extreme dire poverty every day of his life - than I do for some North American hunter who poaches - only to feed his ego.

But, that's just me.

I can't speak for another person, but BCB was probably referring Jeff Foiles, whose high profile arrest was just about a month ago. I'm sure there are crooked guides out there, hopefully their clients turn them in, I know I would.

As far as shooting poachers, I have a hard time weighing the life of a man above that of an animal, no matter if he is a poacher. But I'm not from SA, and these poachers were stealing from all of the residents as well as possibly crippling sightseeing/tourism/safari companies. I'm sure a wild rhino creates a lot of jobs and wealth, but I'm glad I'm not being asked to pull the trigger.

Are you white?

I can agree with you.

It's a weird dynamic though - where men are executed - and other men cheer - all because someone shot an animal that someone said wasn't theirs to kill.

It must suck to live in a place that has abundant game, that is off limits to the lower classes in society.

I don't know if you mean that or not. But if your thoughts are real - I agree.

I don't know how it is anywhere else - but I think those trying to feed their families should be first on the list for being allowed to kill wild animals - sport hunters like myself - can chase what's left.

It seems only right. I mean - if I don't hunt - my family probably is going to have more money spent on them. If I don't shoot an animal - my kids never suffer because of it...for the poor African - it's not quite the same - is it?

Ahhhhhh....

BCBRian, Calvin..I don't know quite where to start...

It helps to spend some time in Africa, and I dont know if you have...maybe/maybe not.

African problems/people/perceptions/solutions can be-and are- often radically different from our own....it is a form of Nationalistic Chauvanism to impose our idea/solutions on them...and vice versa.

With in depth understanding of the issues/problems comes understanding...unless youve had some experience "over there", perhaps the totality of the understanding is not in place....

I'm just sayin...

If what they do in Africa is good (killing men for killing animals) then we ought to try it over here.

Just saying. We have less actual substantive reasons to poach in North America compared to anywhere else on earth.

If we don't execute people for poaching over here - the reasons for not doing that - speak for themselves.

Men's lives trump animal's lives.

It would seem to me - that much should be self-evident.

Actually...I have less of a problem with that than you might think....

Actually, it's the "send the black dude in first" mentality that will keep me from ever going to Africa to hunt. It's just gay. And it's not that I don't have the means..

A little quick google-foo for you of poached rhinos...they ALL look like this..






Oops! Those poor african poachers forgot something....THE MEAT!

The solution - in my opinion - is to make sure every African within hunting range of the game being shot - should have a measurable benefit to his life - for protecting that animal.

When keeping hunt-able populations of big-game financially benefits the people living in the area - the future of the big-game animals in that region will be assured for ever.

We have to make the indigenous people stake-holders in the process.

It's all about the $$$$$$!!!! Poor people want $$$$$ - just like the rest of us do. Do you think these poachers live in nice houses like you do and spend their time worrying about what university to send their kids to?

If there's a death penalty for poaching - are you suggesting they stick around and butcher the whole animal - seriously?

Brian, you are exactly right....and poaching for horn destroys a VERY valuable commodity to not only the Safari industry, but to the ever growing eco-tourism industry...both things that bring in as much as ( or more than) half of the income to everybody in the wildlife areas....