No-Kill hunting clubs/training

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SproketRocket@reddit

The gun could just have a laser to simulate the shot location.

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VardisFisher@reddit

I too participate in wildlife photography.

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Use a paintball gun. You proved that you could've killed the animal, you're scared the living daylights out of it, and got the experience of stalking it, or I guess waiting for it to walk by, idk how hunting works.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

Why would I want to use a paintball gun. That would needlessly startle and hurt the animal. You should only shoot to kill. Also the balistics of paintball guns are not similar at all.

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BarNo3385@reddit

How would I then eat it for dinner?

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

that's the crazy part..

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slinkymcman@reddit

Pokémon snap is a rail shooter

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sleeper_shark@reddit

That’s literally just wildlife photography.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

With extra steps...

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shecky444@reddit

Pretty much exactly the same steps.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

The focus would be on getting the shots on animals you could hunt and eat without shooting them. Wildlife photography will get much more beautiful pictures typically.

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Traveller7142@reddit

So just low effort wildlife photography?

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Possible-Anxiety-420@reddit

Harassing wildlife isn't harmless either.

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Frederf220@reddit

I imagine getting arrested for a paintball to a buck for abuse but somehow 7.62 to the heart wouldn't be.

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Possible-Anxiety-420@reddit

I can't imagine enjoying either act.

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Senzualdip@reddit

I already practice catch and release hunting. I use rubber bullets. This temporarily stuns the animal long enough for me to get trophy pictures.

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RagingAnus69@reddit

That's wildlife photography with a gunstock camera attachment. It's exactly what it sounds like: a plastic rifle stock that attaches to your camera on the tripod lug. I have one, don't use it so much anymore because photographing ICE protests while carrying something that looks like a rifle is a sure way to get smoked.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

Stay safe out there, friend.

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EastLeastCoast@reddit

So LARPing Pokémon Snap.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

Never heard of it, but yeah probably.

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Traditional-Goose-60@reddit

Because harassing the wildlife is a crime. Ehacha gonna do if yiu arent jarvesting them l? Sneak up on them, scare them over and over, disturb their routines, and have people trashing the woods because they dont have anything productive to do? Nah.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

From my understanding of hunting, the only thing that disturbs the wildlife by design would be actually taking the shot.

In this "club" the shot becomes a silent photograph. You do all the wildlife boyscout type stuff being in nature involved in hunting without actually doing any damage.

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Few-Big-8481@reddit

You're probably regularly going to disturb the animals in that process. Humans aren't very good at stalking, the deer is probably going to know you are around, and are actively trying to get away from you.

When hunting they typically end up getting killed, which makes them potentially being stressed about you following them less impactful in that activity, but they definitely are.

Like yeah ideally they wouldn't know you're there at all and then you can just shoot them, but that isn't how it usually goes.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

I think it would be good practice to not startle any one animal too much. Also lets remember that they are naturally prey animals. It is their natural instinct to run off at the sense of danger.

There would be no loud noises from missed gunshots or wounds from poor placement. If you aren't hunting for food then you don't need to disturb the animals much at all.

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Few-Big-8481@reddit

... Which is why normal photographers use telephoto lenses and stay very far away typically.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

True. My "crazy idea" wasn't just nature photography though. My idea is that hunters would do hunting without shooting at any animals.

I imagined maybe a gun-like prop camera that would show where their shot would go if they were actually shooting.

People are going to hunt and if every person went out and hunted and killed every season that would be bad for the environment. With my idea it would be 99% of the pre-kill portion of hunting for people who like that type of stuff.

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Traditional-Goose-60@reddit

Well set up the cameras without stalking the animal. In hunting, you stalk the animal meaning you sneak up as close as you can before it sees tiu and you harvest it. If you sneak up on an animal over and over again, they become unduly stressed or worse, dependent on people to give them things. The object of an ethical hunt is to get close to an animal without it becoming stressed or nervous,then taking one clean, quick shorthand instantly dispatches it. I live in the rural Southern US and have hunted all my life. Hunting is supposed to be about prote ting the wildlife. That is why we have seasons, bag limits, and conservation. Granted, a lot of hunters are no better than poachers and cannot make an ethical harvest to save their life.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

I'm a full supporter of ethical hunting and even better just spending time in nature.

I don't see how this fake hunting would disturb the wildlife because you are not supposed to disturb it. When you take the "shot" with a camera it makes no noise. If you scared the animal then you made a mistake. And there is no point in following the same animal after you got your "shot".

I'm just now reminded of a Native American tradition for warriors to touch an enemy without killing him. Not that relevant but I think that's cool.

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shecky444@reddit

Just being in the woods disturbs animals routines. And puts human scent in the woods which changes animals behaviors. Also you’re talking a lot about the target animal but not considering the disruption to the hundreds of other animals in this forest. If you’re doing all this to hunt an animal you are a hunter. If you’re doing all this to take a photo you are a wildlife photographer. Both of these already exist. Best example is probably birders, but plenty of biologists and photographers have done exactly what you’re describing. All the way back to a Ansel Adams carrying huge old cameras out into the wilderness.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

So hiking and camping is evil now?

Humans should be allowed to be in nature respectfully. I do not hunt but I respect the practice when the animal is respected and fully harvested.

All this fake hunting would be would be to be as stealthy as possible. Perhaps waiting in a perch for a couple days to simulate waiting for the right buck or whatever.

Nature photography is dope. My "crazy idea" is using camera "shots" to simulate a hunters kill shot.

I'm not trying to argue with you but your perspective is perplexing.

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xrelaht@reddit

Paintball guns. Probably a bad idea for birds, but would work for (eg) deer.

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TgagHammerstrike@reddit

Then you'd be ruining their natural camouflage with paint; you might unintentionally get them killed anyway.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

nah we aint tryna harm any animals here. they aren't supposed to know that I theoretically put a .308 in their throat. The sound would come after the bullet. Take the picture and move on. Lucky deer.

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LunchSignificant5995@reddit

Sounds like a wildlife photography club

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r3cycl3r3us3r3duc3@reddit

You might be surprised how many retired Army Special Forces guys make up the wildlife photography/bird watching community.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

True. Maybe just focused on wildlife that people like to eat lol. It might not be that crazy of an idea. I don't need credit or nothing like that.

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PuzzleheadedSteak853@reddit

The problem with focusing on wildlife that people like to eat, is that you cannot then eat it. Back to drawing board then?

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

I don't think you can or should take many dozen bucks or elk in a season, but you might want to still get out there. I'm not a hunter myself. I think there is some validity to practicing hunting in this way. I only shoot my guns at targets lol

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do-not-freeze@reddit

Not crazy at all. Some of the hunting guides in Montana also offer photography-only trips.

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dwarven_cavediver_Jr@reddit

My buddies dad did this in the 80's and 90's.

He spent some time in Alaska and would stalk game animals and snap pics. I forget who it was for but it was for animal health and hunting purposes

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Bubbly-Pirate-3311@reddit

You just invented wildlife photography. Great job.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

tanks

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Chris_Christ@reddit

The kill is a significant part of the fun. Taking pics is alright but won’t really get you anywhere near the same experience.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

If you don't like anything else about the outdoor experience then sure. I don't feel any need to kill animals for recreation, but I do recognize the value of the skills necessary and the reward both physically and mentally of a successful kill.

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iHadou@reddit

I've done this. It's a great idea and would be funner as a group club thing. I like practicing the skills but not necessarily harvesting every time. I'm not against harvesting and go fishing a lot but not so much hunting. I like waking up early and getting out and then trying to take pictures of deer.

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SumOldGuy@reddit (OP)

This is what I was thinking. I've never hunted and I don't have much freezer space, but I like outdoorsmanship shills and stuff like that. I'm not completely surprised it actually is a thing.

I just thought it was goofy to do all the hunting without any harvest. Thought it might be a crazy idea but the more I think about it the better it sounds.

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