Best caliber for cape buffalo

[HookMeUpII]

I'd say the mindset of a poacher is not just one mindset. The unifying theme is that it's the mindset of a criminal.

I suppose some do it for subsistence/survival. Not ok, and there are better and legal ways to survive.

Some do it for profit motive.

Some do it for mojo/status "Look what an outlaw and a tough guy I am."

Some do it for an illicit thrill I guess. Here in the US we have a lot of poachers who are white collar guys with good jobs. But they want to go shoot canvasbacks over a catfish pond, or fish for Goliath grouper with big giant electric reels, just to take a photo they can't show to everybody, and then kill a fish that they can't take back to the dock without getting caught. Or shoot a bald eagle because he's killing our quail. Or spotlight a big whitetail buck and shoot him from the road at night. Or shoot 20 mallards when their limit is 3, because they're flying well this morning, and it's been a slow season up to now. Et cetera, et cetera.

Maybe some are rebels/anarchists who don't think the government has any right to make laws or tell them what to do.

Maybe some are psychopaths who do it just to kill something.

Maybe there are other reasons I haven't thought about.

Ethical questions of different styles and types of hunting can be debated, but the law is the law, and if you break it you're poaching.

Bottom line for me: Poachers are not hunters. They are the antithesis and the natural enemies of hunters, maybe even a greater enemy than the anti's. As hunters we should not tolerate or excuse it. Not for one nanosecond. We should call it out when we see it, and we should support all efforts to stop it. It's not ok.

I think this says it all and probably better than I could have said it.

Like any criminal, really, they do it for a number of reasons. Some do it for the rush, some do it just to cause a disruption, some do it as an easy way to get by, and some do it because they have to. There are probably other reasons.

In the end though, a criminal is a criminal. Someone who robs someone at gunpoint is just as much of a criminal as someone who steals others money via white collar crime. Someone who shoots an out of season animal, takes over their limit, and similar things...I just as much a poacher as someone who sets snares or shoots an elephant with an AK47.

 

[spike.t]

I'd say the mindset of a poacher is not just one mindset. The unifying theme is that it's the mindset of a criminal.

I suppose some do it for subsistence/survival. Not ok, and there are better and legal ways to survive.

Some do it for profit motive.

Some do it for mojo/status "Look what an outlaw and a tough guy I am."

Some do it for an illicit thrill I guess. Here in the US we have a lot of poachers who are white collar guys with good jobs. But they want to go shoot canvasbacks over a catfish pond, or fish for Goliath grouper with big giant electric reels, just to take a photo they can't show to everybody, and then kill a fish that they can't take back to the dock without getting caught. Or shoot a bald eagle because he's killing our quail. Or spotlight a big whitetail buck and shoot him from the road at night. Or shoot 20 mallards when their limit is 3, because they're flying well this morning, and it's been a slow season up to now. Et cetera, et cetera.

Maybe some are rebels/anarchists who don't think the government has any right to make laws or tell them what to do.

Maybe some are psychopaths who do it just to kill something.

Maybe there are other reasons I haven't thought about.

Ethical questions of different styles and types of hunting can be debated, but the law is the law, and if you break it you're poaching.

Bottom line for me: Poachers are not hunters. They are the antithesis and the natural enemies of hunters, maybe even a greater enemy than the anti's. As hunters we should not tolerate or excuse it. Not for one nanosecond. We should call it out when we see it, and we should support all efforts to stop it. It's not ok.

Majority here is for commercial meat poaching....anything will do....even if there is legal game meat for sale , the vast majority even the middle and upper classes prefer poached meat....reason they like the smoked flavour and how the meat is....no way you can reproduce the same thing with legally produced meat due to food health and safety regulations....obviously has to meet same standards as beef ..pork etc put through commercial slaughter houses with hygiene protocols in place....some of the usa reasons you gave I would say don't apply here ....as said bout money.....one guy from over the river didn't give his wife any of the meat or money he got from selling it...so she being pissed off reported him to our scouts who were looking that side for the suspects...

 

[HookMeUpII]

Majority here is for commercial meat poaching....anything will do....even if there is legal game meat for sale , the vast majority even the middle and upper classes prefer poached meat....reason they like the smoked flavour and how the meat is....no way you can reproduce the same thing with legally produced meat due to food health and safety regulations....obviously has to meet same standards as beef ..pork etc put through commercial slaughter houses with hygiene protocols in place....some of the usa reasons you gave I would say don't apply here ....as said bout money.....one guy from over the river didn't give his wife any of the meat or money he got from selling it...so she being pissed off reported him to our scouts who were looking that side for the suspects...

Interesting. How does the taste of the meat change from legally harvested to poached? Is it because they smoke the poached meat?

I know here in the USA, on the fishing side, there is a huge market for "day boat" fish. The premise being: Day boat fish are on ice for maybe a day to a few at most vs. commercially harvested fish that may be on ice for weeks or flash frozen then thawed. Its particularly significant in the sushi/sashimi market. Buyers typically jump at the chance to buy day boat tuna, as it's never been frozen.

Is it the same premise?

 

[spike.t]

Interesting. How does the taste of the meat change from legally harvested to poached? Is it because they smoke the poached meat?

I know here in the USA, on the fishing side, there is a huge market for "day boat" fish. The premise being: Day boat fish are on ice for maybe a day to a few at most vs. commercially harvested fish that may be on ice for weeks or flash frozen then thawed. Its particularly significant in the sushi/sashimi market. Buyers typically jump at the chance to buy day boat tuna, as it's never been frozen.

Is it the same premise?

The meat is hard on outside from smoke and heat....and obviously it's done in the bush not exactly in hygienic circumstances....can be little bit suspect inside as well depending....also the problem is you don't know what the meat comes from....anything in the snare ..hyena...anything....but it's how its liked....how meat was done for keeping here from whenever....can't compare 1st world/usa tastes to here

 

[HookMeUpII]

The meat is hard on outside from smoke and heat....and obviously it's done in the bush not exactly in hygienic circumstances....can be little bit suspect inside as well depending....also the problem is you don't know what the meat comes from....anything in the snare ..hyena...anything....but it's how its liked....how meat was done for keeping here from whenever....can't compare 1st world/usa tastes to here

Yeah the whole bush meat thing is a problem, from a whole bunch of different aspects. I've done a little bit of traveling, not a ton. It's been enough for me to realize things work a whole lot different in other parts of the world.

Going to other countries and seeing meat hanging out in the sun, with flies all over, was pretty eye opening.

 

[IvW]

404 Jeff in bolt or any other 400 caliber
450/400 NE in a double
If you cannot handle that 375 with heavy for calober premium expanding bullets...

 

[375Fox]

Very good point. Snares hopefully, for them, catches something edible and that's that. I believe, but could be wrong, the area we were in was more of poachers breaking in through the fence somewhere, shooting something, and getting out.

Hit and run poaching at night with dogs is more common in South Africa. Most farms aren’t big enough to hide for weeks in a remote part like in big concession areas. Snares are used everywhere but that and poison will be more common the more remote and away from villages you get.

 

[375Fox]

Interesting. How does the taste of the meat change from legally harvested to poached? Is it because they smoke the poached meat?

I know here in the USA, on the fishing side, there is a huge market for "day boat" fish. The premise being: Day boat fish are on ice for maybe a day to a few at most vs. commercially harvested fish that may be on ice for weeks or flash frozen then thawed. Its particularly significant in the sushi/sashimi market. Buyers typically jump at the chance to buy day boat tuna, as it's never been frozen.

Is it the same premise?

This was the camp staff’s meat in Zimbabwe. Poachers wouldn’t prepare their meat too much different. Maybe use fire and smoke in wetter seasons. I’ve found their drying racks before but can’t find the photos.

 

[HookMeUpII]

This was the camp staff’s meat in Zimbabwe. Poachers wouldn’t prepare their meat too much different. Maybe use fire and smoke in wetter seasons. I’ve found their drying racks before but can’t find the photos.
View attachment 701954View attachment 701953

Well, that's definitely different. I suppose they make it work with what they have. You'd think something opportunistic would come along (leopard, hyena, etc) and eat the whole lot.

 

[375Fox]

Well, that's definitely different. I suppose they make it work with what they have. You'd think something opportunistic would come along (leopard, hyena, etc) and eat the whole lot.

It happens

 

[bigborelover]

50 bmg , m2 browning (jk)

 

[deewayne2003]

Well, that's definitely different. I suppose they make it work with what they have. You'd think something opportunistic would come along (leopard, hyena, etc) and eat the whole lot.

Likewise in Zim the trackers did the same thing... Hyena came in and ate EVERYTHING they had dried and left a big stinking pile of crap in trade.