What do we mean by wild meat and why should we eat it? These are questions which could be answered in many ways. Some might tell you: it is the meat taken from a wild animal which has been hunted by a hunter, or something like that. Others might say: because it’s organic and much healthier.
Category Archives: Go Beyond
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The good, the bad and the mouflon
Ever since I was very young, I’ve been fascinated by the mountains. I’ve always preferred silent hiking trails to beaches packed with ruddy bathers basted in lotion. I enjoy the physical challenge of the steep hillsides. I’m not the sporty type particularly, but what a great feeling when the blood starts racing through your temples, you’re trying to catch your breath and your legs are burning. For me, mountain stalking is the purest form of hunting there is. It’s the only time your quarry has a head start up a cliff side. The only hunt where I feel I’m on an extraordinary quest, beyond time. My great friend Dominique from Marseille, with the lilting accent to match, recently gave me a chance to hunt mouflon on Mont Caroux, near Béziers. This is the story of the intense, almost primitive, joy of that hunt.
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How to anticipate the risks of a hunting day
Hunting is doubtless an adventure, whether you just drive a few miles to a small piece of land you have permission on or take the plunge and gear up for a trip overseas, the risks can be the same. So, an amount of pre-planning and preparedness will increase your chances of having a good time, or not having a bad one.
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My first chamois: cast away on a sea of cloud
I was recently lucky enough to fly to Slovenia to organise a Browning event. Slovenia, for anyone who doesn’t know, is a small country, formerly part of the Republic of Yugoslavia, on the borders of Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. It is a one-of-a-kind model for Europe. Hunters and naturalists live peacefully side by side, the mountains are unspoiled by mass tourism, and it has an extremely diverse and rich wildlife. It was in this idyllic setting that I had the chance to bag my first chamois, with the help of my great friend Peter Matjasic, owner of YouTube channel WaffenlandTV. Read about my adventures below.
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Beneath the hide hunter’s gaze, one October evening, I was out for a duck.
“ … over by La Lande, we had two lakes covered in reeds and floating grass. Between them, at the edge of a connecting stream, my husband had had a small hide built for shooting at wild ducks.” Maupassant, Tales and novels, v. 1, A Wife’s Confession., 1882, p. 800.
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A safe day’s hunting
Hunting is a risky passion that requires the utmost preparation before and during the day’s hunt. So here is a quick review of some of the safety aspects that should always be borne in mind.
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Hunting dogs: our best friends and helpers.
There are a few ways of hunting which spring to mind when you think about hunting with dogs. Now the reason I said ‘few’ is that here in the UK, driven hunting for animals like boar and deer is not common practice – in fact, it’s actually illegal.
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United States: prairie dog hunting in Utah
A bison-sized 4×4 cuts its way across Far West scenery. A vast, desert expanse spreads beyond view. The temperature is touching 40°C; not enough to deter a dozen or so antelopes from nibbling at the tufts of burnt grass. The turns in the road reveal the occasional village peering out of the dust like lunar colonies.
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Offseason preparation and training
Hunting seasons are very different from one country to the next, and that is exactly why I consider myself a very lucky man. I live and hunt in England where technically hunting happens all year round. If you are lucky enough to have permission to hunt the ground where muntjac is present, then you will have deer stalking for 365 days a year. Muntjac, rabbits, pigeon, wild boar, crows and foxes can be hunted all year round and most of the above (except muntjac) can be shot at night too.
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Deer-hunting in Hungary’s oak forests
The only sound we hear as we make our way stealthily towards our stand is that of acorns tumbling through the autumn foliage and falling onto the surrounding ground. The air is cool, the wind merely a gentle draft, as we move slowly among the oaks, beech trees, limes and ash. I’m out with my guide and tracker, Arpi, for a third day in the Hungarian forest. So far, things have been quiet; our only sightings have been groups of mouflon, the occasional red deer hind and a stag that sported a fine set of budding horns but was too young to hunt. I can’t fail to notice my tracker’s growing unease over the fact that we haven’t yet found a suitable stag for me. No doubt he’s asking himself, ‘When will our luck change?’
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Stalking the Loch Ness monster!
The Loch Ness monster: do you know the legend from the Highlands about the monster they call Nessie? No, it’s not about a marine animal with a long tail, but the first deer I stalked with such pride.
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Interview with Jean-Louis LLombart on hunting Big Game in Africa
Dr. Jean-Louis LLombart is a physician and a writer, contributing to the magazine Jours de Chasse (“Hunting Days”). He is very well versed in big game hunting in Africa, with which he fell in love some twenty years ago. In his articles, he recounts in his elegant style his adventures on this vast continent where Nature reigns supreme and Animals, by their power and splendour, seem to require a capital A.
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We tried a simulated shotgunning
Want to keep in practice or just have fun then try simulated game bird shooting
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Trip in Spain for a Red Deer hunt
After my Swedish hunt and the Italian Wild Boar hunt it was time to test the Maral in a more refined long range hunting. With Browning we decided to head to Spain for a Red Deed hunt.
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Italian wild boar hunt
In late last November was Wild Boar season in Italy and it was time for me to fly to Tuscany, a region in central Italy with an area of about 23.000 square kilometers of beauty. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, traditions, history and artistic legacy. Having a strong linguistic and cultural identity, it is sometimes considered as “a nation within a nation”.
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Bear hunting in Alaska
Alaska’s appeal can be found in the beauty and purity of its landscapes, and in the wildlife that is a world away from our home-grown experience. But what fans of hunting expeditions really dream of are the bears and other majestic trophy animals!
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Following Alistair on a Highland stag hunt
Now it’s my turn to tell you a “hunting tale”, or rather my experience as a guide-and-daughter-of-a-Belgian-hunter in a stag hunting party in the Scottish mountains. Follow me deep into the Highlands and to the Glenfinnan Estate.
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We say Vermin : overview of the pest control approach
Varmint is an American word and we Brits tend say vermin to cover the various pest species that prey on crops, forestry and livestock in the UK. The list of quarry is a long one; rats, mice, squirrels, rabbits, hares, mink, foxes and even Muntjac deer who are the only species that has no off seasons and can be shot all year round; male or female!
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The Ultimate Bucket List: Sport Abroad
While every sportsman’s list will be different, we’ve gathered together some of the best hunting and shooting destinations from across the globe that pair great game and beautiful country.
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The Hunt For Spanish Beceite Ibex
Browning Outdoor Ambassador, Alexandra Hellström, takes us on the journey of a lifetime – the hunt for the endemic Beceite Ibex, in the Spanish mountains.
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The Vampire Hunter
So the legend exists?! Vampire’s are real?! Well, I wouldn’t get too ahead of yourself just yet…
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The Heart of Africa: Hunting for Conservation
Biased or not, having grown up involved in shooting sports and seeing all of its values, especially in hunting, I am committed to doing all I can to ensure the sustainable management of not only our surrounding wildlife but further a field too. It’s time to discover the facts of hunting conservation on the plains of Africa.
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Hunting time: when passion has no age
It’s a pretty well known fact that we’re not aging backwards, but what does it mean to live with a passion so strong that everything must be done to keep it alive and well? When does it start and does it ever stop? Here are a few thoughts about it…
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A Place Beyond The Pines
We discover a world hidden within the Swedish pine forests, an organisation committed to training dogs for the toughest of hunting conditions and the meanest of game, wild boar…
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The French Hunting Permit “Permis de Chasse”: What You Should Know
Understanding foreign hunting permit laws will certainly help you out if you’re looking at hunting abroad – Our second feature on Sport Abroad looks at the French hunting laws, whether you’re maybe moving to France or simply interested in hunting in the country, here is what you should know…
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5 Top Tips To Better Clay Shooting – Sam Green
Ever wondered what it`s like to get inside the mind of a shooting professional? Meet Sam Green, a UK Browning International Sport shooter, who gives us the inside secrets to shooting success.
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The Weapon At Work
They are the cream of the crop, they are better than you and me, their passion has become their profession and they demand their tool’s greatest qualities. If the success of these professionals is intimately linked to their talent and years of training, well, that’s not all …
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The Belgian Hunting Permit: What You Should Know
Understanding foreign hunting permit laws will certainly help you out if you’re looking at hunting abroad – Our first feature on Sport Abroad looks at the Belgian hunting laws, whether you’re moving to Belgium or simply interested in hunting in the country, here is what you should know…