Hunting young game in September - why it can make sense

Across all locations, many hunters believe that hunting young game is particularly worthwhile in the winter months of November and December. With regard to the weight of the game, many believe that a longer wait is inevitably linked to an increase in the number of kilograms. The result is that fawns and calves are only shot very sparingly in the period before then. WOLFGANGS has taken a closer look at this topic and sheds light on why hunting young game in September can also make sense.

The weight of the hoofed game in September

The basic situation that young game is only hunted sporadically before November means that the weight of the game can only be guessed at. Even if there are regular statistics on this, there are still too many gaps in them to be able to speak of a realistic figure. A somewhat deeper look into the past allows us to give a good estimate of the weight.

Whereas in our country only very vague body weight data were listed for the majority of game species, in the former GDR much more comprehensive and reliable figures were available. Based on these values, it is still possible to draw excellent conclusions about the weight of game meat today. The records from the former game research areas were well kept and provide a rough insight into the conditions prevailing in September.

Many different factors come together and must also be taken into account when looking at these values. The birth dates of the hoofed game can differ by up to 2 months and affect the results. The physical condition and strength of the mother animal, the diet, various types of illness and the gender also play a major role and must be taken into account. If you look at all the data and take the average value from it, you can derive interesting things from the results.

It becomes even more interesting when you compare it with the weight data from November:

November was chosen as the month for comparison because by this time the young game has largely completed its growth phase. As can be seen in the comparison of the different game species, the differences are sometimes negligible.

Hunting young game - is earlier killing justified?

A comparison of the figures suggests that earlier shooting could be justified, but you have to look at each species of game in detail and only then make a decision. While the difference between young animals is huge at 11 kg, the difference between a fawn in September and November is just 1.5 kg. At this point, earlier shooting could definitely make sense.

But as with many other considerations, there is not just black and white here, rather it is important to read between the lines. The size of the game population must be taken into account, as must the number that results from the hunting plan. High hunting plans can only be implemented with more intensive hunting of young game , because otherwise the population cannot be controlled.

If the targeted population structures are to be implemented, there is no way around a high rate of young game being shot. In addition, the schedule is becoming increasingly tighter, as people want to give the game a period of rest during the winter months. Ending the hunting of hoofed game by the end of December is a goal that is being expressed more and more frequently.

Visualize natural departures

If you do not start hunting in September, you can at the same time say with a high degree of probability that a certain percentage will fall victim to natural mortality and therefore cannot be used.

Natural losses due to traffic accidents, diseases and even loss of forks are unavoidable, but what can be influenced is whether or not hunting is started earlier. Earlier intervention means that more animals are saved from natural losses and can then be put to good use.