With the coming of the crisp November wind, hunters have taken to the field. The hunting season in Korea is open from early November to late February. Some expatriate hunters ask about the chances of hunting in Korea, and it is possible if you know what you are after and where to look.

First, everyone should know which game animals are possible to hunt. Because of habitat destruction and the poaching animals for the traditional medicine black market, the choices are limited to a few species. Legal animals that can be taken are: wild boar, water deer, hare, squirrel, pheasant, wood pigeon, ducks and crows, magpies, jays and sparrows.

The wild boar would be a prized trophy that would require an incredible investment of time and energy spent scouting the deep mountains to understand its movements. It's the only animal on the list that could be classified as "dangerous game." Few Korean hunters have ever encountered one. Hares and squirrels are abundant and traditional choices for beginning hunters.

Of the duck species, the mallard, spot-bill, and the green-winded teal are listed as the legal ducks to hunt, however noting Korea's diminishing wetlands, perhaps it would be wise to let them rest before flying further south. In some hunting circles, magpies and crows are taken on the reasoning that they damage crops, but a peculiar ridiculousness involves the shooting of jays and sparrows. Wood pigeons could prove to be a reasonable quarry since they flush hard and fast from the tree line and some epicures consider the bird a gourmet dish with the proper marinade.

The best bets for a challenging season within the bounds of clean hunting ethics would be the water deer, for its numbers are plentiful but their natural stealth enables them to slip by the sharpest observation, and when that fails, they burst out of the brush at a speed that makes human reaction time humbled.

The best and last species to note is the ring-necked pheasant. It is arguably the greatest gamebird in the world and Korea has a massive native population; anyone who has hiked the Korean foothills has most likely experienced the heart-stopping explosion of a rooster pheasant flushed from its cover.

One way to hunt in Korea is by going to a private hunting preserve. There is a handful scattered through the country, the foremost one being the Daeyoo Hunting Preserve on Jeju Island. They will provide a "guided" hunt that includes the shotguns and a bird dog and you can pretend to be a hunter for a day.

Do-it-yourself hunting in Korea could be a time consuming process. The website of the Korean Hunting Management Association www.hunting.or.kr outlines in Korean, how to procure a license and addresses the ethics of hunting. Often lacking in the Korean concept of hunting is the idea of "fair chase," in that the hunter must handicap himself so that the animal has an advantage. It is not an uncommon practice to drive a boat full speed into a flock of ducks and shoot them point blank as they rise off the water.

The KHMA is trying to change the public perception of hunters as reckless poachers by encouraging ethical conduct in the field with each hunter acting as a steward of all Korean wildlife.

Copyright © James Card.