Hunting and hunters have been part of human nature since the beginning of time. Some may argue that it is because of this activity that we have evolved into highly efficient and intellectual animals and thus into a culture. However until recently, animal activist, conservatives and non-hunters have begun to question and criticize the purpose of hunting. Mike Lapierre, Jane Goodall, Ward Clark, and Sharon Levy define their opinion on what hunters and hunting mean to them. The authors discuss the important concerns of how hunting is leading to animal extinction and thus harming the ecosystem, the purpose of why we hunt and how it ties us back to nature, why hunting should be accepted, and offer solutions to solving discrimination and conservation issues.
The belief “Hunting is leading to animal extinction” has some twists and turns. Although Jane Goodall notes that “wildlife trade is destroying natural selection process,” by saying “We are permitting the trophy hunting of the strongest, healthiest, and most powerful animals- those that should be leading their families and passing their genes on to future generations are being eradicated” others argue that hunting is actually helping conserve the ecosystem. She claims that “our appetite [hunting] is causing extinction.” Mike Lapierre argues that hunters are conservatives that seek to protect and maintain wildlife habitats. “Every year millions of hunter’s dollars pay for wildlife management” (Lapierre). With that financial support along with the help of organizations like Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Pheasants Forever, and National Wild Turkey Federation, hunters have contributed to protecting and managing wildlife (Lapierre). Managing is their ultimate goal. Beca...
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Levy, Sharon. "Hunting Plays a Crucial Role in Maintaining Natural Habitats and the Environment." Hunting. Ed. Dawn Laney. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "A Plague of Deer." Bioscience 56.9 (Sept. 2006): 718-721. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 22 July 2014.
Clark, Ward M. "Hunting Is a Natural, Ethical, and Healthy Undertaking." Hunting. Ed. Dawn Laney. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Why Hunt?" www.wildfowling.co.uk. 2004. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 20 July 2014.
Goodall, Jane. "Hunting Contributes to Animal Species Extinction." Hunting. Ed. Dawn Laney. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Wildlife Trade Is Driving Species to Extinction." International Herald Tribune 13 Oct. 2004.Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 20 July 2014.
When a Minnesota dentist killed a prized African lion named "Cecil" he received an onslaught of criticism and reignited the debate concerning big game hunting. Is big game hunting wrong? Should big game hunting continue? Big game hunting has been a very controversial topic for some time and these types of questions are being asked daily. There are a lot of people for it and a lot of people against it. This issue causes a lot of extreme behaviors and ideas by both sides. Those who oppose it believe it to be morally wrong, unfair to the animals and damaging to the environment. Those individuals for it believe that it is the citizens' rights and a way to be involved in the environment. Hunting is the law and shall not be infringed upon. In defense of the hunters' I believe that there are five main issues of concern.
Beginning with the creation of the world, hunting has been over thousands of years for a number of reasons. Nowadays, hunting is considered one of the most interesting outdoor activities that have many advantages. However, hunting is a very controversial topic, for some might consider it very harmful and dangerous for the environment. Although this point of view is adopted by a part of the society, one can counter it with a numerous reasons. Hunting provides several benefits for those who partake in it and for the environment as well.
Bass makes some great views and made some great points in this essay. Many of these views I agree with and some I did not. Hunting makes us better human beings and contributes to the success that we have in life. Hunting forces us to use our imagination and give our brains a workout as well as allowing us to cope with the fact that we may not always get what we want. Hunting generates determination as well as confidence that can help us in life and help achieve our goals. I have made many memories with my family while hunting and those memories are some of my favorite. Hunting is something that overtime will change you, but it almost always for the
The deer population has increased so much that in many areas, they suffer from chronic starvation. “Bucks only” laws passed years ago to help in re-establishing the dwindling deer herds now work against the deer by resulting in an overabundance of does. Even with the overabundance of does many hunters refuse to shoot a doe. They believe in the old saying, “It takes a doe to yield a buck.” This is entirely true but it ignores the basic law of nature that any piece of land, and the food and cover in it, can support only so much game. If the excess game is not harvested by hunters or killed by predators, nature will take over and exterminate enough animals as needed or more through disease and starvation. That’s why hunting is a much more humane means for a deer ...
Since the beginning of time man has been hunting animals for food. Even before fire, man needed to hunt, because hunting was the only way to eat. At first man used things such as spears and rocks to kill its prey. As man evolved, they started using bows and arrows. Next came an early model of what we use today, the firearm. It is powerful yet easy to carry around. It puts the animal through less suffering and is a lot more efficient than previous techniques. Hunting was once a necessity, but now it is a tradition, passed on from father to son as a way to spend time together, enjoy the outdoors, and experience what our ancestors went through in hunting their dinner. Since it is considered a sport some think we are killing off the deer population, when in actuality, “While most other big-game species have declined with the spread of urbanization, the whitetail has been able to adapt to its ever-changing environment. Through the efforts of state agencies and conservation groups like Whitetails Unlimited, wildlife officials estimate today’s whitetail population to exceed 30 million” (www.whitetailsunlimited.org).
“Why Sport Hunting Is Cruel and Unnecessary” asserts “natural predators help maintain this balance by killing only the sickest and weakest individuals.” This is the key concept of natural selection that has proven effective throughout history; however, the introduction of invasive and nonnative species can cause an imbalance in population. Opponents would suggest banning hunting in order to allow populations to return to their natural number, but this ban has been proven ineffective in African counties. “How Hunting Helps Wildlife” outlines the detrimental effects a hunting ban can have on wildlife’s population. At one point in time Kenya banned hunting but reinstated hunting as 70 percent had been poached. The laws and regulations in place allowed the populations to be renewed, rising to their original numbers. While banning hunting may sound promising, it has the opposite effect of what is
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife or feral animals, by humans for food and survival (“Hunting”, 2011). Hunting has been traced back to the beginning of man. In American culture, hunting has always been a way of life. The Native Americans and early American settlers hunted to survive, that is so they did not die of starvation, just in case that is in any way confusing. Today however, puny-minded individuals see it not as a way of life, but as a thirst for blood and murder. In order to survive, men had to hunt to provide food for their families and communities, and if unsuccessful, they would go hungry. Their survival depended upon what they hunted and killed, leaving nothing to waste. Every part of the animal was used from the bones to the meat to the pelt, to satisfy the needs of survival. Men had to be creative to outsmart these cunning animals; therefore, a wide variety of weapons were use...
People today use hunting as a sport. Of course, not everyone agrees with hunting, but those who like to hunt justify their actions by saying that they are helping with the overpopulation of animals, like deer. The truth is that we are affecting the population of animals. Animal overpopulation can be due to the loss of an animal’s natural predator. Predators are extremely important in an ecosystem, and they are nature’s way of controlling the animal population. In William Stolzenburg’s book, Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators, he addresses the importance of predators in an ecosystem. He discusses an experiment done by a zoologist named Robert T. Paine. Paine decided to do an experiment to see what happens when one disrupts an ecosystem. He conducted his experiment on rocks along the shore in which a species of starfish was the top predator. Paine’s experiment consisted of grabbing the starfish off the rocks and throwing them into the ocean. His results showed that one single species has a tremendous effect on its ecosystem. After getting rid of the top predator, about half of the species that
It is early in the morning; the majestic Elk bugles in the distance. The sun is kissing the tops of the peaks with the most beautiful gold, and painting the clouds rose red. The men and women who enjoy the outdoors whether it is hunting or just hiking help make these types of moments possible. Hunting and the ecosystem is tied closely to conservation of land and animals. The articles of “Hunting and the ecosystem” written by the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Department (SDGFP), and “Facts and statistics on wildlife conservation” written by Roger Holmes, director of the Fish and Wildlife, touch on how hunting is important in the environment to keep a good balance in the ecosystem. They also point out how hunters do more than any other organization for wildlife and environment. Our country was created by outdoors men who hunted and they passed their knowledge of the outdoors to their kids. Hunting has worked its way down from the generation and we should learn to “pass it on” Hunting is great for the environment and wildlife and should be preserved for the ages to come.
Hunting is a very expensive sport to get into. From guns, to tree stands, to even hunting clothes, hunting can be costly. On average, hunters spend $1896.00 per year on hunting (LaBarbera 1). Equipment and expenditures alone in 2001 grossed $24,708,970,000 (for all types of hunting) and $10,673,990,535 of that was of deer hunting (LaBarbera 2). These expenditures then “ripple” through the economy generating three times more impact for the U.S. economy. For many communities, hunting dollars keep them afloat. This money made can also be pumped back into funding wildlife and conservation foundations. In good times and bad, hunters set their sights on spending more time in the fields and forests. Even when economic recession and uncertainty over homeland security have the nation and the economy recoiling, hunters continue to aim their leisure time and money toward shooting sports activities. For example, since 1991, when the nation was mired in a similar recession and war, retail sales have grown nearly 17% (adjusted for inflation). Many just do not realize the positive impacts generated by hunters. A recent report released by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation highlights that Americans spend more on hunting equipment and dogs than they do for ski equipment. If that’s not enough, the $2.4 billion in federal income tax revenue generated by hunters
Lin, Doris. "Hunting Myths and Facts." About.com Animal Rights. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
Gibson, J. William. "The New War on Wolves." Los Angeles Times. 08 Dec. 2011: A.25. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.
Persuasive Essay Hunting Year Round? Allowing hunting yearlong would be harmful to the animal population. For years some people have advocated the desire or the need to hunt year round. I believe hunting should be seasonal and people should never hunt the same species year round, because you wouldn’t have any more animals to hunt.
Many people have misconceptions about hunting. One such misconception is that hunting is easy and any person can go sit in the woods and wait for an animal to cross the hunter’s path. However, people who believe this are sorely mistaken. Hunting is not just sitting in the woods with a rifle; there are many other aspects that must be considered. An individual must have all preparations complete, purchase or gather the equipment needed, and know what to listen for while in the woods.
Web. The Web. The Web. 28 Feb. 2014. http://www.livescience.com/. "The Consequences of Global Warming on Wildlife."