Hunting – the Good and the Bad
By Katherine Rosenius
Is hunting a necessity, a cruel sport, or somewhere in between? It can be argued that the root of the problem lies in humanity, the actions over the last hundreds if not thousands of years, have brought nature out of its natural equilibrium, resulting in certain species thriving, while others have been brought to the brink of extinction.
Today’s discussion is about hunting; its pros and cons; and the morality of hunting as an activity derived straight out of this imbalance, that humans themselves have created.
Hunting has been vital in human history and for Mankind’s survival for millions of years, since the first Hominid species had to learn to survive in this world. The ability to forage food and hunt for meat was crucial for their survival and evolution. Nowadays, in the western world, hunting is scarcely a means of survival anymore, moreover, it is considered a sport that involves the seeking, pursuing, and killing of wild animals and birds.
Currently, there are many laws and rules that follow the sport. One cannot pursue an animal or bird of the sort without the right means. That in short means one must have a firearm license, privately owned land or the right to use someone else’s, and the right hunting season for one’s prey.
Some hunt for sport and competition, others use it to collect furs and pelts which can then be used for clothes, decorations, and various other uses. In more rural areas of the world, people still use hunting as a means of survival, as going to a grocery store is a luxury they do not have. Traditionally, hunting was intended for survival only, as natives would only hunt what they needed to survive.
Even in the mid 16h century, hunting wasn’t a luxury and more of a necessity. At this time, hunts against foxes started occurring, but this was mainly a form of pest control. Foxes were generally regarded as vermin as they would greatly harm livestock such as goats, poultry and steal eggs. Later, hounds were trained to kill foxes to keep livestock at bay.
During the Middle Ages hunting turned into an activity for people in higher societal classes to enjoy. This practice eventually led to overhunting and exploiting natural resources. Overhunting could lead to killing animals in a higher rate than they can repopulate which depletes the species population.
There have been controversies about what hunting, and shooting is doing to the environment. The Destruction of habitats is a major driver in biodiversity loss in the United Kingdom. (Oldfield, TE)
To understand the perspective of a hunter, Michael Rosenius, an experienced hunter, gave his take on the issue. “Natural predators such as wolves, bears and lynx were killed off and were reduced to mere extinction in most of Europe and the UK- the result is that the amount of deer, wild boar, and certain other species, have exploded to a point where they do substantial damage not only to farms but forest and woodlands as their main intake are young plants and trees (saplings), resulting in forests being unable to regenerate themselves and farmers suffering considerable damage to their farmland”
“On the other hand, certain species such as pheasants, that aren’t part of natural fauna, have been planted artificially and in large amounts for sport hunting and game hunts. They are bred to be shot. 100-1000 birds can be shot in a day by a hunting party for pure fun, whether this serves any purpose other than sports aspects and economic aspects for the people who organize such shoots, is debatable. The moral issue for such shoots is also different from deer stalking.
“One benefit however of all hunting is that it supports and employs many people in the countryside where other employment opportunities might be very scarce, it is also deeply rooted in culture and serves a cultural and bonding purpose.”
A study on Field sports and conservation in the United Kingdom was conducted in 2003 which found that Landowners that take part in hunting and shooting are more likely to conserve and reinstate woodlands. The study shows they are 2.5 times more likely to plant new woodlands than landowners without shooting interests. These woodland habitats are essential for the persistence of a wide range of British wildlife.
It seems the people I have interviewed and read about make it clear that the last thing they want is for their pray to suffer or the meat to go to waste, for it to be a useless kill.
Hunting has been a popular activity for both necessity and recreation since the start of recorded history. It has been subjected to controversies and debate, as hunting can lead to various environmental issues like animal extinction and forest depletion but can also help control animal population and valuable woodland.