Pros and Cons of Animal Hunting

The topic that relates to animal hunting is extremely disputable. The question whether it is of benefit or cause damage occupies people in the USA. People can be divided into two groups. The first group finds the process of hunting acceptable and even exciting. The second group has the opposite opinion and strongly believes that animal hunting can cause damage not only to the animals but also to the whole environment. Hunting has become a hot and a sensitive topic at the same time. It affects people because they see in the process of hunting the game, offence, a kind of hobby and a violent action. It does not leave anybody indifferent.

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In order to examine completely both negative and positive sides of animal hunting, it is necessary to analyze all the facts related to this situation. So, the aim of this paper is to review the pros and cons of animal hunting, analyze the fact of game hunting and consider the laws that exist to prevent or restrict animal hunting. Moreover, it is important to define whether it is ethical to kill animals and what economic effects the hunting may have.

To begin with, hunting is the process that appeared many years ago. Our ancestors hunted for having food. There is a theory that all people have the instinct to hunt. It was one of the main methods to survive at that time because otherwise people would die from starvation. Hunters used different tactics to kill their prey. In distant corners of the world the tradition of hunting still exists. This tradition can be inherited and hunters continue to kill animals to feed their families.

Despite the fact that hunting is considered to be violent, some critics argue that animal hunting has many pros. Among the most significant ones are the following:

- Hunting keeps the animal population under control and helps to check it.

- It can be an essential source of food.

- It can become a fine pastime and exercising.

- Hunting can develop human skills that can help to survive in wildlife.

- Hunters are free to make provisions to protect and improve the environment and the wildlife (Jadhaw).

Those who are for hunting state that it is the most comfortable way to monitor the animal population. Some researchers indicate that there are species whose population grows rapidly and these large numbers of species serve as the major factor that disrupts the balance of nature. Hunting also helps to check the number of animals that form the environment. The most telling example is the culling of predators that checked the population of deer. The scientists inform: If hunting was now done away with, it would grow into a larger deer overpopulation issue. The population of deer is currently only held in check by hunting (Lombardo).

The second pro indicates that animal hunting is the source of food and fur. Hunting often was associated with hobby, but it also can become a comfortable method that aids people to survive. In the Stone Age people resorted to hunting in order to get food. Hunting is the process that some people depend on as a source of nutrition. This fact remains true for centuries. Without hunting people all over the world would not be able to purchase meat at the grocery. The person may not be a hunter, but they can enjoy the advantages of hunting. If the hunting is prohibited, the consequence of this action will be the limitation of food supply. Many animals are hunted for fur because it is extremely expensive and the fur industry supplies people with clothes and various accessories that are widely spread in fashion.

Moreover, animal hunting can become a fascinating process. People who are addicted to hunting claim that they always enjoy spending time hunting. It is also a nice way of passing the time in the fresh air. It can become a hobby or a source of exercising. Avid hunters can also develop their knowledge of nature and wildlife. People of all ages may enjoy the process of hunting and it can move from the simple exercising to hobby.

Another important issue is that hunting can develop human skills that can assist in surviving in wildlife. While hunting, people find out much information about the environment and its inhabitants. When the person gets lost in the wild, it will be helpful to know the way how to hunt animals and survive in dangerous circumstances. So, the knowledge of hunting can prove to be useful.

Today various hunters and sportsmen can donate money to protect and improve the environment and the wildlife. They can also create new sanctuaries investing money in their development and preservation. The legal hunting in different countries also controls a number of endangered species and makes sure that they are not harmed. Thus, hunting can provide benefits to animals and to the economy of the country.

It may be true that animal hunting is a beneficial occupation, however, many people consider it to be violent and hazardous. Critics argue that hunting cause more damage than benefit. So, the cons of the hunting are the following:

- Some hunters see only sport in hunting.

- Animals, especially dogs that participate in the process of hunting may also be injured.

- Some animals are now at the edge of extinction after the severe hunting.

- Hunters can cause tragedy due to the lack of experience.

- Hunting may lead to painful animal sufferings.

Opponents of the hunting protest against this wild action because it is used mainly as a sports activity. Some hunters go hunting for fun. They like hunting because it pleases and they can kill animals and make trophies of them. Critics find it cruel to kill animals for pleasure or sport instead of for nutrition. Trophy hunting is considered to be extremely cruel and inadmissible. The animals that such sportsmen hunt are not consumed. They hunt them only to boast of hunting skills and to show their trophies.

Hunting is a dangerous activity not only for the prey but also for animals that participate in this process. Animals that are at high risk are dogs and horses because they may be killed by accident. Sometimes dogs are treated badly. Hunters do not supply them with food, comfortable shelter, and basic care. So, such hunters not only feel pity while killing wild animals but also do not spare their dogs.

The aspect of major importance is that when hunters do not obey the laws, this leads to the extinction of wild animals. Many wonderful animals are at the brink of extinction due to an over hunting and no time to propagate before being killed. Overkilling can become a problem in a wide range of regions that is very difficult to monitor. Scientists estimate: American crocodiles were endangered because their hide is popular for shoes, belts and bags. However, since 2003, their status has improved to threatened, which is better, but still means endangerment and eventual extinction are possibilities (Parmer).

One of the fatal cons is that animal hunting can lead to tragedy. Hunters who do not have enough experience may kill somebody during the hunting. Sometimes animal hunting can have a tragic and horrible end because of the mistake of inexperienced hunters. Statistic shows: Many people die each and every year due to hunting accidents. There have been many different reported accounts of hunters accidentally shooting and killing fellow hunters (Lombardo).

Every activity has its rules and hunting is not an exception. The essential rule of hunting is not to make animals suffer. Nevertheless, people do not clearly understand that the process of killing is extremely painful to animals, they experience slow sufferings and these unbearable deaths provoke many protests. Many people find that animals are defenseless and the fact that hunters kill creatures that are not able to stand up for themselves gives rise to protests and lively debates.

In addition to this, as hunting for food is not so wide spread in developed countries, skeptics define it as the con of animal hunting.

So, what is hunting? Can it be beneficial or does it cause inevitable damage? The answers to these questions still provoke many arguments. The principals of moral and ethics have changed and now animal hunting turns into a funny game. There are individuals that currently choose to hunt as a hobby or game and enjoy all its aspects. This activity is thrilling and attractive at the same time. Every year hunters kill millions of exotic wild animals that represent various types of species that are even under threat of extinction. They prefer killing beautiful, huge and rare species to show their mastery.

Well-off trophy hunters pay big sums of money to receive a permission that allows them to choose what animals to kill. They also do not pay attention to the creatures that have the protection of the Endangered Species Act. Such hunters do not care about the ecosystem balance. They desire to obtain their trophy and it should be one of the biggest and rarest ones. It is a kind of thrilling activity or a big game for them with the opportunity to win a huge prize. Moreover, trophy hunting turns into a huge business (Kangas).

Restricting laws and regulations prohibit killing wild animals that become extinct and inhabit certain areas. This fact stimulates hunters to spend much money on this activity in order to choose the area where to hunt and a creature to kill. Some businessmen even create their own areas and breed animals or purchase them somewhere else to use for hunting. Owners of such lands offer their visitors a wide range of services. Hunters may choose hunting dog and to feed wild animals before killing. Such hunting is definitely cruel because animals do not have the chance to escape and wait for their unavoidable death. It is extremely difficult to enforce restrictions on private hunting lands because there are no federal laws that may prohibit or restrict such kinds of activity. Game hunting on private territories is an elite hobby. It is popular with rich people who do not spare money on entertainments. Trophy hunters claim that they support the conservation.

The researchers argue that this activity can sustain conservation. The photos of hunters that smile showing their trophies and the idea of wealthy people to pay for killing rare animals for sport or enjoyment prove the fact they do not care about conservation at all. That is why this evidence is enough for people who protest against hunting and wish it could be stopped. Conservation is a process of saving animals. Hunting is a way of killing them (Adams).

The idea to kill wild animals for fun provokes many negative feedbacks. Trophy hunters try to deceive different wildlife organizations that their activity can have positive effects. Many people do not want to be deceived. They find game hunting harmful and unfair. Hunters do not have the aim to save animals. They have their own benefit from this process. Hunters are interested in obtaining trophies that will please them. By killing big and strong species they will not be able to support conservation.

Sometimes, hunters do not have to receive a license to kill animals. Certain hunters even do not know how to shoot. The money they pay for this game goes to people who started this business and animal protection and conservation receives only small percentage of these huge sums. Hunters kill the wild animals to show their courage. Their aim is to satisfy themselves and to enjoy the process of killing. They take photos of their victims and show them to their friends. It is definitely cruel. In order to save wild animals, people should value the life of these little creatures. They should be educated that wild animals are not trophies that people hang on the wall. They want to live and they should be protected.

In the present context, many people support the idea that the government should restrict game hunting laws. Currently, every state has its own list of regulations that stipulates...