“The hunting community ensures that wildlife populations of game species are sustainable from one generation to the next” (Gibbons 1). Land can only feed and house so many animals before all life naturally dies off and kills the surrounding area. Once animals are over populated something must be done to restore balance to the ecosystem. Natural selection in the environment is not enough for many animals to keep populations at a manageable rate. This is where hunters come in, hunters help to lower populations in environments to allow other animals and life to thrive in a humane way that costs less than any other method of control.
It is common now for ecosystems to become over run with a species of animal that will overtake the area they inhabit. “Wildlife populations throughout time have fluctuated wildly for natural reasons and some unnatural reasons” (Emmons 1). These fluctuations can be dangerous and must be dealt with before damage is done. For instance, deer populations have been on the rise in the last many years and if it weren’t for widespread deer hunting they would over run many forests and possibly destroy much of the land inhabited by other creatures. Bears have also flourished in the last many years and many die due to a lack of food, in the words of David Von Drehle “Slow starvation is no happier a way for a bear to die than by a hunter’s arrow or bullet”. There are invasive species present in the United States that many people, state, and local governments want controlled or eradicated. The Feral Hog is the best example of that, these animals tear through many different areas in a short amount of time. These animals uproot trees, eat any and all food they can find, and dig up burrows of other animals the live in t...
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...nters want a guide that is local and knows the land and animals so hunters are willing to spend a lot of money in order to have a successful hunting trip. Many local town governments and cities rely on the taxes from hunting to stay alive. There are even states that rely on hunting for their tourism and tax revenue such as Kansas and Montana. Both of these states have less tourism than most other states and need hunting to generate money. “The total impact that year (2005) was nearly $66.8 million from visitors only in Montana for hunting only” (Burwell 1). These states generate more money off of each out of state hunting and fishing license then they do on in state licenses giving them more revenue from those than other licenses. Without hunters many states and towns could not survive or generate enough taxes for them to properly run and keep up with modern times.
In July of 2015, national treasure of Zimbabwe, Cecil the Lion was maliciously killed by dentist Walter Palmer. The hunt caused an uproar from many animal activists. The media covered the hunt and the aftermath for many weeks. This heartless act has many questioning why big game hunting is legal. Multiple African countries allow big game hunting, but it is harming the ecosystem. Many innocent, endangered animals are killed. Big game hunting should be banned because it lowers populations, causes further problems, and animal populations are already dropping.
Weeks, P., & Packard, J. (2009). Feral hogs: Invasive species or nature. Human Organization, 68(3), 280-292. Retrieved from http://wk4ky4tk9h.scholar.serialssolutions.com.library.esc.edu/?sid=google&auinit=P&aulast=Weeks&atitle=Feral Hogs: Invasive Species or Nature's Bounty?&title=Human organization&volume=68&issue=3&date=2009&spage=280&issn=0018-7259
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 ...
The right to hunt is the law. The twenty-ninth Article states, "...securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others..." If this is the law then it can not be infringed. With this there really is no question of big game hunting. These rights are personal rights of the citizens of the United States. Parents can choose what they want for there own children and let them do what they desire, and if that desire is hunting then let it be. When other people who oppose hunting try and stop this freedom then they are the ones at fault and are doing wrong by infringing on the rights of others. These actions are illegal and should be taken care of. In C M Dixon's article, "The Banning of Hunting is an Affront to Freedom," he stated that, "He has never heard of hunters violating the just requirements of public order or general welfare" (2). From the hunting experiences that I have had I agree with this statement one hundred percent.
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).
Did you know that you happen to be surrounded by invasive species? These species are animals that come into areas they do not belong in. The articles, “Invaders among Us,” and “Invader Alert,” show this. They harm the environment, cost tons of money in damage and extermination, and they have to be prevented.
Coyotes and bears are a common sight in the woods. These animals, along with others, are predators that help to control deer population but also decrease the amount of land allowed to the deer. In Western NC, deer rates have fallen and bag limits have been reduced. In Pennsylvania, biologists have conducted a lengthy study to determine fawn mortality and predation. Predators killed 46% of fawns, (Hart). A study about coyotes in Ohio found that even though they kill numerous fawns, the population of deer continues to grow, (Hart). It would be critical to maintain...
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.
In the last decade, from the Rockies to New England and the Deep South, rural and suburban areas have been beset by white-tailed deer gnawing shrubbery and crops, spreading disease and causing hundreds of thousands of auto wrecks. But the deer problem has proved even more profound, biologists say. Fast-multiplying herds are altering the ecology of forests, stripping them of native vegetation and eliminating niches for other wildlife. ' 'I don 't want to paint deer as Eastern devils, ' ' said Dr. McShea, a wildlife biologist associated with the National Zoo in Washington, ' 'but this is indicative of what happens when an ecosystem is out of whack. ' ' The damage is worse than anyone expected, he and other scientists say. Higher deer densities have affected growth, survival, and reproduction of many plant species which have aesthetic, economic or ecological value. In some cases, many species of trees have also been shown to have reduced growth as a result of high deer density (Environmental Benefits of Hunting, 1). Deer prefer certain plant species over others and frequently feed on economically valuable tree species. For example, they prefer oak and sugar maple seedlings, as well as acorns, over less palatable species like American Beech and striped maple. Thus, less marketable species are more likely to survive to maturity,
Scientists suggest that hunted species, such as bighorn sheep, now have smaller horns than their ancestors from 30 years ago. Flocken endorses that “.hunters are not like natural predators. They target the largest specimens with the biggest tusks, manes, antlers, or horns.” In Defense of Animals International (IDA) argues that hunters concentrate on “game” populations and ignore “non-game” species that may lead to overpopulation and unequal ecosystems.
Hunting couldn’t have revolutionized if our ancestors didn’t start. However, before the Europeans arrived, the “Plain Hunters” were living and thriving off of the buffalo. “Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow, and Dakota were late comers to the west. They used to be settled down waiting for the heard. They soon erupted in to life of nomadic Indians. They “ran” with the heard going where ever the buffalo went” (http://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/noamer_plains.html). Hunting doesn’t stop improving there, it continues on. In order for the buffalo to go down they had to work together, because of their weapon of choice. When the 15th century rolled around the gun appeared with it.
Hunting is a passion for millions of Americans across the United States and without it who knows what the current deer population would be. With the white tailed deer having few predators and a large habitat to thrive in it is important to keep the tradition of hunting going. Besides, the real problem Anti-hunters should be focusing on is the growth of cities and communities because they are what truly hurts the deer population. As long as deer hunting safety remains under control and the deer population stays in tacked, there should be no reason to end future hunts for Americans. To conclude, it is true that many people don’t believe in the ethics of hunting and that is alright, because regardless of how they feel hunting is here to stay for many years to
Hunting has been a necessity for life since the start of time. Hunting was needed to feed family’s day in and day out. But in the twenty first century, Americans have evolved so hunting is not really as big of an obligation as it was in previous generations. Americans have learned to contain specific animals, such as cows, pigs and chickens, farmers then raise them and harvest them for their meat. But in some rural areas of the United States, it is a completely different aspect. Individuals who live in areas such as Alaska, Montana, and The Dakotas don’t have a local grocery store to buy their T-bone steak or ground beef. These individuals have to hunt for their meat in order to survive. Each hunter may have their own individual techniques; they may hunt for specific big or small game animals and use basic or more complex techniques. All of their different techniques come back to the basic techniques used for hunting. But all of the separate hunters have the same common goal, and that is to survive.
Thousands of years ago, hunting may have been the cause of the extinction of the North American large land mammals. “Moving up into the 1940’s and 50’s some of today’s most prominent game animals were almost non-existent.”(Kerry G) Over-hunting will directly cause the decline in the particular animal’s species. This will effect everything around it, for example ...
If this trend continues, by the year 2055, the number of species which are hunted could be increased. reduced by as much as 81 percent. (Satchell 31) Not only does hunting reduce the number of animals, it can also be unnecessarily cruel to the creatures. When deer are bowhunted, they often are. not instantly killed by the snare.