Do animals have feelings? We may never know for sure, but for those of us who think they do, there are animal rights groups. For those of us who don’t think so, or just don’t care, there’s indifference and there’s hunting. The morality of sport and commercial hunting has been in question for centuries. I could open a economy size can of worms about fox hunting in England, whale hunting in Japan, and tiger hunting in Africa. I think it’s safe to say that most of us are supportive of protecting endangered species, but what about the plentiful fauna of Missouri? Chock full of birds, fish, deer, and rodents, should they be protected as well?
In November of 1997, singer Fiona Apple teamed up with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), to speak out against Butterball and their “How To Cook A Turkey Hotline”. “Please join me in calling Butterball,” implored Apple, “to tell them there is no proper way to kill and cook these beautiful birds.” Okay, so maybe you love animals but you’re not a vegetarian. The next question is about the affects of one killed or injured animal on many. Take deer for example. Many hunters claim that any deer that escapes from a hunt later returns to the herd without suffering any ill effects. Even if they don’t get away, there is no damage done to the population and the hunters have done nothing but their part in keeping populations to a healthy low. Apparently, according to the League Against Cruel Sports, this is entirely untrue. The babies that eventually die of starvation are lost along with their mothers. They also same that by the end of a long day of running for their life, the deer may have lost so much body heat that they succumb to hypothermia and pneumonia. Another cause of deer fatalities during hunting season is myopathy, which is due to the stress and over-exertion of a long pursuit. The lactic acid builds up, which causes extreme pain, it breaks down muscle tissue. Death finally comes, usually as a result of kidney failure. The organization’s website also lists a “pack of lies”. They are quotes which many have believed to be true but by scientific evidence and statistics, really aren’t. “Farmers currently tolerate deer on their farms and suffer consequent crop losses because the deer provide them with ‘sport’ as a compensation.
Hunting is a really old thing people do to feed their selves. It can be a fun sport for people who have spare time and get bored. If you hunt, there are only certain animals you can kill. People can kill deer, duck, elk, and squirrel. They can also feed yourself by catching fish like catfish, big mouth bass, small mouth bass, and bluegill. When people hunt, you have to get your licenses. Your licenses cost $15.00 for 1 day and that isn’t including deer, elk, turkey, or bear. If you want a 7 day licenses including everything, it costs $50.00. If you are 12-15 years old it costs $10.00, which is the youth hunting. (License and Permit Fees, 1). You also have to take a hunters safety course which is for 1 week during the summer, it costs $13.00
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.
Since the European colonization of eastern Africa, big game hunting, also know as "trophy hunting", has been a very controversial topic. During the early days of trophy hunting, dwindling numbers of some of the world’s most unique and prized wildlife was not a problem like it is today. When a trophy hunting dentist from Minnesota paid $55,000 to kill a prized African lion, he unintentionally reignited the heated debate concerning big game hunting. Wildlife conservationists and hunters debate the impact of hunting on the economy and the environment. Legal hunting can be controlled without government intervention, and the expensive sport of trophy hunting could generate a large sum of money to support conservation efforts.
The narrow definition of "hunting", limited to the act of killing large prey animals, does not match with the conceptions of foragers themselves. In Iñupiat society, women are considered hunters because it is their work, in provisioning the men for the hunt and in their general behavior, which calls animals to the men. The association is strong enough that men without wives are considered inadequate, even if they are able to find other women to perform female associated tasks such as sewing and caring for their children. According to Bessie Ericklook, an Iñupiat woman, said, "[t]his is what we have always known. When a mother loses a husband, she can sew, or she can get food by begging or working for it. But when a husband loses a wife,
Mulkeen, Declan and Carter, Simon. “When Should Animals Suffer?” Times Higher Education Supplement 1437 (5/26/2000): p34
Hunting accidents often injure or kill horses, cows, dogs, cats, hikers, and other hunters.Some hunters mistreat dogs just as the animals they hunt. Dogs who are used for hunting also suffer. They’re often kept chained or penned and denied routine veterinary care such as vaccines and heartworm medication. Some are lost during hunts and never found, and others who are turned loose at the end of hunting season to fend for themselves often die of starvation or get struck by vehicles. Also like other forms of thrilled violence, hunting leads to desensitization(make less sensitive) to the suffering and pain of others. “ A study conducted by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts SPCA found that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans. The majority of inmates who are scheduled to be executed for murder at California’s San Quentin State Prison “practiced” their crimes on animals, according to the warden.” So my opinion on hunting is that it’s bad but not everyone thinks like me and or care about animals the way that I
“For us hunting wasn’t a sport. It was a way to be intimate with nature” (Kerasote). Many would disagree with Kerasote’s quote merely because he or she doesn’t see how hunting can be more than just killing of an animal. However hunters don’t just go out, because they enjoy killing animals no there is much more to it than just blood lust. Four out of five hunters I asked said the main reason they go out hunting would be because it is therapeutic. “Nothing like going out on a frigid morning sitting in your deer stand waiting and watching nature, it’s so surreal” (Koch). Nathan, hunter of 30 years, said this after I asked why he chooses to hunt. It may not come as a surprise to some to hear that Missouri placed eighth in the top ten states for
3”Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. 4And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat… “(Genesis 27:3-4) People claim that hunting is an evil practice and it’s unnecessarily cruel to “defenseless”, “harmless” animals. What they don’t realize is that their opinions are not based off the Word of God but instead what they (as in humans) think is right. God gave us these delicious-tasting animals to enjoy as food respectfully, as opposed to killing them only for the thrill. I am going to be showing you the roots of hunting and why it is necessary today. And by the way, a wise man named Paul Rodriguez stated “Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides should know they’re in the game (2012)”
For many people, hunting is just a sport, but for some it is a way of life. In Rick Bass’s “Why I Hunt” he explains how he got to where he lives now and what he thinks of the sport of hunting. There are many things in the essay that I could not agree more with, and others that I strongly disagree. Overall this essay provides a clear depiction of what goes through the mind of a hunter in the battle of wits between them and the animal.
Over 2 million animals are killed every year, almost all of these animals had never felt the embrace of a loving person. Animal rights are very conservational because some people think animals are things, they do not see them as living beings, and just see them as if they are just something that can be replaced. Everything done to animals have emotional effects on them and they are not things that just do not feel pain. Animals should have similar rights as humans because animals feel pain just as much as humans do, have emotions just as humans, and they have things that humans have.
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.
Seeing maimed animals are not pleasant images. Those images sometimes appear across computer and television screens. The advocacy groups who place these images in the public’s view are trying to jolt people into the realization that abuse exists. For every ten seconds that goes by an animal is getting abused (“Animal… Statistics”). One statistic states that “71% of pet-owning women entering women’s shelters reported that their batterer had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims; 32% reported their children had hurt or killed animals” (“Animal… Violence”). Animal cruelty comes in several forms, some of which people do not know. There is animal experimenting, animal abuse, and mistreatment of animals. and through revealing the results from research, one discovers the horrific effects of animal abuse.
The impact a wild animal has on a community is severe. In 2009, Sandra Herold, the owner of a 200 pound chimpanzee, called her friend for help. Sandra needed assistance from Charla Nash to get her money back into its cage. Unexpectedly, the chimpanzee mauled Charla. In a 911 call Sandra frantically told the dispatcher what was happening, “He ripped her apart. Shoot him, shoot him”(Copeland 1).
From the perspective of economy, ecology, and environmental conservation, hunting is very important. Hunting is necessary to protect agriculture and the environment from animal pest or overpopulation. For example, wild boars tear up many farmers land causing many problems as well with the deer population growing eating away farmer’s resources. Also with the growth of white tail deer are damaging every landscape east of the Mississippi river. Unfortunately, the harm is very overlooked, and accepted as somehow “natural”. Over the last 30 years higher dear populations have made a more negative impact due to climate change. (“Is Hunting a Good Thing?”) Hunting was legalized in 1993 to help bring overabundant wild animal populations down. The legalization
Animals are so often forgotten when it comes to the many different levels of basic rights. No, they can’t talk, or get a job, nor can they contribute to society the way humans can. Yet they hold a special place in their owners’ hearts, they can without a doubt feel, show their different emotions, and they can most definitely love. In recent years there has been a massive increase in animal rights awareness, leading to a better understanding and knowledge in the subject of the humane treatment of animals. Where do humans draw the line between the concern of equality, and simple survival?