Cause and Effects of Hunting Regulations
Hunting is a sport involving people throughout the United States whether it is done for a source of food or just for fun. Each year people across the U.S. spend over ten billion dollars on hunting activities and equipment. In order to protect species of wildlife, each states’ department of natural resources is required to develop numerous hunting regulations. Hunting regulations are basically laws set forth specifically for the hunting population. While these regulations are specified to correctively manage populations, they usually produce unintended effects of hunter safety (Conlin, Dikert-Conlin & Pepper, 2009). In 2009 Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources called for changes in hunting
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The change to allowing the harvesting of both bucks and does was a measure taken in order to decrease the population of does. While the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources also intended to increase the average age of bucks. The advantage of setting these hunting regulations will allow for better genetics to be passed throughout the whitetail population (Conlin, Dikert-Conlin & Pepper, 2009).
Developing hunting regulations also allows for the growth of job outlook in the field of wildlife management. In order to enforce all the regulations set on hunting, officers are needed to watch out over the hunters. Throughout Pennsylvania there is approximately 200 full-time wildlife officers and close to 700 deputy officers. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has also set up a phone line for hunters to report any accidents or harvesting of illegal deer (Conlin, Dikert-Conlin & Pepper, 2009). Developing better management skills allows for people to build and operate hunting lodges throughout the state of Pennsylvania.
Any hunter that harvests an illegal deer is obligated to deliver it to the Game Commission’s office with a written explanation of the accident. Where the carcass and statement will be examined to determine if it was really an accident or not. One game officer will examine every reported accident and decide what type of fine should be given or any other consequences. In 2003 if the penalty was nominal the fine was only $25 and $500 if it was a
2).With 12.5 million hunters in the United States, it seems as though most families have a reason to support hunting rights in country. Safety is a top propriety; new younger hunters are now required to pass a gun hunting safety class. The safety class deals with such issues as proper handling of a firearm, and safety issues and how one must never point a gun at anything that the hunter does not want to kill.“The hunter education course instills in students the knowledge and skill to be a responsible and safe hunter. The basic course consists of 10 lessons during a minimum of 10 hours. Students learn how hunting accidents are caused and how they can be prevented. Hunter responsibility and safety are stressed throughout the classes, which consist of lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, practical exercises, and individual study and activity assignments” (Wisconsin department of natural resources, 2009, p.1). Hunting is also important to the economy of the country in 2006, [125 million hunters entered the woods spending $22.9 billion that would have not went into the economy without hunting. Total cost of hunting equipment for hunting was $10.7 Billion](“2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation,” 2006). Which would not have went to local business without hunting. Hunting is not just a pastime in the United States; it is big business
Hunting is a common activity all around the world, and if performed properly, can have many benefits to us and the rest of the planet. The art of hunting has been around since the beginning of time. Living off of the land used to be a necessity across the world, until the mass production of food came along. In America, people do not usually need to hunt to survive. However, the population of animal species needs to be controlled. Too many of one type of animal can cause a drastic change to any ecosystem. Food supplies decline quickly, leaving many animals without food. Hunting can help keep the population of a group of animals at a good number, making the lives of the other
Hunting allows a person to reconnect with nature. For many, hunting isn’t just about the chase and the thrill of catching their game. For many, hunting
“Hunting is good for the environment because one it helps keep down on the deer herd and other animals that are hunted.”(Smith) ”When you hunt you help herds of animals from getting to over populated. When the deer herds are kept to a lower number there is less likely of a chance for diseases to start to get spread around in return killing off a lot of the deer herd. Hunting to keep down on the deer herd also helps prevent interbreeding. When there gets to be too many deer in one herd there is a good possibility that interbreeding can occur and then birth defects could occur as well as health problems. When deer herds are kept to a low number there is not as much of a chance for deer and vehicle crashes to happen. When there is smaller deer herds that are controlled by hunting the
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.
Hunting is a sport that men and women around the world have enjoyed for centuries. However, today there is so much controversy over whether it is ethical or beneficial for animals to be hunted. People who do not support hunting are not aware of the benefits it offers for not only the hunter, but also the animal population. There are hunting seasons, specific types of guns the hunters can use, the time sportsmen can hunt, and many other rules that keep sportsmen from hunting unfairly or overhunting. Sportsmen must buy license and tags to hunt legally, which keeps many people from hunting. The people who go against these regulations face heavy fines and in some cases, jail time. People who do not support hunting probably are not aware that because
Predators, hunters, and habitat contribute to the increasing densities of whitetail deer in some locations. The populations of predators, wolves and cougars, have greatly declined in suburban areas. This declination has helped with the increase of the deer population. Since the 1970’s the number of hunters has been declining. This may be because of the number of people that do not believe in recreational, or sport hunting. For some hunting has become a hobby to show off and brag about causing others to be turned off to the whole idea of hunting. Although hunting can be popular it is prohibited in parks,
Hunting has become a staple of American traditions since the beginning of the first hunter/gatherers, to the Native Americans who have lived in the U.S for millennia, even all the way until present day. Much of today’s society looks at hunting as a cruel activity when in reality it has more of a positive effect on the environment than it does harm. There are an abundance of benefits that come from hunting. Some of the benefits of hunting are: it is the biggest contribution to conserving wildlife, the meat is healthier than commercially produced meat, many jobs are being supported out of hunting, and every hunter wants “to bag” the trophy animal; however, there are a few cons to this, which include poaching and interference by the activist
“The Facts About Hunting.” Friends of Animals And Their Benefits. Friends of Animals And Their Benefits, Web. 8 November 2013
Hunting was originally a resourceful activity and a necessity for survival. It was crucial to use the animal for food, clothes, and tools. With the exception of cultures who still depend on this method, there are many developed areas where this is not longer required. From the lack of needing to hunt animals for resources, sport hunting has emerged. This is the recreational act of killing animals to use as trophies. The problem with sport hunting is that it is an unnecessary and unreasonable activity that presents several dangers. In order to understand why, one must examine the effects it has on animals, humans, and the ecosystem. It is clear that sport hunting should have stricter regulations.
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
The deer and elk population is growing at an alarming rate. According to Outdoor Life, the "Whitetail deer population grew from 29.8 million in 1994 to 32.7 million today." According to Garth Kidd, the solution to this overgrowth problem is hunting. If we were to get rid of hunting,
Studies have shown in recent years that the amount of problems for game wardens has increased dramatically. In an article by the New York Time’s, William Dicke states that in previous years, economic issues have caused an uptick in poaching (Dicke, para. 7). Due to the sheer number of unemployed and the rates going up, crime is rising as well, and it shows in abnormal crimes like poaching. Since the unemployed have nothing to do, and they have too much time on their hands, the act of poaching is becoming more common. Often the animal is not harvested for its food products, but instead for its antlers or skin. This goes to demonstrate one of the various problems that game wardens often face, poaching.
Buzzle: Hunting Pros and Cons. Last but never least, sport hunting should be banned due to the fact that it causes the endanger and extinction of animal species. “One glaring negative of hunting for sport is over hunting. This occurs when hunters kill too many of a species, threatening their survival.” (Life123). Species become endangered when they are over hunted, and if hunters take it too far, the species will no longer exist. “…there are many animals that have been over-hunted and brought to near extinction, one example being the American Buffalo. Another example was the over-killing of the Cougar. Although this animal was hunted to protect cattle from being attacked, it led to this species nearly becoming extinct.” (Buzzle) The substandard thing about species becoming extinct is that they might not reappear until millions of years later. Imagine how long that would
Harvesting game not only benefit the land and wildlife; it also helps out a family. Venison and other wild game meats are healthy and great sources of protein. Over forty meals can be made with a single deer, which can feed a family of four ten times. The price of a hunting license and game tag combined is around eighty dollars; that can really help out a family in need. Instead of buying beef at a store which came from a slaughter house, you can pay for a hunting license and a game tag, and go harvest a deer. That deer will put food on your table and keep the game population managed. Humans might not find benefit to the hide nowadays, but that is no reason not to hunt. Hunting is still beneficial to the animals and yourself.