Hunting Is Not Only Sustainable

It may be safe to assume that some Americans view hunting as being barbaric. This may be due to the fact that our society is not one that relies on this method for survival anymore. Most Americans acquire their food through a local grocery store which gets their food from farmers who grow vegetables and raise domesticated livestock. In the recent decades, hunting has been portrayed more as a “sport” than as a means for survival. It would appear that the meaning behind hunting has been lost and with it people’s idea that it is meant to be helpful.

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

In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen”("MARC FOLCO: Some hunting, fishing quotes to live by"). Hunters are the leading source for all conservation programs. Theodore Roosevelt was one of the most passionate hunters. People put down hunting like it’s a bad thing. Many hunters contribute billions of dollars the the economy. Hunting should not be banned because of the positive impacts it has on society.

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

"Sport" hunting is a violent form of recreation that has left countless animals maimed, and orphaned animals vulnerable to starvation, exposure, and predation. This activity disrupts natural animal population dynamics and has contributed to the extinction of animal species all over the world, including the Tasmanian tiger and the great auk.(1,2)

Hunting has always been argued in being beneficial or critical to the environment. Especially, in recent world topics as well as the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell. Mr. Sanger Rainsford in “The Most Dangerous Game” changes his opinion on hunting. The short story states, “The world is made up of two classes—the hunters and the huntees.” This quote illustrates that Rainsford is expressing his philosophy on what he believes hunting is, and not having a problem with it. As you can see, it is my position that hunting is beneficial to the environment because it balances out the ecosystem, and teaches humans the value of nature.

Since the European colonization of eastern Africa, trophy hunting has been a highly debatable 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. Wildlife conservationists and hunters continue to debate the merits of legalized hunting on the economy and on the environment. However, not all hunters value the economic benefits and have passion for the outdoors. In fact, some of these hunters are conservationists themselves, who believe that it will allow for better conservation efforts in the long run. In another perspective, trophy hunters tend to downplay the reality of the killing part. To kill is to put to death, extinguish, nullify, cancel, or destroy. There is a fine line between conservation, and senseless killing of animals involved in trophy hunting.

“The Facts About Hunting.” Friends of Animals And Their Benefits. Friends of Animals And Their Benefits, Web. 8 November 2013

For the most part, hunting has been about survival and acquiring food, but this slowly changed as humanity and technology progressed (“Evolution of Hunting: History of Tools, Weapons & Tactics”).” “In that case, hunting is good for the environment because the hunting community ensures that wildlife populations of game species are sustainable from one generation to the next. This requires that a diversity of natural habitats be kept intact, unpopulated, and undisturbed (Gibbons).” Hunters support all these efforts. It is not only about the kill, it is also about spending quality time with friends and family. All being able to do something you each enjoy and

There is a delicate balance in ecosystems that ensures their survival, if they are left unaltered. This balance is kept when natural predators kill only the sickest and weakest individuals. Hunters, on the other hand, will kill the strongest and healthiest animals who are needed to keep the ecosystems in balance. It is believed that elephant poaching has increased the number of tuskless animals in Africa, and in Canada, hunting has caused the bighorn sheep’s horn size to fall by twenty-five percent. When overpopulation in an ecosystem occurs, starvation and disease will eventually cause the overpopulation to decrease.

When a Minnesota dentist killed a prized African lion named "Cecil" he received an onslaught of criticism and reignited the debate concerning hunting. I hunt. I have hunted for years and I don't see anything wrong with it.  The reasons I hunt are for the meat, I think it tastes better than store-bought meat and it doesn't have any additives in it, and for the time I get to spend out in the mountains. However, there are some people who are against hunting.

Humans have been hunting on this planet for over two million years. Our ancestors used complex hunting techniques to ambush and kill antelopes, gazelles, and other large animals dated back to times before Christ. People all around the world still carry on the tradition, but the view on hunting is not the same as it was back then. The world is so industrialized, and people think hunting is cruel and useless because you can buy meat at grocery stores. But in reality, it is the reason the wildlife they see are not extinct. Harvesting game not only benefits the hunter with the meat, but also the land, the wildlife, and controls the game population; therefore, without it wildlife would starve, and land would not be managed.

Sustainability is a topic that has become very important in recent years. Sustainability is defined as, “the ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely.” ("Finding and Resolving the Root Causes of the Sustainability Problem", 2014)

Every living being are directly or indirectly depend on natural environment. Sustainability helps to balance financial, social, and environmental factors to facilitate responsible business decision making over the immediate and long term. . Sustainability refers to meeting the needs of present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Oxford University press 1987, p.43). Sustainability is also being protective and aware of use of natural resources and development that meets the need of present and everything that is need for our survival and well being depends, directly or indirectly on our natural environment. According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Sustainability is