The Ethics Of Hunting

Hunting is a common controversial issue among people. Determining when killing an animal is necessary and ethical has mixed viewpoints. One type of hunting that generally creates feelings of animosity among people is trophy hunting. There are very few ethical theories and ideas that support trophy hunting. Trophy hunting is a form of hunting in which the hunter kills an animal with the main goal of taking a part or parts of that animal for a trophy. The majority of trophy hunting occurs in Africa, with big game as the most popular trophies, but trophy hunting also applies to non-exotic species as well. In this paper, I will start with introducing a recent incident involving the killing of a popular African lion, then outlining the main ethical issues with trophy hunting. Next I will analyze the trophy hunting from an anthropocentric, biocentric, and ecocentric viewpoint, and finally I will propose a few solutions that would make trophy hunting a more ethical activity. Trophy hunting has been said to provide many benefits to conservation and preservation of species but is ethically lacking; with some stronger laws and regulations trophy hunting has the potential to be both ethically acceptable and beneficial to the environment.

In America, deer are an animal hunted widely throughout our country. Each winter citizens have mixed emotions about the sport. Some say its barbaric and cruel, while others argue that it’s beneficial and useful. Although people may say hunting is cruel and barbaric, have they ever thought about the upsides to be gained from hunting? While this is a topic that can be argued viciously back and forth, I believe hunters win the argument. Deer hunting keeps the population down, protects farmers’ crops, boosts economic sales, betters a person’s mental health, and teaches lifelong lessons on respect. These are just a few of the amazing benefits that can be gained from hunting.

In his letter titled “Why Recreational Hunting in Western Canada is Morally Justified,” Sven states that he is arguing for “responsible hunting where the primary benefits are the pleasure of hunting animals in the wilderness and eating their meat.” Despite several strengths, his weaknesses in reasoning outweigh the few positives. Thus, the letter’s overall worth is negligible. The letter’s weaknesses in reasoning lie in Sven’s central justifications for recreational hunting, being human pleasure and eating meat, in his supporting argument for animal suffering, and in his failure to define recreational hunting’s necessity.

While many argue that hunting is unnecessarily cruel and obsolete in the modern world, others contend that it allows individuals to connect with their roots, and that the sport provides crucial

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 an extremely controversial topic in the U.S. Since the beginning of history, man has hunted animals for food to live and to utilize other parts for clothing and other essential reasons. There are many people who are strongly opposed to hunting and think that it should be banned. There are also many people that support hunting and think that it is an acceptable thing to do. One such writer, Rick Bass, describes a similar emotion in his essay, “Why I hunt”. In the essay, he emphasizes his deep love for hunting and claims that it is an enjoyable activity. He employs such details to his story describing his surrounding beautifully that towards the end of the article, his attempts to appeal to reader’s imagination strengthen his

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.

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

Deer hunting is always a great time especially when you get a deer. I was feeling lucky when my sister and I went out hunting on a saturday evening. The weather was typical fall weather. The air was crisp and clean, the sky was blue and the birds were chirping. I was getting a little hot in my hunting clothes though when we walked out to the stand which was a bad start to the hunt.

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.

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

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.

Would you ever want to kill someone because they are valuable and famous? No right? Well that's what is happening to animals and some people are just having to pay $500, don’t you think there should be more? According to Star Tribune the only punishment for killing deer when it is not deer season is only $500. That's not enough for killing animals and making the become endangered. Therefore, there should be a bigger consequence for poaching for because it leads to endangerment of animals and animals should not be used to make things that we want.

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

Everyday thousands of animals are brutally murdered by people that participate in the recreational activity that is hunting. Hunting is an activity that involves a person attempting to kill or trap an animal. Hunting is mainly done to animals in the wildlife and often in cases are used for food, clothing, recreation or trade. In my opinion hunting is morally wrong.