Hunting as a sport, how can people do it?

Question

I was born in Zimbabwe in Africa. There is a big hunting culture there, quite a few people own farm and game parks and make a business out of people, mainly form America and Europe, coming over to go on hunting trips on their land.

The animals are such beautifull creatures, yet these people pay big money to travel over and shoot a lion, elephant, giraffe or anything else they can find.

Why do people get pleasure out of killing, they arn't killing the animal to eat because they are starving, they are killing for the thrill to kill. I personally think it is sick and wrong. People should hunt with their cameras! What do you think.

Answer 1

For my answer, here's the REAL QUESTION:

Humans have hunted other creatures for food, power and fun for as long as we have been around......longer actually because if we did in fact evolve, we evolved from hunters. We have it in our code.

The desire to hunt is with us all. It is one natural instinct that "modern" humans share with our primordial breatheren, in fact with most creatures in the natural world.

It is Nature and Natural in the purest sense of the terms....Not like a "natural" product you buy at the store. No, hunting is real nature, life or death nature.

So, the real question is, and this is my answer:

Why are you so against Nature?

African countries do a fairly good job of regulating hunting....a whole lot better than they do taking care of people in many cases. Hunting and non-hunting safaris are big industry.

Answer 2

I am not starving either. I would rather have meat with no hormones from an animal that lived free than from a pen raised, hormone injected animal from a farm. I know there are exceptions to that characterization of store bought meat, but it is true usually.

I also enjoy taking part in the food chain. Nature is not a disney story. It is ruthless. A well placed shot from me is much more humane than most natural deaths, such as starving or being chased and attacked by predators. Also, it is not pleasurable to kill. It is pleasurable to be in the woods hunting and also to have a successful hunt and bring home meat. The joy of success is also tempered with a regret for the animal. If animals lived the life of a cartoon character, full of happiness and no worries, I would never hunt.

Answer 3

well when i was in Florida, I always liked fishing, not because I liked to eat fish but because we can stuff the the fish and mount it as a trophy when we are done. People hunting in Zimbabwe may also have the mentality of going home with a trophy, but prefer not to eat the animal.

i think there should be better regulations in Zimbabwe when certain animals could be hunted, therefore preventing animals from extinction. Kind of like what we do in America with duck, rabbit, deer seasons. We just have to face the fact that some animals over populate and we have to keep them in check. But in Zimbabwe there are a lot of endangered species, so instead of putting hunting seasons they should be put into wild life preservatives until they are no long endangered and could be hunted without endangering the species population.

Answer 4

I think it is a challenge. Personally I wouldn't shoot game I can't eat, but that's just me. I have destroyed rogue and/or dangerous animals like venomous rattlesnakes, rabid coyotes and skunks and sick dogs. I wouldn't mind shooting a trophy class wild boar but in Texas they are considered dangerous and a nuisance. I leave the wolves and big cats alone because these too are beautiful, majestic creatures. I'm not saying I wouldn't shoot big cats or even wolves, but that would have to be justified. Example: Once a large Bobcat tried to get into a shooting blind with me. If I'd been able to maneuver my deer rifle within the confines of my blind for a shot, I would have shot the cat in self defense. The afternoon before I let the same cat go because I could NOT see the need to shoot him. We were both lucky the following day before daybreak. My flashlight frightened the Bobcat off before it could land on my lap and no one got hurt. Otherwise one of was going to have to leave in a hurry and I can't see how I would not have been injured or even killed in the fall. Moral of the story? Well, maybe I should have shot the cat when I had the chance. LOL!

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Answer 5

I have been a hunter for 25 years. I do agree with some of the things that you have said. I personal would never hunt in side a fence. I am healthy and able to get around just fine. So I bow hunt and only fear chase. There are people that are not able to get around. Thy still have the desire to hunt and a fence hunt is the only way thy can harvest a trophy animal.

Answer 6

You cant lump all hunting together as if its all the same. Sure there is unethical hunting going on such as "canned hunts" where a kill is virtually guaranteed. I am against canned hunts and all unethical hunting, but that kind of thing involves a small minority of hunters.
I grew up on a ranch in the rockies. We had access to all the prime beef we wanted for nothing but we ate mostly deer, elk, and moose. We all hunted and kept the freezer full of game meat because we liked it better than beef. We supplemented our family income from hunting too. My brothers guided hunters (still do) and I worked in the camp, cooking and handling the horses, so hunting was a help to us that way as well as providing meat.
Most hunters are like me, not like the rich people who fly to Africa and shoot an animal they dont eat, but I cant slam those people either because I know most of their game meat is given to local people who need it.
I hunt every year and will continue till I am too old to get around up on the mountain. Its my heritage.
Thats hunting from my perspective.

Answer 7

first off you have a lot bigger problems that commercial hunting. second be thankful for the added revenue coming to your country. Maybe with the additional revenue you can build schools and clinics so Oprah wont have too. Third treat the animals likea renewable resource and your wildlife will start to be conserved instead of slaughtered by poachers as before. We have 2 or 3 different species that was nearly poached to extinction powerful hunting lobbyists and conservationist solely for the purpose of propogating the species brought them back from the brink to huntable populations never before seen in this country!

Answer 8

I am one that likes to hunt. And I mean really hunt. Z.b. go into the forest with my weapon and walk or ride my horse and track the animal or in some cases the animal has tracked me. Some may disagree with me and that's their right. I don't care to hunt an animal that is penned up. I want it to have every opportunity to get away or to defend its self. I think that hunting with your camera can be good for small game that's close up. However, if it were medium to large game you'll just leave a welt and run them off at best. How hard and far can you throw your camera anyhow..LOL (trying to lighten the mood)

Answer 9

I am not sure on your priorities..........it seems like half of the continent of Africa is involved with people killing people, governments languish while people are in famines over the past 30 years.
there are many corrupt dictatorships in Africa allowing death to occur while they profit off of foreign aid.

as far as hunting I would hope there is some ethics involved...... I would have to believe now there is no open season on elephants or lions........
As far as the hunters.......they do bring in tourism dollars and that certainly can not hurt.........

Answer 10

I agree, that is a different kind of situtation, that I do not aggree with, hunting for pleasure is not right.
I come from a family of big hunters, but we use every thing we can from the animal we kill. I eat as much as we can so we dont waste it. I see people who kill the animals and just leave them for no reason I do not agree with that, I thnk it is wrong!! I think you are right!! Cameras would be better than guns in that situation!!