Killing Off Our Wildlife: Anti Hunting

[Jessi Jorgensen]

Originating all the way back to caveman times, hunting was a skill used to capture wildlife that was not domesticated and was used for practical purposes like food and clothing for warmth. Today, however, hunting has a totally different definition and there are now different forms including food, sport, trophy and even internet hunting. In my opinion, hunting is just an excuse for men or women to go outdoors to socialize and play with guns. We're in the 21st century, so we don't need to rely on humans to hunt game in order to survive. Our society is more modernized so we have other means of obtaining meat, although most hunters of today mostly go out to hunt for something to hang over their mantle and to collect money.Is that worth an innocent animal's life? I don't think so.

 As of 2011, hunting is legal and is restricted in very few areas. Hunting is done on both public and private lands, but mostly on public lands like federal parks, forests and wildlife refuges. This information astonished me because these areas are supposed to be sheltering wildlife when instead, they're endangering them. Public places are supposed to be safe for civilians, not a place where you're dodging crossfire and watching the wildlife die in front of your eyes. The hunters that are doing such acts are usually pulling their trigger without a license. There is an estimated 3-5 million that are hunting illegally without a license. 

According to PETA's website, 50% of animals who are shot with crossbows are wounded but not killed. This statistic is just one of the giant red flags that shows how inhumane hunting is. Its "purpose" is supposed to kill the animal, but half the time it doesn't even succeed. There are many other accidental victims from hunting accidents that can injure and even kill animals like horses, cows, dogs, cats and even people. All of these innocent creatures are put in danger because of a human being's drive to kill. This cruel sport not only does damage physically, but it also disrupts migration and hibernation patterns and destroys families of wildlife. 

 The Endangered Species List has grown significantly over the past decade and hunters are very much to blame. Many of the animals that get imported are species protected under the Endangerment Species Act (ESA). This shows how careless people are when they're holding a gun. As long as it looks good and it's an easy target, they get killed. Hunters tend to kill the most attractive and built animals, who generally are the healthiest and strongest animals that keep the population strong. The populations of different groups of wildlife are suffering due to the fact that the strong and healthy ones are getting shot down, which leaves the weak and unhealthy to reproduce. Hunters claim that they are "helping reduce overpopulation" by killing. Little do they know, natural predicators are the ones that help maintain the balance of ecosystems by killing off only the sickest and weakest while keeping the healthy and strong. Animals have no way of defending themselves against us humans, so how is hunting a fair sport?

Hunting was a crucial part of human survival 100,000 years ago, but now it's nothing more than a violent form of recreation. What are your thoughts? Do you agree that all forms of hunting should be banned?

 

  

 

 

[Timmy Divizio]

I dont think that all hunting should be banned. there are definatly some that should and some that should not.  humans have been hunting animals ever since we have been around. it is just a part of the food chain.  there should be some limits to it but it should not be banned. i love animals but things will change if hunting is banned.

[Austin Smock]

I have no problem with people hunting for a few reasons. One of my biggest reasons is hunting is no differnt than killing a cow for meat and we do that every day without a single problem. If you really care that much about animals fight for there forests and oceans that we are taking from them on a daily basis not how we are hunting them. That would make a much bigger differance because hunting wont stop any time soon.

[Daniel An]

I think hunting is unnecessary. Hunting's murdering too. Just not humans but living animals. People already kill so many different kinds of animals in so many different ways besides hunting. I see the fun side of hunting but i think there could be different ways to have the same fun. We shouldn't just kill innocent animals just for our entertainment. Soon or later we will regret not having those wildlife around us.

[Jaci Caras]

I disagree with hunting completly. There is just now way i could ever go out and kill anmials like some people do. I have a lot of relatives that like to hunt frequently, and coming over to their houses and seeing a deer hanging upside down with hooks through its ankles...is disgusting. But you can't deny that sometimes hunting is needed to do things like controlling populations, and saving parts of the land that those animals graze on. Its really hard to choose a clear side on this one.

[Clayton Cox]

Hunting should not be banned because animals our on this earth for a reason. God put all animals on the earth for Man to govern and use for food. If we banned hunting as a sport, how will we be able to control if it is just for food, or if it was just for fun? banning hunting will not stop people from doing it, it just gives people more reason to go and hunt, to break the rules.

[Haley Bohl]

i dont think hunting should be banned only for the same reasons as Wes. all hunters will just do it illegally and i think a bigger concern is animal cruelty. and people treating people badly.

[Wes Minar]

If hunting were banned, people would just do it illegally with no regulation at all. Banning hunting would not keep all those 3-5 million unlicenced hunters from continuing to hunt illegally. The same thing goes for poachers who kill endangered species. While new laws might deter them a little, it's already illegal, and they're doing it anyway, so what is the point of banning it?

[Ian Plank]

I can not condone the killing of animals that are endangered, but I find that hunting is a perfectly sensible sport/activity.  We have the advantage of being smarter than theses animals(and guns help too I guess), so why not use it. It is recreation. Furthermore, I like the decorative advantages of hunting.  Seeing a Cape Buffulo head hanging above the fireplace reminds me of the fact that we as humans are dominant over other creatures on this planet.  This is our reward for becoming sentient, we won the evolution game(for now at least).

[Justin Park]

I may not be an animal rights activist, but i do agree with you. Hunting back in history really was indeed for survival and it was neccessary back then. I was a little taken back when you presented the statistic of how many people hunt without a liscence it scares me to think these people are shooting around without permission. I personally don't like the idea of killing animals for fun I believe that's just wrong. So yes, I believe hunting should be banned.

[Katie Hughes]

I agree with you, hunting just for hunting has always made me really unconfortable, and with the facts that you presented here it only makes me more uneasy. I do have family members who hunt humanely, and and use the animal for food, and not a trophy, but that's not always the case. I think that people need to realize how much animal population has depleated over the years, and take credit for it.