Hunting has been an extremely hot topic of debates not only in the US, but also in other countries. As you can see, there is a lot of people who support the activity, thinking that it is just an acceptable thing to do, but there is also a substantial number of people who strongly oppose it, arguing that it should be banned. To reach a well-informed consensus on our end, it is best to look at the pros and cons of hunting.
List of Pros of Hunting
1. Supply of Food and Other Materials
While some people do it for a hobby, the animals that are killed are used or consumed—the meat would be processed, cooked or sold by the individuals or families who hunt them, or the body parts would be used in some way, depending on the species. For instance, deer fur and skin is used to create blankets and other things, while birds can be used for their feathers in some cases. All these things mean that the animal’s life does not go to waste, but instead be used for a purpose, which is the true root of hunting.
2. Animal Overpopulation Control
Those who support hunting would often bring up the issue of overpopulation. When a nature area becomes too over-populated with certain animals, these species themselves would eventually suffer from starvation. They would also begin to migrate into nearby places, which can lead to major problems. Now, hunting can keep such issues at bay by controlling animal population in a safe and regulated way.
3. Outdoor Pleasure
When you hunt, you spend a large amount of time outdoors to track your game—an experience that a lot of people cherish because of its fun and educational elements. This activity can provide you with great knowledge of nature and the outdoors, even teaching you how to survive in the wild. This is a skill that would be very invaluable to you at a certain point in your life.
List of Cons of Hunting
1. Animal Suffering
Those who oppose hunting strongly cite the suffering that is inflicted on the animals. Most of the time, animals do not die instantly after they are shot, even scampering off and hide before dropping. This means that they will experience a great deal of pain from prolonged death.
2. Trophy Hunting Issues
While it is true that some people hunt for food and resources, others just do it for trophy, which means that they only want their head and nothing more. In several cases, an animal would be killed, its head removed, leaving the rest of its body to rot. On the basis of morality, this is an inhumane thing to do to an animal.
3. Potential Danger
When guns, fun and alcohol are combined, things can get dangerous quickly. This is highly possible among hunters who do their hobby for fun with friends, which would typically involve drinking, which is very dangerous to go with firearms.
While there are many pros of hunting, there is also a lot of cons. So, it is important to assess and weigh them down thoroughly to be able to come up with an intelligent decision whether it is good for the world or not.
Crystal Lombardo is a contributing editor for Vision Launch. Crystal is a seasoned writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience. She has been an editor of three popular blogs that each have had over 500,000 monthly readers.
