When anyone asks, “does hunting harm the environment?” you can get multiple answers, and all of them different depending who you ask.
There is no doubt, it does impact the environment, yet this may not be as bad as people think.
In many cases, the people who take this dim view are people who are not exposed to this kind of natural environment in the first place.
The same kind of question is asked all over the world and none more so than “Is hunting in Africa good for their natural habitat.
One of the first areas to consider is if the hunting is trophy hunting, or individuals hunt for a food source. These are very different sides in the argument.
You find that trophy hunting is legal in many countries, yet there are restrictions in place of what can be hunted, when there is a hunting season, what weapons can be used, what permits are required, and is their government consent.
These restrictions cross over to hunting for food, maintaining animal populations, and making sure there is no upset to the ecological balance.
There is a range of what animal species you can hunt, and how you go about it.
Overpopulation of Animals
Some wild animals breed faster than others, and because of this, they can harm the environment in different ways. The animal population, if it increases, can be a major problem to farms, through herds trampling crops, or there is overfeeding.
Often, you find these increases in wildlife populations when there are no carnivorous predators around to help naturally control the general population.
A means of curbing this rise, and the number of deer being the most common example. Animal hunting is allowed to help maintain the animal population control.
When there is a lack of food for these animals, and this often happens when there is overpopulation. It is bad for the environment as these animals wander to look for food.
Once this happens, you see a rise in the number of road accidents as these animals stray into urban environments in the search of something to eat.
Damaged Ecosystems and Disease
Two other prime areas that hunting is good is because of habitat protection and the surrounding ecosystem.
Due to hunting, the deer population can be controlled to prevent damage to forests and the growth of new trees.
Deer love saplings, and when there is an abundance of these animals, these woodlands face becoming pastureland rather than the forests they should be.
Aside from this, deer encourage fern growth, which blocks sunlight from getting to other plants. (Find the Best Crossbow)
Disease is Mother Nature’s way of population control. This occurs when there is overpopulation, yet, as a result, these diseases spread to other wild animal species, which may not be overpopulated.
Hunting animals that are sick and diseased helps to prevent spread and stop sick animals from suffering as they near their imminent demise.
Hunting and Conservation
With all the organizations that claim individuals that go animal hunting, harm natural resources.
There are as many organizations in place to make sure the effects of hunting never get out of control.
In most countries, there are restrictions, and hunting in Africa having their own restrictions, as does the United States, albeit with different laws.
In the US, different states will dictate where you can hunt, and what you can hunt at which times of the year. One of the most significant governing bodies being the State Fish and Wildlife Management Agency.
Their job is to protect endangered species, manage migratory birds and control fisheries. Operating under their guidelines will be a State Wildlife agency.
Once you are at this level, you begin to find what you need to go hunting. Each state will require hunters to obtain hunting licenses.
These are considered a privilege rather than a right, so having one doesn’t mean you are free to go anywhere.
The wildlife service dictates what you can hunt, as for example, vermin can be hunted without a license because these do require population control.
If hunting for big game, tags require purchase along with a license, this limits the number of kills, so there is an element of wildlife conservation in that area.
Ethical Hunting
In the US, the numbers of white-tailed deer is said to be over 30 million. These numbers are not good for the environment, because of the feeding impact they have.
It has been shown, the effects of hunting on these numbers do little to reduce these numbers. Deer hunting, with such an abundance of animals, is seen as a way to stabilize these numbers, rather than a means of controlling them.
Hunting is good in situations like this, for a number of reasons. There is a boost to the economy and money from hunting goes toward wildlife conservation.
Good or bad, there is little argument that hunters contribute to the entire economy because of the rise in popularity.
Any hunter guide will go through how to hunt various animals. Rather than picking animals at random, it is recommended to take the best compact binoculars so you can check the animal before pulling the trigger.
There are also hunting conditions because this isn’t just a daytime activity. If you are out before sunrise or hunting at dusk, then night vision scopes are essential. (Find the Best Night Vision Scope)
This isn’t only for targeting an animal, there is a safety aspect as you can see if there is anyone in the vicinity.
Hunting benefits can be seen from both sides, yet one area that has arisen is the effect of lead ammunition. Many states are now making it illegal to use lead in their bullets.
Hunters need to respect this, as carrying on regardless just adds fuel to the fire for those opposed to hunting.
When you go, hunting, good practices should help to maintain that everyone could benefit from this pastime.
