Why is Hunting Important?

Why is hunting important to you? Your community? Your country? All great questions that we answer below, but first, here’s more of what you can expect in this post. More and more, it seems like the person who yells the loudest or calls you the worst possible name when you don’t agree with them wins the argument (irrespective of facts). So in this post, we provide the facts on why hunting is important without yelling, name-calling, or cramming an agenda down your throat.

Why is hunting important? Hunting is important because it is an essential tool used to control the animal population, deter poachers, and provide a source of income and research into wildlife diseases and how to control them. Hunting can also provide an appreciation for nature and provide a food source for those living off the grid or for people who need to kill their food.

Is hunting good or bad? Hunting is good. No doubt. Are there bad hunters who use their hunting rifles inappropriately? Absolutely. Are there unethical hunting tactics? 100%. This is way too loaded of a topic to have a simple yes or no answer. There are many variables that the average consumer does not consider when answering this question, just like with everything else, you need to educate yourself before answering big questions.

Why is Hunting Important: Here’s Why Hunting is Good

If you ask the everyday person if they could survive without a grocery store, they will probably say no. If you had to hunt for your food, life would be vastly different.

Animals dying is not a pleasant thing to picture, but it is a part of life. For this reason and several others, hunting is not only important but also necessary.

Population Control

The average human being takes not being chased by wild animals for granted. This is because professional hunters work year-round to study and figure out when a population is getting too large. You must realize this is essential to keeping the places we live safe.

“In a civilized and cultivated country wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen. The excellent people who protest against all hunting, and consider sportsmen as enemies of wildlife, are ignorant of the fact that in reality the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination.”

– President Theodore Roosevelt

Personal safety is not the only reason for population control. It is all about establishing a steady balance not to lose too much or become overpopulated by any species. Deer are beautiful creatures, but too much of the roads would be unsafe, and produce would disappear.

Bears and wolves look cute at the zoo, but you would feel differently if they were at your door waiting when you were trying to take out the trash. There must be a balance to keep us from being overrun or, even worse, seeing a species go extinct.

Food

Unfortunately, something must die for us to live, but that is just the way it is. If you disapprove of hunting while you are grilling up a steak or while there is a chicken in the oven, then something is wrong. Could you go out and get that animal yourself?

Facing reality can sometimes be unpleasant, but it can be necessary to help a person understand why some things must be done. It is unfortunate, but everything we eat was alive at some point and had its version of consciousness.

The image of a dead bleeding animal strapped to a pickup truck is not pleasant, but do not forget that one deer will feed that family for a winter. Most hunters say they eat 80 to 90 percent of what they kill.  

Income to Fund Conservation and Research

Hunting is the most significant contributor to conservation research and development. Hunting is used to provide the funds for several areas of study, including:

• Wildlife management programs that keep track of animal populations.
• The purchasing of land for sanctuaries designed to protect endangered species.
• Education for hunters so nothing is ever hunted close to extinction.

When hunting is done right, it helps the environment and can save some species from going extinct.

Why is Hunting Bad? (It’s Not)

Hunting is not bad.

Unfortunately, there are people out there who are either uneducated or have negative intent, and this is where hunting gets a bad reputation.

Poaching is bad. Poachers are bad. Unethical hunting practices are bad. Remember: poaching is not hunting. Poachers are not hunters.

Animal Welfare

Most people who disagree with hunting have their hearts in the right place, but they do not realize most of the negative is not professional hunters.  Some random guy shoots a lion just for fun and posts it on social media, and everyone freaks out. This species of lion was endangered; therefore, it should not have been hunted.

Mass Hunting and Fishing

Mass fishing is the process of throwing a massive net in the water and pulling in everything. This isn’t good because not every fish species is abundant, so you are drastically affecting that fish’s population by not taking more tie and being selective.

Factory farming is not only detrimental to the environment but can cause massive recalls and get people sick. The significant demand for all foods being available year-round has made some companies turn to factory farming to meet our needs.

Anti-hunting documentaries only focus on these topics when trying to stop hunting and fishing. Therefore, many people think all hunting is wrong. These animals provide the nutrients that keep us alive and deserve more respect than that.