Ethical Hunting: Reasons for Hunting Animals

Reader Contribution by Maggie Bonham
Updated on December 6, 2022
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by AdobeStock/Don Mroczkowski

An ethical hunter makes a point to explain what hunting is and the different reasons for hunting animals to those who have never done it.

Hunting. It’s such a charged word in this day and age, that it’s hard to explain to people who have been told what hunting means by people who have an agenda of some sort. If you hunt, chances are you know what I’m talking about. But if you don’t hunt, you may have gotten your information from sources that are emotionally charged and not necessarily informed.

So if you’re interested in actually learning what hunting is about by someone who actually loves nature, loves animals, but also loves to hunt ethically, you’re in for a frank discussion of what hunting is, and more importantly, what hunting isn’t.

What Hunting Actually Is

It’s hard to discuss hunting without understanding what exactly is hunting. You may have been told that hunting is full of redneck, fat, middle-aged men who drink beer and shoot up signs. Or maybe you’ve been told that hunting is done to simply get some antlers or a mount for one’s living room. Those statements are about as cliché as they come, and I won’t lie to you and tell you that they don’t happen. But more often than not, hunting is about a connection with nature and the past.

When I say that hunting is about a connection to nature and the past, I’m talking about traditions. Chances are those who hunt were taught by their parents or an older relative. They, in turn, were probably taught by their parents, and so on. It’s a connection to our past in a personal way. Yes, there is the thrill of the chase and looking for critters, but given that hunting isn’t easy, there are certainly more and easier ways to get your adrenaline fix. Being out in nature is a huge part of hunting. And while anyone can go for a walk in the wilderness and appreciate wildlife, it takes a certain amount of skill to search for and stalk a deer or elk.

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