Hunting is, in its
most general sense, the pursuit of a target. It is most commonly
applied to the practice of pursuing animals to capture or kill them for
food, sport, or trade in their products. Beasts so hunted are referred
to as game animals. Hunting is also done to control varmint populations
or as wildlife management to reduce animal populations which have
exceeded the capacity of their range or when individual animals have
become a danger to humans.
History
In ancient societies, before the widespread domestication of animals,
hunting was generally vital for survival as part of the Hunter-gatherer
lifestyle. For most humans before the development of agriculture,
hunting would have provided an important source of protein to augment
the foraged plants and vegetables that made up the majority of their
diet. Also, in chilly climates, the hides or furs of animals would be
used as simple clothing (see trapping). The earliest hunting weapons
would have included rocks, the Atlatl and bow and arrows.
Even when animal domestication became relatively widespread, hunting
was usually a significant contributor to the food supply available to a
population. In addition, animal parts such as hides and horns were
utilized in clothing and tools, and not all of these products could be
provided from the domestication of animals. The importance of hunting
in ancient societies can be seen in common religious figures such as
the Horned God.
With domestication of the dog and falcon, various forms of animal aided
hunting developed, including falconry, coursing (sight hound hunting)
and venery (scent hound hunting, one modern example being fox hunting).
Specialization and Hunting for Sport
As hunting moved from a
strictly necessary activity for survival to one
of many staples of society, two trends emerged. One was that of the
specialist hunter - a position previously held by just about every
able-bodied male (usually) in the society. As domesticated farming and
herding took hold, hunting became one of many trades to be pursued by
those with the necessary training.
The other trend was the emergence of hunting as a sport. As game became
more of a luxury than a necessity, the pursuit of it could equally well
be considered a luxury pursuit. In medieval Europe, it was common for
upper-class families to claim the sole rights to hunt in certain areas
of territory. Game in these areas was certainly used as a source of
food and furs, often provided via professional huntsmen; but it was
also expected to provide a form of recreation for the aristocracy. The
importance of this proprietary view of game can be seen in the Robin
Hood legends, in which one of the primary charges against the outlaws
is that they "hunt the King's deer".
In later times, this aristocratic type of hunting lost its roots as a
source of food and supplies, while retaining its nature as a sport. The
practice of English fox hunting is a case in point; the fox is not
eaten, and the skin is rarely preserved in any usable form. Fox hunting
originally developed as a means of vermin control to protect livestock.
In Victorian times it also became a popular sport of the upper classes.
It now attracts followers from all walks of life. Mounted followers
join in on horseback and foot-followers walk or cycle, others follow by
car, stopping to view the hunt from suitable vantage points. Fox
hunting attract strong feelings. Some animal right supporters feel it
causes suffering to the fox and is both cruel and unnecessary. Some
members of the farming and rural communities in which it takes place
feel it is an integral and useful part of rural life, keeping down fox
populations and providing an important contribution to social life for
local people.
In 2002 the Scottish Parliament passed an act banning fox hunting and
other forms of hunting with hounds. On September 15th 2004 the British
Parliament followed Scotland's lead and passed a similar ban for
England and Wales. The British government have announced that the
latter bill will be forced through and into law using the Parliament
Act but will not come into force until 2006. Hunting activists have
declared their intention to break the law and continue hunting with
hounds.
In the 1800s European hunters often pursued game only for a trophy,
usually the head or pelt of an animal, to be displayed as a sign of
prowess. The rest of the animal was often wasted. Hunting in North
America in the 1800s was done primarily as a way to suppliment food
supplies. The safari method of hunting was a development of sport
hunting that saw elaborate travel in Africa, India and other places in
pursuit of trophies. In modern times, trophy hunting persists, but is
frowned upon when it involves rare or endangered species of animal.
Other people also object to trophy hunting in general because it is
seen as a senseless act of killing another living being for fun.
Hunting Today
In the United States, hunting is no longer associated with any
particular class. Today's hunters come from a broad range of economic,
social, and cultural backgrounds. American hunters usually see
themselves as more in tune with nature and often see themselves as
environmentalists or conservationists. Almost all hunting organizations
in the United States donate large amounts of money as well as time to
conservation and habitat protection. Although other types of
environmentalists would dispute the hunters' green credentials, many
would nevertheless agree that hunting an animal in the wild is more
humane than keeping the animal under factory farming conditions. One
spokesman for this form of hunting has been the former rock star Ted
Nugent. Hunting in the United States has been associated with the
issues of Gun politics.
One task of park rangers and game wardens is to enforce laws and
regulations related to hunting and to enforce laws which ban hunting in
some areas.
Hunting Regulation
Varmint hunting is the killing of animals seen as a nuisance. Often no
use is made of the carcass after killing. Which species this includes
depends on the circumstances of the area involved. Varmint species are
often responsible for detrimental effects on crops, livestock,
landscaping, infrastructure, and pets. Rabbits are varmints in
Australia but game in other countries. Common varmints include coyotes,
crows, foxes, and prairie dogs. Laws concerning hunting nuisance
animals are often more liberal than those concerning game animals. Some
animals once considered varmints are now protected, such as wolves.
Animal management authorities sometimes rely on hunting
to control
certain animal populations. These hunts are sometimes carried out by
professional hunters although other hunts include amateurs.
Overpopulations of deer in urban parks and bears which have attacked
humans might be hunted by animal management authorities.
Depiction in Popular Culture
While there are numerous hunting shows and merchandise, popular
entertainment often condemns sport
hunting.
This is most obvious in animation which often depicts hunting from the
hunted animal's point of view and furthermore has the audience's
sympathy as the animal either usually escapes or successfully defends
itself. This can range from the humorous such as Bugs Bunny fighting
off Elmer Fudd to the dramatic as in Bambi. In contrast, filmed
depictions of hunting by aboriginal cultures like Native American ones
are treated with much more sympathy with the implied idea that they are
hunting for what they need to survive and no more.
-Wikipedia
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