I have been recently watching a programme and its based in the US. And it comes across to me that hunting over there seems to be a sport more then anything else. I have seen them shoot for fun a beautiful brown bear leavng the cubs to starve! Now my question is, Is it wrong to hunt for fun and as a sport?
IMO I think it's cruel, immoral, and that there must be better things to do then shoot poor defenseless animals.
What do you think?
I just looked at this list a little bit more deeply, and some of these animals would never be touched. I am not saying that there's not some slack jawed yokels who would enjoy shooting one of these animals, but there are regulations on what you can and can't shoot and even when or what time of the year you can.
I can't imagine someone shooting a walrus, polar bear, or wolverine.I think Grey wolves are endangered, you can get in huge trouble for shooting one of those. As for the alligator or the big cats. I have to be honest, if i saw one I would probably shoot it because if it's looking at me then it might be eating me shortly. They are pretty predatory. Black bears are pretty docile, the other bears, not so much. Still, I also think there are guidelines on where and when and even how you can kill them.
What is the program you saw? Do you remember?
I was thinking this myself when I was reading through the list. Several of these species have protected status and are threatened or endangered in certain areas. The caribou species, for example - mountain caribou are endangered here. I believe they are on the IUCN Red List now? Have to check that.
And grizzly bears in my province now have threatened status.
It depends where you are. Polar bear hunts happen here. So do walrus. Wolves, too.
They are based on population counts and vary from place to place.
Also, it was stated that they shot a brown bear that had cubs? I'm not a hunter, so I am not familiar with all of the hunting regulations in various regions, but is it not illegal to shoot a mother with young? For pretty much all species? Was the program showing an instance of poaching? Not sure I understood that part correctly. At any rate, it doesn't sound like what I have always understood to be allowed.
As for the shooting in self-defense part, I don't know if I agree.
I don't even own a gun, so I certainly don't hike with one, but I have no concerns at all about being attacked by a predatory animal while out in the bush. Firstly, you have a better chance of being hit by lightning three times than you do of being attacked by a cougar or a bear. So statistically, it's just not a good enough reason to be worried. Secondly, I am very careful to be aware and cautious when I'm in their territory. I follow behaviour guidelines and I stay out of places where I know they are active. Hunting is one thing, but packing a weapon (and possibly killing an animal) because you are paranoid is another. The statistics just don't back up the need to carry a weapon for self-defense in the wild.
There are exceptions to this, of course (polar bear territory requires you to know how to operate a rifle, even if you are just there for research). But most places just require a good knowledge of the land and the animal inhabitants. That's my take on it, anyway.
