What is trophy hunting?

May 5, 2022

 

Imagine a man a few centuries ago. Like almost every morning, he leaves his home, taking all the tools he needs to hunt, leaving a woman and children at home. This is a risk and a danger but a great necessity. After a successful hunt, as he returns with his prey, he helps his family survive. Meat for food, skins for clothes or even for decor, from the bones made needle, knives, cups, etc. As we can see, in ancient times, hunting was one of the most critical occupations that supported the life of humanity. And in our era, priorities have changed somewhat. This case has become more of a craft, a hobby. And many of the hunters want to look at their trophies as proof of victory in approval with the beast.

What is trophy hunting?

Trophy hunting is a type of hunting for animals of mostly large sizes, which occurs only due to a special license—for example, elephant tusks, rhino horns, cougar skins, or lions. And as the name implies, you just get your trophy as a result. This type of hunting is considered a legitimate hobby, but certainly not without its limitations, which relate to the terrain and time for hunting, your purpose, and the weapons you use.
I think that speaking on this topic, it will be essential to emphasize that recently trophy hunting has had its demand. So about 126,000 trophies are legally imported into America a year. As for Europe, the figures there are much lower. Of course, if you do not consider what is mined on the mainland. And people whose aesthetics require a natural artifact, as an element of the apartment's decor, are willing to pay a lot of money for it.

What about the morality of taking animal trophies?

Therefore, it is difficult to talk about the moral side of the trophy hunt when it comes to money. The main thing is that we should note that this type of hunting is not the same as "canned hunting. What is it? When wild animals grow in captivity, they are specially bred for such purposes that they are killed in an aviary. From the point of view of experienced hunters who respect this occupation and treat it as a certain kind of craft, it can not be called a hunt. Because in the first place, you have on an equal footing with your prey, hunting - means respect for the enemy. History knows many cases where hunters returned injured or did not return. Therefore, there is always a risk even for all the benefits of modern modernized tools.

How can you be good?

In this article, we have already said that there should be a license for the trophy hunt. Not all countries agree to this type of hunting in their territory. But, for example, in South Africa, hunting of animals of the "big five" (buffalo, elephant, rhino, lion, panther) is allowed. While in Kenya, it has been banned since 1977. The question is, if it is allowed, then this type of hunting plays a role in the ecosystem. For example, it regulates the population of certain species of animals, as happened with white rhinos in the same South Africa when they were specially brought out for this type of hunting. Plus, given that such a lesson brings a not small income, it is beneficial for the economic situation of specific segments of the population.
Given all the above, everyone has their conclusions and adheres to their moral values. I think the worst thing a hunter can do in this case is to destroy an already endangered species of animals for a trophy. But for now, it is regulated by law, and if all the rules are kept, trophy hunting has the right to be.