Trophy Hunting -- Yea or Nay?

[martybegan]

I've read articles about dudes who hunt African game (Hippos, Rhinos, Elephants, etc.) just to say that they did and to mount a head on the wall. I'm not personally a fan of this type of hunting. I'm not about killing just for the sake of killing. It's not really that hard to park a Range Rover by some bushes; aim a Weatherby .460 Magnum rifle at some Hippo 300 yards away; and shoot it through the shoulder; then have your guide chop off its head. I don't really see the sport in that and I find it wasteful and unnecessary.

I think there are really only 5 good reasons to shoot animals:

1) For food! This is the best reason.
2) To thin out overpopulated herds of a specific species for the ultimate benefit of that species. This type of hunting has proven to be beneficial time and again.
3) For self protection or for immediate protection of another human life.
4) Pest control in an around farmland or ranches. There are some animals (certain birds, gophers, moles, prairie dogs, wolves, etc.) that can devastate crops or livestock). A farmer or rancher has the important task of feeding populations of people and have the right to protect their livelihood.
5) To put an animal out of its misery, pain, or suffering.

But shooting a Rhino for its head or horn doesn't fit into the above categories in my opinion.

Paying $100,000 in guide fees, trophy fees, lodging, etc, raises money to protect these animal.

I wouldn't do it, if I had the money, but, it does provide the money for game management.

Until there is an alternative source of revenue, it will go on.

And if well managed it actually helps the overall population. Well managed means only allowing the shooting of older or non viable members of the herd, as determined by qualified wildlife management personnel.

 

[martybegan]

I've read articles about dudes who hunt African game (Hippos, Rhinos, Elephants, etc.) just to say that they did and to mount a head on the wall. I'm not personally a fan of this type of hunting. I'm not about killing just for the sake of killing. It's not really that hard to park a Range Rover by some bushes; aim a Weatherby .460 Magnum rifle at some Hippo 300 yards away; and shoot it through the shoulder; then have your guide chop off its head. I don't really see the sport in that and I find it wasteful and unnecessary.

I think there are really only 5 good reasons to shoot animals:

1) For food! This is the best reason.
2) To thin out overpopulated herds of a specific species for the ultimate benefit of that species. This type of hunting has proven to be beneficial time and again.
3) For self protection or for immediate protection of another human life.
4) Pest control in an around farmland or ranches. There are some animals (certain birds, gophers, moles, prairie dogs, wolves, etc.) that can devastate crops or livestock). A farmer or rancher has the important task of feeding populations of people and have the right to protect their livelihood.
5) To put an animal out of its misery, pain, or suffering.

But shooting a Rhino for its head or horn doesn't fit into the above categories in my opinion.

Paying $100,000 in guide fees, trophy fees, lodging, etc, raises money to protect these animal.

I wouldn't do it, if I had the money, but, it does provide the money for game management.

Until there is an alternative source of revenue, it will go on.

There is truth to that but if these guys are truly concerned about game management then they can simply give $100,000 to the cause without shooting the animals they purport to protect. But I know where you're coming from.

One can be concerned and want a tangible result from said concern at the same time.

 

[1stRambo]

Yo, its senseless, who can miss a sitting duck? The big animal has no chance of escaping, like a rabbit or bird?
So, if they want a big head hanging on the wall, buy a plastic one!!!

"GTP"

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Yo, its senseless, who can miss a sitting duck? The big animal has no chance of escaping, like a rabbit or bird?
So, if they want a big head hanging on the wall, buy a plastic one!!!

"GTP"

So you'd rather they die a slow painful death from starvation?

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

People who hunt animals are barbaric, imo.

LOL. Ever kill a spider? An ant? A wasp? An earwig? All are living things. Would you consider yourself "barbaric" for killing one? Since the beginning of time man has been hunting for survival. Some have killed to protect themselves from being ripped to pieces. Interestingly, I bet you're one of them who believe killing an unborn baby is perfectly acceptable. That's how the upside down mind of a Progressive generally works.

First off, comparing animals to insects is inhumane. But second off, I don't mindlessly kill insects w/o cause. I respect the ecosystem. Third off, hunting for survival and hunting for sport are two different things. Fourth off, I'm not a liberal deuche hypocrite, I'm not for abortion....I just happen to have an enlightened view upon respecting animals and people. Apparently in your left vs right world it's choose one or the other.

The key to your statement is: "without cause." My OP reveals several "causes" for shooting animals. The "cause" that would initiate your killing of a cockroach is the same one that farmer would use to kill a mole or a Starling or the one that a rancher would use to kill a predator.

Also, there's no reason why "survival" and "sport" can't be combined. But one doesn't necessarily need to hunt deer for either sport or survival. It could be that a man is on a tight budget and decides that it's more economical to shoot a deer for the meat than to buy a year's worth of beef. Also, as stated in the OP, a person could shoot a particular species of animal for the long term benefit to that species. When herds of deer become overpopulated then food becomes scarce and the entire herd is in danger of starvation and disease.

Food for thought.

I can at least semi-understand people that hunt and eat their food. But I still don't feel like it's the right thing to do in this day and age. It's not necessary. I think humans have a responsibility to be friends of nature as much as possible.

Hunting is absolutely necessary to keep populations under control.
You'd have starving deer all over the damn place if you didnt thin em out.

That's right wing propaganda. Nature can balance itself.

 

[1stRambo]

Yo, its senseless, who can miss a sitting duck? The big animal has no chance of escaping, like a rabbit or bird?
So, if they want a big head hanging on the wall, buy a plastic one!!!

"GTP"

So you'd rather they die a slow painful death from starvation?

Yo, that hippo looks awful healthy to me?

"GTP"

 

[martybegan]

LOL. Ever kill a spider? An ant? A wasp? An earwig? All are living things. Would you consider yourself "barbaric" for killing one? Since the beginning of time man has been hunting for survival. Some have killed to protect themselves from being ripped to pieces. Interestingly, I bet you're one of them who believe killing an unborn baby is perfectly acceptable. That's how the upside down mind of a Progressive generally works.

First off, comparing animals to insects is inhumane. But second off, I don't mindlessly kill insects w/o cause. I respect the ecosystem. Third off, hunting for survival and hunting for sport are two different things. Fourth off, I'm not a liberal deuche hypocrite, I'm not for abortion....I just happen to have an enlightened view upon respecting animals and people. Apparently in your left vs right world it's choose one or the other.

The key to your statement is: "without cause." My OP reveals several "causes" for shooting animals. The "cause" that would initiate your killing of a cockroach is the same one that farmer would use to kill a mole or a Starling or the one that a rancher would use to kill a predator.

Also, there's no reason why "survival" and "sport" can't be combined. But one doesn't necessarily need to hunt deer for either sport or survival. It could be that a man is on a tight budget and decides that it's more economical to shoot a deer for the meat than to buy a year's worth of beef. Also, as stated in the OP, a person could shoot a particular species of animal for the long term benefit to that species. When herds of deer become overpopulated then food becomes scarce and the entire herd is in danger of starvation and disease.

Food for thought.

I can at least semi-understand people that hunt and eat their food. But I still don't feel like it's the right thing to do in this day and age. It's not necessary. I think humans have a responsibility to be friends of nature as much as possible.

Hunting is absolutely necessary to keep populations under control.
You'd have starving deer all over the damn place if you didnt thin em out.

That's right wing propaganda. Nature can balance itself.

We ARE part of nature, we just overcame our lack of thick skin, claws and large teeth via our naturally larger and more complex brains.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

LOL. Ever kill a spider? An ant? A wasp? An earwig? All are living things. Would you consider yourself "barbaric" for killing one? Since the beginning of time man has been hunting for survival. Some have killed to protect themselves from being ripped to pieces. Interestingly, I bet you're one of them who believe killing an unborn baby is perfectly acceptable. That's how the upside down mind of a Progressive generally works.

First off, comparing animals to insects is inhumane. But second off, I don't mindlessly kill insects w/o cause. I respect the ecosystem. Third off, hunting for survival and hunting for sport are two different things. Fourth off, I'm not a liberal deuche hypocrite, I'm not for abortion....I just happen to have an enlightened view upon respecting animals and people. Apparently in your left vs right world it's choose one or the other.

The key to your statement is: "without cause." My OP reveals several "causes" for shooting animals. The "cause" that would initiate your killing of a cockroach is the same one that farmer would use to kill a mole or a Starling or the one that a rancher would use to kill a predator.

Also, there's no reason why "survival" and "sport" can't be combined. But one doesn't necessarily need to hunt deer for either sport or survival. It could be that a man is on a tight budget and decides that it's more economical to shoot a deer for the meat than to buy a year's worth of beef. Also, as stated in the OP, a person could shoot a particular species of animal for the long term benefit to that species. When herds of deer become overpopulated then food becomes scarce and the entire herd is in danger of starvation and disease.

Food for thought.

I can at least semi-understand people that hunt and eat their food. But I still don't feel like it's the right thing to do in this day and age. It's not necessary. I think humans have a responsibility to be friends of nature as much as possible.

Hunting is absolutely necessary to keep populations under control.
You'd have starving deer all over the damn place if you didnt thin em out.

That's right wing propaganda. Nature can balance itself.

What a dumbass.. How exactly does that happen?
THEY STARVE TO DEATH you fucken dolt!

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Yo, its senseless, who can miss a sitting duck? The big animal has no chance of escaping, like a rabbit or bird?
So, if they want a big head hanging on the wall, buy a plastic one!!!

"GTP"

So you'd rather they die a slow painful death from starvation?

Yo, that hippo looks awful healthy to me?

"GTP"

Did you stop to think that he looks that way because of game management?

 

[1stRambo]

Yo, its senseless, who can miss a sitting duck? The big animal has no chance of escaping, like a rabbit or bird?
So, if they want a big head hanging on the wall, buy a plastic one!!!

"GTP"

So you'd rather they die a slow painful death from starvation?

Yo, that hippo looks awful healthy to me?

"GTP"

Did you stop to think that he looks that way because of game management?

Yo, or is it natural?

"GTP"

 

[Roadrunner]

Yo, its senseless, who can miss a sitting duck? The big animal has no chance of escaping, like a rabbit or bird?
So, if they want a big head hanging on the wall, buy a plastic one!!!

"GTP"

So you'd rather they die a slow painful death from starvation?

No, they'd rather poachers with AK 47's get every last one of them before "hunters" get them.

I do not consider most of what is sold as "hunting" in South Africa to be "hunting".

More like culling.

You go out into a National Forest in America, and kill a 5 year old white-tail buck, and you are a hunter.

Ordering a rhino or elephant on the internet, and flying to Africa to shoot it, is not hunting.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Yo, its senseless, who can miss a sitting duck? The big animal has no chance of escaping, like a rabbit or bird?
So, if they want a big head hanging on the wall, buy a plastic one!!!

"GTP"

So you'd rather they die a slow painful death from starvation?

Yo, that hippo looks awful healthy to me?

"GTP"

Did you stop to think that he looks that way because of game management?

Yo, or is it natural?

"GTP"

Couldnt tell as I wasnt there.
But to claim that game management doesnt work is ridiculous.
There was a time when whitetail deer were a rarity in East Texas from over hunting.
They enacted limits and the deer population exploded.
For years after that they refused to up the limits until they finally started listening to hunters claims of the extremely poor health the deer showed....yes they were starving to death.
Game management is about keeping a healthy number of animals.

 

[martybegan]

Yo, its senseless, who can miss a sitting duck? The big animal has no chance of escaping, like a rabbit or bird?
So, if they want a big head hanging on the wall, buy a plastic one!!!

"GTP"

So you'd rather they die a slow painful death from starvation?

No, they'd rather poachers with AK 47's get every last one of them before "hunters" get them.

I do not consider most of what is sold as "hunting" in South Africa to be "hunting".

More like culling.

You go out into a National Forest in America, and kill a 5 year old white-tail buck, and you are a hunter.

Ordering a rhino or elephant on the internet, and flying to Africa to shoot it, is not hunting.

I can see that reasoning, but if there is a demand, and said demand can be used to fund conservation programs that help the overall specie, then let the canned hunter can hunt.

 

[1stRambo]

Yo, its senseless, who can miss a sitting duck? The big animal has no chance of escaping, like a rabbit or bird?
So, if they want a big head hanging on the wall, buy a plastic one!!!

"GTP"

So you'd rather they die a slow painful death from starvation?

Yo, that hippo looks awful healthy to me?

"GTP"

Did you stop to think that he looks that way because of game management?

Yo, or is it natural?

"GTP"

Couldnt tell as I wasnt there.
But to claim that game management doesnt work is ridiculous.
There was a time when whitetail deer were a rarity in East Texas from over hunting.
They enacted limits and the deer population exploded.
For years after that they refused to up the limits until they finally started listening to hunters claims of the extremely poor health the deer showed....yes they were starving to death.
Game management is about keeping a healthy number of animals.

Yo, we are talking about Africa?

"GTP"

 

[Roadrunner]

Yo, its senseless, who can miss a sitting duck? The big animal has no chance of escaping, like a rabbit or bird?
So, if they want a big head hanging on the wall, buy a plastic one!!!

"GTP"

So you'd rather they die a slow painful death from starvation?

No, they'd rather poachers with AK 47's get every last one of them before "hunters" get them.

I do not consider most of what is sold as "hunting" in South Africa to be "hunting".

More like culling.

You go out into a National Forest in America, and kill a 5 year old white-tail buck, and you are a hunter.

Ordering a rhino or elephant on the internet, and flying to Africa to shoot it, is not hunting.

I can see that reasoning, but if there is a demand, and said demand can be used to fund conservation programs that help the overall specie, then let the canned hunter can hunt.

I am all for letting the canned hunter hunt.

If I won the lottery, I would not do it though.

Pachyderms never did shit to me, and lions are just big kitties.

Got no quarrel with either.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

So you'd rather they die a slow painful death from starvation?

Yo, that hippo looks awful healthy to me?

"GTP"

Did you stop to think that he looks that way because of game management?

Yo, or is it natural?

"GTP"

Couldnt tell as I wasnt there.
But to claim that game management doesnt work is ridiculous.
There was a time when whitetail deer were a rarity in East Texas from over hunting.
They enacted limits and the deer population exploded.
For years after that they refused to up the limits until they finally started listening to hunters claims of the extremely poor health the deer showed....yes they were starving to death.
Game management is about keeping a healthy number of animals.

Yo, we are talking about Africa?

"GTP"

Hunting in general. Trophy hunting in particular.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Yo, its senseless, who can miss a sitting duck? The big animal has no chance of escaping, like a rabbit or bird?
So, if they want a big head hanging on the wall, buy a plastic one!!!

"GTP"

So you'd rather they die a slow painful death from starvation?

No, they'd rather poachers with AK 47's get every last one of them before "hunters" get them.

I do not consider most of what is sold as "hunting" in South Africa to be "hunting".

More like culling.

You go out into a National Forest in America, and kill a 5 year old white-tail buck, and you are a hunter.

Ordering a rhino or elephant on the internet, and flying to Africa to shoot it, is not hunting.

I can see that reasoning, but if there is a demand, and said demand can be used to fund conservation programs that help the overall specie, then let the canned hunter can hunt.

I am all for letting the canned hunter hunt.

If I won the lottery, I would not do it though.

Pachyderms never did shit to me, and lions are just big kitties.

Got no quarrel with either.

The only reason I could ever fathom shooting a predator is personal protection or live stock preservation.
They're just to damn cool to be shooting for no reason.

 

[martybegan]

Yo, its senseless, who can miss a sitting duck? The big animal has no chance of escaping, like a rabbit or bird?
So, if they want a big head hanging on the wall, buy a plastic one!!!

"GTP"

So you'd rather they die a slow painful death from starvation?

No, they'd rather poachers with AK 47's get every last one of them before "hunters" get them.

I do not consider most of what is sold as "hunting" in South Africa to be "hunting".

More like culling.

You go out into a National Forest in America, and kill a 5 year old white-tail buck, and you are a hunter.

Ordering a rhino or elephant on the internet, and flying to Africa to shoot it, is not hunting.

I can see that reasoning, but if there is a demand, and said demand can be used to fund conservation programs that help the overall specie, then let the canned hunter can hunt.

I am all for letting the canned hunter hunt.

If I won the lottery, I would not do it though.

Pachyderms never did shit to me, and lions are just big kitties.

Got no quarrel with either.

A refreshing viewpoint, to be sure.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

First off, comparing animals to insects is inhumane. But second off, I don't mindlessly kill insects w/o cause. I respect the ecosystem. Third off, hunting for survival and hunting for sport are two different things. Fourth off, I'm not a liberal deuche hypocrite, I'm not for abortion....I just happen to have an enlightened view upon respecting animals and people. Apparently in your left vs right world it's choose one or the other.

The key to your statement is: "without cause." My OP reveals several "causes" for shooting animals. The "cause" that would initiate your killing of a cockroach is the same one that farmer would use to kill a mole or a Starling or the one that a rancher would use to kill a predator.

Also, there's no reason why "survival" and "sport" can't be combined. But one doesn't necessarily need to hunt deer for either sport or survival. It could be that a man is on a tight budget and decides that it's more economical to shoot a deer for the meat than to buy a year's worth of beef. Also, as stated in the OP, a person could shoot a particular species of animal for the long term benefit to that species. When herds of deer become overpopulated then food becomes scarce and the entire herd is in danger of starvation and disease.

Food for thought.

I can at least semi-understand people that hunt and eat their food. But I still don't feel like it's the right thing to do in this day and age. It's not necessary. I think humans have a responsibility to be friends of nature as much as possible.

Hunting is absolutely necessary to keep populations under control.
You'd have starving deer all over the damn place if you didnt thin em out.

That's right wing propaganda. Nature can balance itself.

We ARE part of nature, we just overcame our lack of thick skin, claws and large teeth via our naturally larger and more complex brains.

You're only making my original point. Barbarians choose to see themselves as simply animals too.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

First off, comparing animals to insects is inhumane. But second off, I don't mindlessly kill insects w/o cause. I respect the ecosystem. Third off, hunting for survival and hunting for sport are two different things. Fourth off, I'm not a liberal deuche hypocrite, I'm not for abortion....I just happen to have an enlightened view upon respecting animals and people. Apparently in your left vs right world it's choose one or the other.

The key to your statement is: "without cause." My OP reveals several "causes" for shooting animals. The "cause" that would initiate your killing of a cockroach is the same one that farmer would use to kill a mole or a Starling or the one that a rancher would use to kill a predator.

Also, there's no reason why "survival" and "sport" can't be combined. But one doesn't necessarily need to hunt deer for either sport or survival. It could be that a man is on a tight budget and decides that it's more economical to shoot a deer for the meat than to buy a year's worth of beef. Also, as stated in the OP, a person could shoot a particular species of animal for the long term benefit to that species. When herds of deer become overpopulated then food becomes scarce and the entire herd is in danger of starvation and disease.

Food for thought.

I can at least semi-understand people that hunt and eat their food. But I still don't feel like it's the right thing to do in this day and age. It's not necessary. I think humans have a responsibility to be friends of nature as much as possible.

Hunting is absolutely necessary to keep populations under control.
You'd have starving deer all over the damn place if you didnt thin em out.

That's right wing propaganda. Nature can balance itself.

What a dumbass.. How exactly does that happen?
THEY STARVE TO DEATH you fucken dolt!

How many dears have you come across that were near starvation? Check and mate.