Hunting

     Hunting is a pretty controversial topic in the U.S. Sides are often taken quickly - hunting is beneficial, or hunting should be banned. I grew up in a family where my grandpa, dad, uncle, and brother all hunt. Personally, I don't think I could bring myself to shoot a deer or turkey, but the men of my family always had the tradition of going down to our cabin in Dent County and shooting during deer and turkey seasons. I have always been okay with it. They hardly ever brought anything back home, and when they did, we always used the animals for meat.

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     Where I draw the line with hunting is when the purpose becomes solely for enjoyment or recognition rather than for food or population control. I am very against trophy hunting. We have products of taxidermy in my house, but nearly all of the animals were used for meat before being stuffed and were not killed solely to be hung on the wall. When hunting, if the largest, most majestic creature is sought out to be killed, the purpose is likely to have a trophy animal. Hunters for population control do not seek out specific animals because of size, and hunters for meat often shoot larger animals but do not care if it the best specimen of the species. My moral structures are against killing another animal to make humans feel superior. My moral structures also tell me that eating meat from an animal that lived its life naturally in the wild is far better than eating meat from an animal that was raised inhumanely in a concrete building without anything that is natural to it.
     Hunting is helpful in situations where it provides food, regulates over-population, and prevents disease spread. Laws are in place to prevent too much hunting so that populations do not dwindle to extremely low levels. Other laws also regulate how and when people can hunt, protecting the populations of animals (http://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/regulations). However, illegal hunting is a serious issue that is killing too many animals and occasionally disregards the safety of humans. Hunting out of season, not using proper methods, and hunting on private property are all too common. It is often difficult to catch illegal hunters, and organizations like the Department of Conservation need to crack down on the issue more.

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     Overall, I believe that hunting is beneficial to humans and to the environment. Without hunting, some people could not eat, overpopulation could cause environmental harm and threats to human safety, and diseases could become out of hand. Proper instruction must be given before anyone should be allowed to hunt, and hunters must be required to keep up with current laws and regulations. The negative effects of hunting, like questions of safety, could mostly be prevented with proper instruction and ensuring that regulations are followed. People against hunting may believe that it is downright immoral to kill animals, and that also is a valid viewpoint. However, my thoughts lead me to argue that humans and animals have hunted for survival all throughout history, and it appears to be a natural part of sustaining life. Hunting is only immoral in my mind when it is done for bragging rights, to witness suffering, or only to get thrill from the kill. Otherwise, hunting's benefits outweigh its negative effects, and hunting should be protected as long as it is regulated.