Misconceptions

I'm sure that I am not the only person that has been told that hunting is cruel and unnecessary. A lot of people think that hunters enjoy killing animals just for the sake of having something to show off to their friends. While this may be true for a few people, most hunters today hunt in order to feed their families. In a time where it costs an arm and a leg to go to the grocery store and buy meat for your family, hunting is a cheap alternative.

One huge misconception that I have always heard is that hunters are cruel to the animals that they kill. Actually, most hunters take pride in their ability to take an animal down with one good, clean shot that quickly kills an animal. Most hunters brag about their marksmanship and the fact that they are able to take their target down with only one shot. Alot of non-hunters seem to think that allowing every wild animal to live as they were intended to would be better for them than killing some of them. What these people don't realize is that the alternative to a swift death from a hunter is much much worse. Things like starvation and disease outbreaks are just two of the many things that can slowly kill off our wildlife. Dying from starvation or disease is a slow painful death. Neither of these alternatives are pretty, and they most certainly are not easily contained. Both usually occur in a widespread area and they both affect every animal in that area.

Starvation and disease outbreaks in wild animals are usually caused by overpopulation. This is just one way that hunting can help. When hunters take to the woods and eliminate some of the animals in an area, they are decreasing the amount of competition amongst animals. The less animals that are present in any given area, the more food there will be available, and the less likely that disease will break out and spread amongst all species of animals. If we were to eliminate hunting and allow all animals to live out their entire lives, overpopulation and disease rates would skyrocket.

Another thing to consider is the fact that if there is over crowding in an area that is near a roadway, it is more likely that some of the animals in that area will eventually be pushed out by other animals. These animals that are pushed out of their homes will cause more automobile accidents and they will also cause damage to gardens, fields, and even flowers used for landscaping. So, not only is hunting important because it puts food in the bellies of our families, it is also extremely important when it comes to maintaing wildlife populations and containing the spread of diseases.

What are your opinions on hunting? What are some of the wild misconceptions that you have heard about hunting/hunters?