Is Hunting Necessary? Get the Answer in the Essay Sample

Game hunting is a concept that has categorized people into two divides. Proponents and those who are against the idea. Those opposing it argue from the perspective that it poses a great threat to the existence of wildlife and nature. Proponents argue in support of conservative hunting that integrates protective measures in hunting (Snyman &Paul, 60). Equally, it is unethical and morally wrong to hunt and kill animals with a clear reason for doing it. Hunting may also be important. Although a majority of people criticizes hunting, it is necessary due to notable benefits that come along with it.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Hunting creates jobs and improves the economy. Employment opportunities have been created for thousands of people who undertake hunting as a career. In the United States, approximately sixteen million people are hunters, which represent 6% of its population. Hunting as a sport has created over 700,000 jobs in the United States alone not to mention other parts of the world (Di Minin & Corey, 315). Majority of people who would otherwise have been jobless find hunting to be a worthy venture. Interestingly, a recent estimate by the wildlife organizations in the United States indicates that 14 million US hunters spent a total of $22 billion every year. When money obtained from hunting is spent, economies begin to grow. Businesses, on the other hand, continue to blossom and registering increases sales. Take the case of money spent on guns, bullets, hunting wear, cars they use, fuel consumed during hunting trips. The list is long. Were it not for hunting, money that would otherwise have been idle in accounts somewhere could not have been spent. The money spent on hunters and on hunting makes many people to earn a living as well as providing taxes to governments. Hunters pay taxes and license fees in order to be allowed to operate. The proceeds from hunting are usually channeled into beneficial projects such as building roads, schools, hospitals and improving tourism. The number of hunters and those interested in hunting has been increasing over the years (Lee & Richard, 35). This is an implication that the amount of money spent on hunting is going to increase in the future. Similarly, the earnings will quadruple and more jobs opportunities will be generated. All these will lead to improved economic growth.

Through hunting, the population of animals is controlled. It maintains the population of animal species that are rapidly increasing in number posing threat to the balance of the ecosystem. Hunting is necessary to temporarily curb population growth of animals such as deer, and pigeons whose population has grown beyond being supported by the environment hence presenting dangers to the human civilization (Perry et al., 130). Even though there are natural means such as predators that aid in population control, hunting is mandatory in scenarios where the population is increasing at an alarming rate. When the population of wild animals increases, the probability of these animals contacting diseases also increases (Tilman & David, 57). Furthermore, a disease outbreak in a game park is likely to spread very fast hence wiping out an entire species of wild animals. Hunting ensures that this point is not reached. To make matters worse, these diseases might be communicable to a level of infecting humans. Hunting, therefore, controls the population of sick animals. Consequently, pests emanating from a ballooning wild animal population are likely to infest crop farms and livestock leading to reduced agricultural productivity and massive losses. When the population exceeds the required capacity, wild animals begin to cross boundaries of game parks and reserves leading to massive destruction of crops in farms, the death of livestock, and destruction of property in worst circumstances death of people. When these things happen, it is necessary to undertake hunting in order to curb the destructions that pose a great danger to the existence of humanity (Lee & Richard, 32). Hunting serves to curb the losses that come along with wildlife finding themselves on the wrong side of the sanctuaries. Biodiversity of both plants and animals is achieved and improved. Through hunting, an equilibrium point between plants and animals is arrived at. Animals are prevented from exceeding the ecosystem's carrying capacity. Similarly, plants and vegetation cover cannot decrease to a level of not supporting the available animal population. By controlling population, biodiversity is achieved. On the same note, controlling population ensures that vulnerable species are protected. When the population of predators rapidly increases, the number of prey is likely to go down. For instance, when the population of leopards increases in a game reserve. The antelope population risks reducing to a point of extinction. Hunting down leopards ensures that their number is maintained at a low level and that antelopes can thrive. The risk of extinction is evaded.

In as much as hunting is deemed necessary. There are limitations to it that raise criticism. It is more of a sport than a necessity of life. The modern hunting, which is just a sport, is not just because it claims the life of wildlife at the expense of enjoyment and reduces wildlife population. This amounts to total disrespect for nature. Several animal species have been hunted to a level of becoming endangered. In severe occasions, some species have been driven into extinction. According to Mother Nature news reports, 13 animals have become extinct due to hunting in the last 200 years (Di Minin & Corey, 103). A perfect example is a Tasmanian tiger. Hunting is likely to raise the number of extinct species in the near future. In addition to killing, the hunter may accidentally injure other animals and wildlife in the ecosystem. A botched hunting attempt might leave an animal in a poor health condition that is likely to cause death. The population of wild animals is therefore reduced and extinction can become a reality.

The benefits, which accrue from hunting, are immense and range from biological to economical. The biological importance is manifested through the control of population and maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. Economic usefulness is displayed through job creation, income generation, and increased expenditure. However, hunting has its own woes, which cannot be ignored. It poses a great danger to nature and wildlife species. Since the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, hunting should be encouraged. On the other hand, hunting should be regulated to make it nature-friendly.

Works Cited

Di Minin, Enrico, Nigel Leader-Williams, and Corey JA Bradshaw. "Banning trophy hunting will exacerbate biodiversity loss." Trends in Ecology & Evolution 31.2 (2016): 99-102.

Lee, Richard B. "What hunters do for a living, or, how to make out on scarce resources" Man the hunter. Routledge, 2017. 30-48.

Tilman, David, et al. "Future threats to biodiversity and pathways to their prevention." Nature 546.7656 (2017): 73.

Perry, George LW, et al. "A high-precision chronology for the rapid extinction of New Zealand moa (Aves, Dinornithiformes)." Quaternary Science Reviews 105 (2014): 126-135.

Snyman, Andrei, Craig R. Jackson, and Paul J. Funston. "The effect of alternative forms of hunting on the social organization of two small populations of lions Panthera leo in southern Africa." Oryx 49.4 (2015): 604-610.