Perhaps you have ever wondered why hunting is important. Since the beginning of humanity’s existence, it has been a vital necessity for survival. At present, it is a leisure activity that takes place in habitats that allow the existence of numerous species of wild animals that can be hunted, and that constitutes a great attraction for the hunter.
A very important activity that is not limited only to sports or leisure, but also generates business activity and has a great socio-economic influence in the areas in which it is carried out. Hunters must be the first watchmen of our nature.
Hunting
On the other hand, it is essential to know the benefits and values of the activity in order to defend it judiciously, without falling into sensational or disqualifying actions that will do little or nothing to help and only manage to increase discredit among a society eager for controversies.
We do not only refer to those values such as brotherhood, camaraderie, solidarity, and many others that, since childhood, our parents and grandparents have known to instill in us with words, gestures and attitudes that we also have the responsibility to continue transmitting to our children.
We also refer to the importance of knowing other essential aspects that the scientific community has studied and studies on hunting activity and that are supported by objective data, intensive fieldwork, statistics, analysis and discussions, and the approval of the researchers themselves. they are not always hunters. Works all of them born from the effort and tenacity of many who, in silence, spend hours in the field in defense of hunting and conservation. The problem is that they almost never manage to achieve enough media coverage and penetrate the most urbanized society, something of vital importance so that at least those who reject it only because of the sensationalist “actions” of some, have another neutral point of view and objective.
Conservation of the environment
Banning it would be really harmful to the environment. And it is that hunting activity contributes to its conservation because, thanks to it, the territories that have been preserved intact are very extensive, preventing other more aggressive activities for the environment. For this reason, hunters are obliged to pay licenses and taxes for carrying out the activity, so that later the money is reinvested in conservation activities.
According to a study carried out in 2013, aspects such as the control of predators, the impact of the contribution of water or food or the repopulations themselves are favorable for all animals. Even in the case of predator control, it was also advantageous for some prey species, highlighting the negative consequences of illegal control over protected species. But it was also found that too intensive management, based on the release of farm animals, can be very harmful to certain bird species.
For this reason, the researchers concluded that the ideal is to carry out management that combines the maintenance of adequate habitats, a house based on sustainable natural populations, correct use of feeders and drinking fountains, maintenance of reserve areas, regulation of it and, in some cases, effective and legal predator control from which other species whose conservation is of special interest may benefit.
Health management
One of the most recurrent lies about it is that it contributes to the extinction of many animals. On the contrary, it has been shown to be an activity of great importance in regard to the direct health management of hunting populations, both directly and indirectly, due to its potential for spreading over cattle herd and other species. For example, feline leukemia, transmitted by feral cats, constitutes a terrible threat to the lynx, an endangered species.
Enormous successes have been achieved in this regard with the snow leopard and it seems that it could also help save the threatened rhino. You just have to make sure you have a high-quality rifle scope. Because only in this way will you be sure to shoot the animal you planned, not some protected species. If you think your rifle scope is not good enough, Targetfrog.com offers reviews of the best models, so you can easily decide which one to buy.
So hunting is protecting many species in the world. And, although it does not make the headlines, there are many hunters who have spent years doing recovery work for threatened species such as the lynx or the brown bear.
According to another study also carried out in 2013 “A proposal to consider health aspects in hunting regulation”, it is necessary to take into account these health aspects in hunting management and in conservation, as hunting species are potential carriers and spreaders of diseases that are often shared with man, cattle and other wild species.
The control of the animal population
Another study reveals that it is very important to maintain adequate densities of populations of big game ungulates since an overpopulation can pose a major problem for the regeneration of woody species and a threat to forest dynamics, fundamental aspects within the debate that has recently arisen regarding the possibility of prohibiting hunting in National Parks.
But in addition, you should know that the populations of roe deer, wild boar, and deer have experienced spectacular growth in recent decades. This has caused that the damages in agriculture and the traffic accidents with fauna have been reduced considerably, which is not negligible since in the case of game species they already account for 60% of the claims.
Maintaining biodiversity
Many renowned researchers dedicate a lot of time and effort to studying the conservation, management and use aspects of hunting species and their habitats, which later has its consequences on the rest of the species. According to a study carried out by the University of Cambridge, the ban could lead to a loss of biodiversity. For example, as a consequence of the “Cecil effect”, the number of hunting trips to Zimbabwe fell sharply, making the overpopulation of cats in some areas of the country unsustainable. Then, the experts assured that it was necessary to reduce the number of lions by at least 200.
But you don’t have to go that far to find examples of this kind. In 1999, the Netherlands decided to ban the hunting of geese. Since then, the number of these animals has multiplied by 2,000, which has caused the Dutch to face an annual cost of 11 million euros just to correct the serious damage they cause in agriculture. And not only that but also pose a serious risk to air traffic.
Conclusion:
The truth is that it contributes to the correct development of children who practice it, preventing Nature Deficit disorder, which is increasingly common. Many have found hunting one of the best tools to show the reality of the natural environment.
