As you all know, there are many anti-hunting groups out there. There's PETA and numerous others. I don't know their argument on why we should not hunt, but I know of some of their actions.
For instance, these groups try to disrupt waterfowl hunts for youths. They also try to destroy peoples' traditions. The Native American groups that try to conduct a whale hunt are getting a lot of heat from all of these groups. These people are doing something that their ancestors did, yet the anti-hunters are lobbying to stop them and kill one of their traditions because they believe that hunting is a cruel sport. The problem is that these native Americans aren't hunting for sport. They are hunting for the meat that they can get from a whale.
Unless anti-hunters are strict vegetarians, they are hypocrites. Hunting gives the animals a chance to survive by themselves. The other method of getting meat is to raise cattle, fatten them up, and slaughter them. I am not saying that the butcher business is bad; I, in fact, love beef and poultry and I appreciate what butchers do. I am only saying that hunting gives animals a chance.
One thing that an anti-hunter will never tell anybody is that hunters are the largest group of conservationalists out there. Much of the cost for a hunting license goes to the upkeep of state gamelands. Duck stamps go to the preservation of wetlands. Hunters know that the environment is a fragile place and that they must do what they can to protect and preserve it. How many anti-hunting groups have contributed money to any preservation effort? Do anti-hunters contribute a single penny to the preservation of gamelands or wetlands? No. They wait for those areas to get destroyed so they can blame the hunters. They hate hunters even more because hunters are doing something for the preservation of the land.
With that in mind, anti-hunters, especially the vegetarian ones, are the ones who are killing off animals. Think about it. How many acres of forest does one have to cut down to have enough land for a farm? How many animals have to be destroyed so a person can eat a strict vegetarian diet? Now, don't get me wrong. I am not attacking vegetarians or farmers. If you choose to not eat meat, that is your decision. Also, farmers provide the other half of my diet. I am only saying that farming can hurt animals. I want anti-hunters to think about that. You will never hear a hunter cry because of a farm. We hunters respect what farmers do. Most of us ask for permission before we even think about hunting on a farm.
True, there are some bad hunters who kill animals only to be cruel, but that is not a reason to hate the whole sport. That hunter is the one that gives the rest of us a bad name. But, in everything that we do, one bad apple is in every bunch. Should we ban football, baseball, basketball, or any other sport or activity simply because one or a few participants do unethical things? No. Then, why should we ban hunting?
Hunting is an American tradition. The colonists had to hunt to survive. We do not need to hunt to survive, but then again, do we need BMWs, Gucci suits, Levi jeans, Tommy Hilfiger clothing, video games, or the internet to survive? No, but we want to have the above items. We want to hunt, so leave us alone!
Please help the pro-hunting cause. Please join any pro-hunting group that you can. We need to fight this possibly-hypocritical tidal wave of anti-hunting.
Please e-mail me whether you agree or disagree with my argument. Any comment is welcome. My address is dukefi@hotmail.com