This is a short essay for children on the topic of hunting and why I believe it is bad. Anybody can use it as they wish under a Creative Commons licence. It is deliberately written in plain English and the discussion is simplified.
Kids should know the difference between right and wrong and between good and bad. When people behave in a bad way, their behaviour is immoral. What is morality? It is about the standards of behaviour that people expect of other people and themselves which make life acceptable.
When a person successfully hunts an animal he is causing the animal pain, discomfort and ultimately death. The hunter has created something negative and unpleasant. He has also created something pleasant for himself. He enjoys the hunt. He does it because it is enjoyable.
On the one hand we have a person who is enjoying himself and on the other hand we have an animal who is suffering pain and death. Is it fair that a human being should take enjoyment from the suffering of another sentient being1? If not then sport hunting is immoral and bad.
If a hunter had to hunt and kill an animal for a good reason other than his enjoyment then you could say that it is okay to hunt an animal. You could say that it is moral to hunt an animal.
Many thousands of years ago and even as recently as hundreds of years ago, the hunting of animals was done in order to eat them to survive. There was a real purpose to hunting. This purpose made it justifiable to most people but not vegetarians2.
Nowadays, some hunters also hunt animals to eat them. The say they hunt animals in order to provide themselves with a meal. But there is no need to hunt animals for a meal. These people could go down to the local supermarket to buy their meal there. If they did this they would not need to cause pain and suffering to an animal.
Therefore even if a hunter says that he kills animals for food it is unacceptable. It cannot be a good thing to hunt for food when there are alternatives which don’t cause pain and suffering. People who hunt for food are really hunting for fun.
When hunters say they kill animals for food sometimes they are saying it in order to stop people criticising them. They’re trying to turn behavior which is immoral into something which is moral. I would be quite certain that most of the hunters who say they hunt for food do not actually do it. Also hunting animals for the skin on their back (their fur) is immoral because the purpose, which is to make people look attractive in fur clothes, cannot justify the death of a sentient being.
Hunting animals for food is something people did in the past when it was allright to do it because it had real purpose. Nowadays it is mainly done for fun and this is not a purpose which can be justified. Many of the animals which are killed are beautiful. They grace our planet. They make the planet more beautiful. To kill them makes the planet less beautiful.
Sometimes hunting can be justified even though the animal is not going to be eaten by humans. These are the times when there are too many of a certain type of animal which may become a nuisance to humans. Then humans say they have the right to kill them. That is called “culling”. Even when people say that they have to cull animals they need to look at their behaviour as well. This is because there are too many people and not too many animals. Also people are often the cause of the problem.
Hunters do not see the immorality in causing pain to animals for their pleasure. This is a weakness in them. It is their failure. And sport and trophy hunters claim that hunting iconic wild species such as the Africa lion helps conservation by bringing money into the country. This is a lie. Protecting lions makes more money for an African country because there are more lions and more paying tourists to see them.
Hunting is a thing of the past. It needs to stop.
- Animals are sentient beings because they feel pain and emotions.
- Vegetarians are people who believe that humans don’t need to eat animals and should not eat them.
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I entirely disagree with you about hunting. Hunting is related to eating and to religion ( study the innuit). It’s a deeply human activity which can be enjoyable, satisfying, very difficult and even mysterious. I’m happy for you not to hunt yet you would agitate against my freedoms.
Several times above you describe those who argue against you here as having “crap arguments”. This is hardly the rejoinder of the rational man.
Now, in your reply to me, mention some of the good things about Homo sapiens hunting – this would indicate you are capable of balance in your examination of the matter. Perhaps you aren’t concerned with balance?
I’ve your article and the comments, some of them to which I agree strongly with. I, myself am a hunter. Yes, you read that and are already freaking out. But, to an extant I strongly agree with you. People who hunt for sport are purely cruel. I also agree that agriculture system almost worldwide is immoral and simply evil, though it SHOULD be humane. No sane person should EVER condone slaughter methods, simply writing about it makes me sick. Unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world
Now you also said that people who hunt do it for fun. Yes, sadly some people do. So let’s imagine a world where everyone was vegan, no animal products at all. No honey, milk, butter, cheese, fish, etc. How are we going to get all of those resources? Earth has 7.6 billion people and a very finite amount of land. We’re obviously not going to use all that land because of other natural resources our countries thrive on. (Natural Gas, oil, solar and wind power, places for people to live.) But we also need a safe and healthy way to grow those crops so they don’t devastated the ecology (that we also need to preserves space for). It’s NOT possible to live in a world like that.
The fact that you are trying to say it’s possible is impossible for me to comprehend.
I think you are missing the point. Killing an animal via hunting means the animal is in it’s natural habitat, and unsuspecting of anything. But when an animal is killed in a factory, it’s terrible. It gets locked up until its killed, gets very scared and nervous, and lots of the meat gets wasted, the point is, that hunting foR food is 99% of the time better than being killed via a factory
Thanks but you are missing the point that killing in a factory should be pain free while hunting causes pain to the animal. Also hunting is for the pleasure of the hunter. How can u justify killing animals for pleasure?
All of you need to stop this just because you think it’s “bad”get over it it’s the cycle of life they’ll have baby’s and they’ll repopulate.Plus hunting is to is to survive god will help in one way.And up there Hunter girl makes you sick you are just rude saying that makes me sick.So stop!!And get OVER IT!stop judging.
You must have been pissed when you wrote this Keira or your command of English is crap. And your argument is crap too.
Eat what you kill. Otherwise you are doing it for entertainment,which is deplorable and heinous.
Well, I have to counter that with the same back at you. “Borderline” vegetarian? That’s like being a “little pregnant”? Nope, I’m not buying that! And “I” am NOT a hunter BTW. But I DO know those who are and are classified as “expert” shots from their service to our country and yours, so YES, the ones I personally know DO hunt ONLY FOR FOOD and DO kill in one clean shot. One thing I am NOT is a liar, and I pride myself on my morals and values as a humanitarian and a protector of all domestic animals. You may know something about YOUR country, but you know NOTHING ABOUT OURS apparently. Yes, in EVERY walk of life, you will have abusers and the sick people who get a thrill out of hurting the innocent and the helpless. Unfortunately, that goes across the board in all professions also. There are those who are veterinarians, vet techs, animal trainers, groomers, etc., who are in that profession and harm animals purposely EVERY DAY. I am working very hard right now in my part of the world to make people aware of that and to lobby to legislature to put in place stricter laws to protect our companion animals. Unfortunately, people will NEVER stop eating meat. I could easily do it because I personally rarely eat meat, but one person out of 100 being a vegetarian won’t save the world. Sooo why pay these HUGE companies that TRULY don’t give a crap about how many thousands of animals they harm or damage they are causing us in the form of disease and cancers when you can humanely have ONE kill and feed a family of 3 for the whole winter?? Tell me that all that carnage at the supermarkets full of steroids and antibiotics and preservatives is a better idea! Defend that principle for me.
Both are equally bad. You can’t justify one bad with another bad. And hunting is inherently bad because ultimately people do it for their pleasure and if they eat the animal that is a spin off but the true driver is blood lust and violence. That is human nature for you.
I want to say up front, I am a HUGE animal lover and advocate for domestic animals, and I agree with many of your articles in support of stiffer laws against companion animal abuse and neglect. Having said that though….First thing is unless you are a true vegetarian or vegan, this whole premise is either complete ignorance of how those animals get to the supermarket or total hypocrisy. I was an inspector for Dept of Agriculture for 10 years and saw firsthand what goes on in the slaughterhouses that put that meet on your table. Turning a blind eye to it and burying your head in the sand all the while talking about the roast dinner you’re preparing, all the sausages, steaks and meats I see consumed in the UK (MUCH MORE on a whole than many other countries including the US), doesn’t make that meat you’re so sanctimoniously eating any less dead or any less injured BEFORE it reaches the supermarket. This theory is just ludicrous and laughable! Do your research, search on YouTube and see how you feel about it then! It is much more humane for an experienced hunter to make one clean shot through the heart to an unsuspecting deer than to see a room full of cows, pigs and chickens witnessing and hearing those that go before them. I literally watched a truckload of chickens being dumped from a dump truck onto a concrete floor as they scattered in a panic trying to hide. I saw a poor chicken hide it’s head behind the water cooler to no avail! As in many professions, people seem to take sadistic pleasure in torturing these poor animals before they take their last breaths. Some workers in these factories really think it’s funny to slowly kill them or stomp them. Sickening and disgusting!! This isn’t even to mention the antibiotics and steroids that are given these animals and the filthy, deplorable conditions many of these large corporations house their live pets in before they are very roughly handled, thrown around like sacks of flour or feed, stepped on, sadisticly and inhumanly handled from birth till their last torturous day all for people like YOU to just go to the supermarket and purchase your neatly packaged meat that you believe miraculously somehow appeared dead at the supermarket completely unharmed, though just as dead and MUCH MORE UNHEALTHY than any venison, wild turkey or grouse that was quickly shot by an expert who actually appreciates and respects these creatures that God gave us for food. There is no sadistic pleasure from a true hunter for food. Trophy hunters is a whole different story altogether and I don’t agree with, but I will challenge you greatly on a hunter who is making a one-shot kill in their natural habitat for a healthy choice for their family’s meals. This animal is killed for food only, but then so is your unhealthy, less than fresh supermarket meat that has changed hands and temperatures many times before even reaching your table and has lived a life of hell to get there just so you can eat it with a “clear conscience” all because YOU personally didn’t dirty YOUR hands to kill it. Please get your facts straight and your head out of the sand or out of your hind end and do your reasearch for yourself. OR ARE YOU TOO AFRAID OF WHAT YOU WILL FIND?? Don’t be on your high horse condescending to something you obviously know nothing about…or become a vegan and see how that works for you.?
Debra, I am sorry but I think your argument is pure crap. Really. You are saying that as livestock is killed in a bad way (because of poor government controls) this justifies hunting for food. It can’t work like that. The answer is to improve livestock slaughter or even make all of us vegetarians.
Frankly I am sick of reading the stupid arguments of people like you. You always start off with how you love animals and then you kill them for bloody pleasure or food (rarely) but how many kill their prey in one clean shot and how many animals die as if they were euthanised? Very few or none. You can’t guarantee killing an animal humanely with a bullet or a arrow at a distance
You guys are living in a world that existed for me 100-200 years ago. You are living in the past. You have failed to develop and grow up. I am fully aware of nasty slaughter houses. I hardly eat meat. I am borderline vegetarian and I’d love to see much better livestock husbandry and slaughter but this does not justify hunting. Fix the problem don’t use the problem to justify something bad i.e. hunting.
My head is not in the sand but hunters never get the counter arguments. I have to conclude that their heads are firmly in the sand. Oh, and they always justify their killing by saying it improves conservation: more crap.
Have you ever seen a cow slaughtered? Not very pleasant. A hit in the head with a hammer jurked up by its hind feet and a long blade to the hart. Myself I prefer wild game. I fill my freezer with wild game that my whole family eats. If there is something we don’t eat it goes into homemade dog food. If animals weren’t hunted there wouldn’t be any crops for vegetarians. I’m a hunter and proud of it but I don’t down people who don’t hunt. I don’t down people who don’t eat meat at all. Maybe you should just keep going to the market for you food and not worry yourself about the rest of us.
U.S. Army Veteran Proud American Hunter!
I don’t condone poor slaughter methods. They are as bad as hunting.
What does that mean? It does not make sense. Like all hunters you struggle to justify it. You just have not grown up.
personally i feel like a true hunter, 1 that hunts for food, etc-donates the skin to native leather workers etc, & THAT kind of hunt is ok to me cuz i doubt that u can get deer meat in the local store without it costing an outrageous sum. thats the kind of hunting my neighbors did when i was a kid & they were responsible, conscientious, law-abiding, respectful, & efficient-quick, clean kills. i totally respect THOSE kinds of hunters & the hunting THEY do. unfortunately they r few & far in between.
most “sport” hunters just want the trophies & the thrills. most tend to b arrogant, & disrespectful. there ARE some that r not arrogant, etc, but there r not many of those around nowadays. their kind of hunting is wasteful & scars the area they hunt in.
a TRUE hunter cleans up the area he/she was in so that ud never know they were there. my next door neighbor made sure the local tribe got the skins from EVERY animal he killed, & when he went out with his family he checked in to see if there were any overpopulated areas & if so hed hunt there so he was doing a service. he always felt that there was always a way to do it right, to give back or help somehow. u just had to look for it sometimes. hed stop hunting with people if he found that theyd poached or did something illegal, even if he wasnt there, cuz he didnt want that vibe on his hunt & especially not around his kids who he took out with him, turning it into a teaching situation as well.
sorry to digress, but he was a really great guy, & it does still kinda apply. i NEVER liked nor respected sport hunters, but TRUE hunters i do, & i see nothing wrong with what THEY do.
It’s very sad that many people enjoy killing animals, especially for a trophy.
There is also another view point about hunting even though humans can peacefully coexist with animals.
Because humans are expanding their living areas, animals are losing theirs. This cuts down on the amount of naturally available food. Each area is only capable of supporting a specific amount of animal life, without human intervention.
Plus, when there are not enough natural predators to keep the animal population in check, two things happen: Starvation and Disease.
That brings about the question: What’s more humane:
Hunting – OR – Starvation and Disease?
Michael_your welcome. Eva
Hunting has always felt wrong to me, ever since I was a small child. My heart tells me it is inhumane and cruel. My head agrees with my heart. There is no logic to hunting.
There are two sides to this question and more ! A. Hunting for sport alone is not acceptable & needless suffering follows the act, not to mention the desensitizing of the killer. B. If the act is carried out with the need to supply food and or self defense; and the prey taken in a quick and hopefully instant death-then I would accept this protocol.I should clarify further by stating that I could not harm an animal just for the sport of it.C. A severly injured animal should be put out of it’s misery as soon as possible. Leaving a wounded animal after an unsuccessful hunt is immoral & against the law as is the slaughter of an endangered species. Eva Force
Thanks Eva for your thoughts.