PROS & CONS OF HUNTING
Anrae Gurganus

 

    Webster's defines 'hunting' as 'the act of pursuing for food or in sport'.  Hunting in the sense of seeking out animals with the intent of killing them has been a common practice since the beginning of time.  However, the motivation behind these actions has changed over time, and these changes are posing concerns.  There are many individuals who lie on either side of the issue.  There are animal rights activists who strongly believe that it is inhumane to kill animals for any reason, there are those animal rights activists who are of a less extreme position that feel it is justifiable for hunters to hunt for survival, but not solely for pleasure, and then, there are those on the other end of the spectrum who strongly resist any bans being put on hunting and feel that each individual has a right and a freedom to conduct themselves in anyway as long as they recognize the rights and freedoms of other human beings as well. Those in favor of hunting also argue that without it, the animal populations would be so overpopulated that inbreeding, and thus the eventual elimination of most animals would be the inevitable outcome.
 

BanHunting (http://www.banhunting.com)
This site discusses the IFAW's (International Fund for Animal Welfare) campaign to ban hunting, especially with dogs.  They claim that the hunting of wild animals  with dogs causes unnecessary and prolonged suffering to its victims for the mere pleasure and enjoyment of hunting participants.

League Against Cruel Sports (http://www.league.uk.com/)
Established in 1924 in the United Kingdom, the League Against Cruel Sports campaigns peacefully for legislation to protect wildlife and abolish cruel sports, such as hunting. The League investigates the truth about cruel sports and exposes the unnecessary suffering that they cause.

Killing For Kicks (http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=killing+for+kicks)
This site poses the reason why killing other creatures for fun is morally wrong.

Friends for Animals (http://animalconcerns.netforchange.com/)
Friends for Animals is an international organization working to protect animals, with major programs to stop the poaching of African elephants, and campaigns against hunting, trapping and fur.

The Banning of Hunting is an Affront to Freedom (http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~cmdixon/hunting.html)
At this site, C.M. Dixon, an avid hunter in the United Kingdom, argues that banning hunting is an infringement on human rights and freedom.  He claims that hunting does not go against Article 29(subsection 2) of the Declaration of Human Rights because hunting does not invoke harm to another human being nor strip away the rights of another.

Jim Powlesland's Hunting Rights (http://www.ucalgary.cal~powlesla/personal/hunting/rights)
At this site, one will find the most comprehensive list of human vs. animal rights.  Powlesland claims that animals are not beings of a kind capable of exercising or responding to moral claims and therefore, animals basically have no rights.

International Bowhunting Organization (http://www.ibo.net/index.html)
The International Bowhunting Organization is a non-profit, international organization first established in Ohio in 1994.  This organization is dedicated to ensuring parents and children the right to hunt, and more specifically, bow hunt.  They feel that hunting is a basic right of an individual and taking this freedom away is going against the underlying principles upon which the democratic society in which we live is based.

Dallas Safari Club (http://www.biggame.org/)
This international membership organization is dedicated to conservation of wildlife and habitat, education of the general public, and the promotion and preservation of the rights and interest of sportsmen worldwide.

New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs (http://www.njsfc.org/njsfc.index.html)
The majority of the membership of this organization includes hunters, fishermen, trappers, recreational shooter, etc. who share two essential goals:  to protect sportsmen's rights in the responsible and ethical use of outdoors' renewable resources and to protect the resources by preventing habitat loss, and maintaining or improving the ecological health of the lands.