There are millions and millions of Americans (and millions more around the world) that consider hunting to be a way of life, a traditional pastime, and an environmentally friendly way to control the population of a nuisance species – but there are just as many people out there that consider this to be a barbaric throwback to a time best forgotten and nothing short of animal murder.
One of you most polarizing and controversial topics in the United States and abroad, you’re going to find folks that are tremendously passionate on both sides of this topic with very few people that sit right there in the middle. To better understand the pros and cons of deer hunting we have put together this quick guide. The inside information below should help to shine a little bit of extra light on the subject for you.
The Pros of Deer Hunting
Hunting – deer hunting in particular – is one of the few remaining and effective ways to control wildlife populations in the United States.
Because human beings are an apex predator, and because we push out natural predators of deer from the habitat that deer reside in just by our very presence, the deer population has had the opportunity to explode all across the country.
That isn’t terrible news on its own for sure, but at the same time when you have deer devastating crops, destroying property, and getting slammed into by cars on busy roads every day of the week – sometimes not even killing them but crippling them and forcing them to suffer a terrible death – it’s easy to see why trained hunters that are capable of controlling the population through humane means are so beneficial.
On top of that deer hunting was and continues to be an American way of life for millions and millions of people throughout the nation. Men and women of all ages have grown up going deer hunting with their loved ones, and it’s a time-honored tradition that many love to pass on to future generations.
The Cons of Deer Hunting
At the same time, there are those that feel that hunting is no longer the traditions that it used to be – or a necessity of life – and instead nothing more than blood sport that involves the murder of furry little woodland creatures.
It’s easy to see and to this point of view, especially since human beings in general have a real desire to anthropomorphize animals (which has a lot to do with the fact that we have pets living amongst us in record numbers these days), and it’s not exactly completely untrue, either.
Overhunting also has the potential for extinction, even if there are strict rules and regulations that licensed hunters need to follow in regards to the amount of deer there able to take every year.
Combine that with irresponsible hunters out there that cause accidents and fatalities every year and you can certainly see where people are coming from on this side of the fence.
