Why People Hunt

The reasons that people hunt now and long ago are for reasons within themselves. Some hunt for survival, some for sport, personal beliefs, and others hunting is their passion. We will look at all of these reasons for pursuing game, and look back at how these reasons have changed over time.

In the days of the cave man and early Native American civilization people hunted for the soul purpose of survival. These people had to hunt in order to provide food for their families. These Indians had a respect for the wild creatures of nature that was extremely profound. The native Americans held animals in such high regard that they had a brotherhood with them. This resulted in honoring the animal that was slain, because it proudly gave its life so that others could live. At other times animals were hunted as a test of a young man's bravery, courage, and hunting skills. The same respect for the animal being pursued was still practiced.

As time passed the motives for people to hunt began to change. The respect for wild game which was so evident in the early days was lost. Some people now hunted for money. The wild buffalo almost went extinct due to this unmanaged slaughter of animals. This is not to say all people were like this. It took only a relatively small group of people with enough disrespect and lack of common sense to cause such wide spread damage.

Later on people got a real picture of the wide spread damage done by these earlier generations. These people took it upon themselves to set up organizations to protect wild animals. By providing new conservation practices and developing new habitat and regulations wild animals were back off on the right foot again. The respect and care for wild animals that to some degree was lost at one point in time was regained and taken to the next level. These better conservation practices provided better hunting habitat and made it possible for the animals to be there for the generations to follow.

Thanks to wildlife management developed years before our time our generation is lucky enough to have to opportunity to hunt wild animals. Personally I feel that the respect todays hunters have for the game in which they peruse is at a high. Some may say that the reasons that people hunt today has changed , and I have to agree to some extent. Although hunting is not needed for survival to the same extent as it was before, the reasons within oneself are the same. The reasons people hunt today depend on the person you talk to. Some hunt because that was the way they were raised, and the hunting experience to them is the family bonding experienced in the woods. Hunting to a few is a release and a way to escape from the beaten path, and find themselves. Yet hunting to some is an almost religious experience. These people feel at home in the woods, they can sense the spirit'swalking beside them,and cleanse their soul in the process.

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