Why I Hunt

petrusg

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Hi Guys

Just a little blurb I use when I get given grief about hunting:


I have been hunting for many years and have come to a realisation that unless proper conservation though ethical hunting gets enforced onto hunters and wildlife conservationists, hunting will take a slow death in South Africa, which in turn will have a negative impact on the wildlife in South Africa.

Hunting is necessary for the environment because it allows animal populations to be controlled and kept in balance with the habitat. If animals are allowed to populate unchecked, they will reproduce until they exceed the ability of the habitat to provide enough food to sustain the population. This results in damage to plant communities and eventually malnutrition and starvation for the animals.

When proper management controls are in place, a pre-determined number of animals are allowed to be taken from the population. This assures that the food supply can support the remaining animals in a healthy state.

Out-of-control populations of animals can cause damage to the plant community that can take decades to repair. In national parks where hunting is not allowed, massive damage to trees and other forage and disease and malnutrition of animals has resulted in authorities having to pay sharpshooters to remove excess animals so that the environment could recover and the animal population could be rejuvenated. A very good example is the Kruger National Park with their elephants. They failed to keep the numbers in check and the elephants destroyed allot of vegetation which is going to take a very long time to come right.

Nature is a cruel mistress. It goes in extreme cycles. Without human intervention, populations rise and crash. It is much better to harvest the excess and use them for food than to allow starvation and damage to the habitat to take its toll.

In an environment where humans would not exist, predators will keep prey animal populations in check. Unfortunately, in areas populated by humans, predators attack domesticated animals and many predators have been drastically reduced or eliminated. Without hunting, populations of prey animals would soar and create unsuitable conditions.

In a natural environment without humans, predator populations increase dramatically as long as prey animals are abundant. When the predator populations get to a certain level, the prey animal population diminishes and cannot support the predators. Then the predators start to die off and the cycle goes on and on.

In the early days before game laws, many game species were hunted to extinction or near-extinction by humans. Those with insight saw the need to control excess hunting and harvesting of game animals. Laws were drafted to protect animals and regulate hunting seasons, hunting methods. The use of scientific technology in studying animal habitat and populations allows the departments of natural resources to adjust seasons as needed to insure that animal populations are maintained at levels that the habitat can support. If numbers diminish, seasons are reduced, and if they flourish, seasons are increased. By this means, we are able to enjoy hunting, provide high quality protein food for our families, but still insure that animal populations will be maintained for future generations.

The most damaging problem for many animals today is not excessive hunting. It is loss of habitat due to development. If we are to maintain a viable population of a wide range of animal species, we must learn to be much wiser in how we develop and use our natural resources and devise plans to maintain viable habitat for these species.

I feel that it is up to each individual to do his or her part in looking after the fauna and flora of South Africa.
 
Well written Adriaan :clapping:
 
Just something I read in a hunting magazine that really hit home for me.... Cant remember the author, but all credit goes to him!!!!!

"They (bunnyhuggers) live safe self-indulgent lives in safe, clean neighbourhoods in a safe secular country. Too much safety will dull your natural senses and increase your separation from GOD. In order to appreciate what is truly beautiful you must also encounter the ugly. To know good you must reject evil. To enjoy the fullness of life you must accept and embrace your own death. Where there is life there is always death. I hunt because it makes me feel alive."

It made me think.....
 

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thriller wrote on Bronkatowski1's profile.
Until this guy posts something on pay it forward free I would avoid him at all costs.
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If it hasn't sold by next week I might be interested. Stock would have to be changed along with some other items. I'm already having a 416 Rigby built so money is a tad bit tight.
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Hey pal! I'll take all the .375 bullets if they're available.
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Cody R. Sieber
@DERIAN KOEKEMOER SAFARIS is proud to say that we are members of PHASA.
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