This week's Blog is going to hit a sore spot for a lot of people. Specifically targeting an article on why Big Game hunting in Africa is just for fun and people killing to feel the thrill. As a hunter I can speak to the fact that hunting is a form of conservation. Generally people hunt these animals to put food on their table. Antlers and horns etc are generally a bonus, but those who are legally paying for this are putting back into the ecosystem and honestly helping save these animals. Just like deer, elk, and animals around Washington that we hunt, African animals need to be managed.
Most people would generally think that they can manage themselves, but I can tell you first hand, that is a load of garbage! The prey to predator ratio needs to be monitored, and it is no different whether it is in America, or Africa. Poaching has increased in Africa since the ban of buying and selling ivory, specifically in Africa. Most Rhinos have to be tranquilized and have their horns removed that way poachers do not kill them for their ivory. The average cost to hunt a rhino is upwards of 70,000 dollars, and every dime of that goes back into the game management areas and reserves to be able to help and try to sustain these animals.
Most hunters paying this money do care about the species they are hunting, and if they all stopped the funding for this would die out, and so would the animals. Having reserves helps monitor these creatures, while legally allowing hunters to come in and harvest a “Trophy” but also doing it in a legal manner. This occurs for Rhinos, Lions, Leopards, Crocodiles and many other African Animals. I know for a fact that if they were to stop this hunting, these species would not last, and would die out. However with this money, it allows people to step in and enjoy the thrill of hunting, while also providing meat, hides and bone structure to the villages, and get to spend this money towards conservation ultimately saving these species.
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