Hunting – an exciting but controversial outdoor hobby

Hunting, like many other outdoor hobbies, is one of the most liked hobbies around the world. Hunting started as a means of living when the first human on earth threw a stone on an animal to eat its meat and use its coat as part of his cloak. Even when other means of catching animal for eating became common, hunting as a passion continued since time immemorial and continues even now. There are many views on hunting as some consider it unethical to kill animals for fun sake and is even considered as crime in some countries. The hunting hurts when the hunters hunt nearly extinct species of animals and birds despite strict prohibition of their hunt.

The real fun of hunting is to enjoy the nature form very close quarters and watch animals and birds in their natural habitat. Besides it is good physical exercise and perfects one’s aim and coordination. Hunting includes animal hunting, like the deer and elk hunting and bird hunting like partridges, turkey, bustards and other fowl.

Hunting is done using many means like guns, arrows and even by specially trained dogs and birds like falcons. The lords and dignitaries are often seen in films running after their hunt with hounds or drum beaters trying to encircle a lion and ultimately killing the beast when adequately cornered. There are stories of hunting lions by kings and emperors while sitting on elephants in India and other countries. One often comes across hunters posing with a hunted lion or a cheetah with one foot resting on the dead animal.

Hunting as a fun should be taken while reaming under some hunting ethics. It is considered inappropriate to kill female animals. It is also unethical and even unlawful to kill animals like rhinos and elephants for their horns and tusks, or zebras and tigers for their coats. This kind of hunting is called poaching and is strongly disliked and prohibited all over the world. Many beautiful animals have become extinct due to excessive hunting like the brown bears of Deosai, Markhor and Marco-polo sheep and blind dolphin and Houbara Bustards in Pakistan

So if you decide to take up hunting as a hobby or already a hunter, ensure you hunt while  remaining within the ethics of hunting and do not transgress.

Related reading: 

Fauna and endangered wildlife of Pakistan

Deosai Plains and its extinct brown bears