Discussion»Questions»Life and Society» When does use become abuse? We use animals for food, clothing, entertainment, trinkets (ivory tusks?). We mount heads for trophies. Abuse?
Killing animals simply for sport is abuse unless they then use or donate the meat to a food bank or other organization that will use it to fee people. Killing an animal to put it's head on the wall as a trophy is unconscionable, especially if that species is facing extinction.
How do you feel about leading the animal down a chute, with absolutely no chance of escape, and firing a "bolt gun" into its head, or electrocuting it?
And just curious, but where in the civilized world is it legal to kill an animal that's considered to be endangered?
I am not happy about the way food animals are slaughtered, but that is the way it is sometimes. These animals are domesticated and raised solely for food. When you hunt in the woods, you are not killing animals that are bred for food and they certainly don't have a chance to escape if you're a hunter worth his salt.
Nowhere in the "civilized" world is it legal to kill endangered animals, but I'm sure you've read about "civilized" hunters who go to other countries to kill endangered animals so they hang something on their mantel.
I take it that you've never actually hunted. If you had ever then you would know that game animals "in the woods" (or the fields) certainly do have a real chance for escape and they do so far more often than you might think. There are many factors that come into play in their favor. No matter how well the hunter knows the habitat the prey knows it a LOT better. Their eyesight is very keen and most have a sense of smell that rivals that of a dog. The list of their advantages goes on and on. And in order to actually "take" the animal they have to be within range of the weapon the hunter is using and generally not moving. The animals list of advantages over the hunter goes on and on.
The Chinese aside (they appear to have no qualms about illegally taking and/or killing critically endangered critters), I haven't read about hunters traveling to other countries to kill game illegally. Or are you referring to US hunters traveling to to places like South Africa to take exotic (but not endangered) game? (South Africa is quite civilized these days.)
Using South Africa as an example, hunting brings in a LOT of money for conservation efforts and greatly helps control the animal population. (Don't need any rogue elephants or other dangerous game rampaging through populated areas destroying farm crops and killing people.) Take lions before the press went all stupid about it. The permit cost to take a lion was in the neighborhood of $19,000, plus the cost of actually going on the hunt (which has been indefinitely suspended since all that bruhaha). The permit is still available for a lioness at around $9,500. One reason it's less is that the trophy isn't nearly desirable. And an elephant . . . that permit is one spicy meatball for the hunter at $38,000. And that doesn't include the money brought into the local economy for the travel, food, lodging and professional hunter/guide services. (You can save a lot of money if your weapon of choice is a Canon, or a Leica; apparently the permit money is refunded if you don't take an animal and isn't charged in the first place if you're on photo safari.)
The money goes towards the maintenance of game reserves (and preserves) and to pay the salaries of the game wardens that protect the animal population from poaching. (That $38,000 obtained from a single elephant permit goes a LOT farther over there than it does over here.) I expect that since lion permits have been suspended that the poaching of those animals will greatly increase; make something scarce and its perceived value goes up. If you think not look at what happened to the elephant population of the Congo after they banned their hunting there.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply Spunky and Happy Tuesday. As you know I'm not a gun gal. I think mounting heads of dead animals is a disgusting thing to do. I understand killing them for food. I don't think killing animals ever rises to the level of something of which one should be proud....proud enough to mount a head on a wall as a memento of the experience. Just my personal view. If things were reversed can you imagine heads of humans mounted on the walls of animals' homes? Dreadful either way I think. :)
Anyone here ever purchase a Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation stamp (more commonly called a "Duck Stamp")?
But in answer to your question' no, it's not abuse. The license fees collected go to support conservation efforts and even pay the salaries of game wardens that protect those animals. I know of no hunters that waste the meat whether it be large game or small. And as to the trophy aspect . . . so what? The hide is removed, tanned (or preserved in some other way), stretched across an appropriate form to make it look as natural as possible. The underlying meat is processed and ends up on the dinner table either way.
If you want to see animals abused check out that factory farm that produces the chicken, pork or beef that you're chowing down on. Or maybe one of the many "puppy mills" around the country.
This post was edited by Salt and Red Pepper at July 11, 2017 2:21 AM MDT
I have never heard of such a stamp so no I have not purchased one. Thank you once again for your thoughtful and informative answer S and RP. But I do take great exception to your "And as to the trophy aspect...so what?" I think there is nothing remarkable or praiseworthy or magnificent about killing anything. Self-defense is a good reason of course. Now killing animals for food? At least there is a PURPOSE to it. But mounting heads of dead animals on a wall to prove that one is a skilled killer? What is there about that one could ever be proud of or want bragging rights for? Say the situation were reversed. Animals own the planet (Planet of the Apes et al) and humans are the prey. Imagine a trophy wall in the homes of animals with various human heads mounted on it. I see no difference in the disgustingness of it. Both are gross, gruesome,garish. You answered a previous question of mine with regard to gun safety around children. That was a REMARKABLY helpful response. As you may recall I said I wished every gun owner kept a copy of it by the gun case just as a reminder of how to prevent tragedies. This answer is less remarkable simply because you say "SO WHAT" to mounting heads of dead animals as trophies on a wall. That is very cold and callous in my opinion. Just my opinion of course. I told you I am not a gun gal. Guns are used to kill living things. Sometimes in self defense. Sometimes so people won't starve. Sometime due to hate or just because. That will never change. Justifying their use will never change. We will always have folks who think guns are splendid and folks who think they suck. But I digress. Keep in mind that wall with human heads stuffed and mounted. It might cause you to rethink your "so what"? Thank you for your reply and Happy Tuesday! OK. I'm ready for you to smack the crap outta me. :(
This post was edited by RosieG at July 11, 2017 1:06 PM MDT
SpunkySenior 