Hunting is, in its most general sense, the pursuit of a target.

It is most commonly applied to the practice of pursuing animals to capture or kill them for food, sport, or trade in their products. Animals so hunted are referred to as game animals. Hunting is also done to control vermin populations or as wildlife management to reduce animal populations which have exceeded the capacity of their range or when individual animals have become a danger to humans. Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Subregnum Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... The bane of Australian farmers - the wild rabbit Mouse Vermin is a term given to animals which are considered by humans to be pests or nuisances, most associated with the carrying of disease. ... Wildlife management is a process for keeping certain wildlife populations in check. ...

History

Hunters in Kenya use much the same techniques that have been used for thousands of years.

In ancient societies, before the widespread domestication of animals, hunting was generally vital for survival as part of the hunter-gatherer way of life. For most humans before the development of agriculture, hunting would have provided an important source of protein to augment the foraged plants and vegetables that made up the majority of their diet. In addition, animal hides were used for clothing and shelters. The earliest hunting weapons would have included rocks, the Atlatl and bow and arrows. Image File history File links Hunters in Kenya. ... Image File history File links Hunters in Kenya. ... In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... Look up hide in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The atlatl, or throwing stick is a weapon that uses leverage to achieve greater speed in spear-throwing, and includes a bearing surface which allows the user to temporarily store elastic energy during the throw. ... A bow is a weapon that shoots arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow and/or its string. ... An arrow is a pointed projectile that is shot with a bow. ...

Even when animal domestication became relatively widespread, hunting was usually a significant contributor to the food supply available to a population. In addition, animal parts such as hides and horns were utilized in clothing and tools, and not all of these products could be provided from the domestication of animals. The importance of hunting in ancient societies is represented by religious figures such as Cernunnos, the Horned God. Domesticated animals, plants, and other organisms are those whose collective behavior, life cycle, or physiology has been altered as a result of their breeding and living conditions being under human control for multiple generations. ... Depiction of Cernunnos from the Pilier des nautes, Paris Cernunnos in Celtic polytheism is the deified spirit of horned male animals, especially of stags, a nature god associated with produce and fertility. ...

Hunter-gathering cultures existed along-side agrarian societies with whom they traded. This did not always result in a cultural transtition from hunting-gathering to agrarian domestication. Also, in chilly climates, the hides or furs of animals would be used as clothing (see trapping). The Inuit peoples in the Artic could produce complicated parkas consistingy of up to 60 stitched pieces capable of with-standing sub-zero temperatures. From the skins of sea mammals they produced, and still produce, water-proof kayaks, clothing, gloves and footwear. The human activity of animal trapping consists of hunting for animals to obtain their furs, which are then used for clothes and other artifacts, or sold / bartered (see fur trade). ...

With domestication of the dog, birds of prey and the ferret, various forms of animal-aided hunting developed including venery (scent hound hunting, such as fox hunting), coursing (sight hound hunting), falconry and ferreting. These are all associated with medieval hunting. Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Dog is a canine carnivorous mammal that has been domesticated for at least 14,000 years and perhaps for as long as 150,000 years based on recent evidence. ... Orders Accipitriformes     Cathartidae     Pandionidae     Accipitridae     Sagittariidae Falconiformes     Falconidae A bird of prey or raptor is a bird that hunts its food, especially one that preys on mammals or other birds. ... Trinomial name Mustela putorius furo (Linnaeus, 1758) This article is about the mammal. ... Like most scent hounds, the Basset Hound has long ears, large nasal passages, and a sturdy body for endurance. ... A fox hunt Fox hunting is a form of hunting for foxes using a pack of scent hounds. ... The Whippet shows the characteristic long legs, deep chest, and narrow waist of a sight hound. ... Falconry (occasionally referred to as falconeering) is the art or sport of training raptors (birds of prey) to hunt or pursue game. ... King William I and Harold II of England are portrayed hawking in the Bayeux Tapestry. ...

Specialization and Hunting for Sport

Nobleman in Hunting Costume, preceded by his Servant, trying to find the Scent of a Stag. From a Miniature in the Book of Gaston Phoebus ("Des Deduitz de la Chasse des Bestes Sauvaiges"). Manuscript of the Fourteenth Century (National Library of Paris).

As hunting moved from a strictly necessary activity for survival to one of many staples of society, two trends emerged. One was that of the specialist hunter - a position previously held by just about every able-bodied male (usually) in the society. As domesticated farming and herding took hold, hunting became one of many trades to be pursued by those with the necessary training. Download high resolution version (1435x1465, 145 KB)Nobleman in Hunting Costume, preceded by his Servant, trying to find the Scent of a Stag. ... Download high resolution version (1435x1465, 145 KB)Nobleman in Hunting Costume, preceded by his Servant, trying to find the Scent of a Stag. ...

The other trend was the emergence of hunting as a sport. As game became more of a luxury than a necessity, the pursuit of it could equally well be considered a luxury pursuit.

Hunting in North America in the 1800s was done primarily as a way to supplement food supplies. The safari method of hunting was a development of sport hunting that saw elaborate travel in Africa, India and other places in pursuit of trophies. In modern times, trophy hunting persists, but is frowned upon when it involves rare or endangered species of animal. Other people also object to trophy hunting in general because it is seen as a senseless act of killing another living thing for recreation, rather than food. Safari as a distinctive way of hunting was popularized by Ernest Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt. ... Trophy hunting is the selective seeking of wild game. ... An endangered species is a species whose population is so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct. ...

In the 1800s southern and central European hunters often pursued game only for a trophy, usually the head or pelt of an animal, to be displayed as a sign of prowess. The rest of the animal was often wasted. In contrast, in relatively scarcely populated northern Europe, hunting has remained the tradition of the common people, and still serves a purpose as a means of acquiring meat, although the standard of living does not require it; Eating game is generally considered a healthier and more ethical alternative to the exploitation of farmed animals. In the Nordic countries, hunting for trophies was, and still is frowned upon, but an impressive trophy is considered a bonus. This is perhaps the most common practice of modern hunters worldwide. Events and Trends Beginning of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815). ... Some trophies seen in the London Irish clubhouse at Sunbury in 2002. ... The Nordic countries (Greenland not shown) The Nordic countries is a term used collectively for five countries in Northern Europe. ...

Ladies Hunting. Costumes of the fifteenth century. From a miniature in a ms. copy of Ovid's Epistles. No 7231 bis. Bibl. nat^le de Paris.

In medieval Europe, it was common for upper-class families to claim the sole rights to hunt in certain areas of territory. Game in these areas was certainly used as a source of food and furs, often provided via professional huntsmen; but it was also expected to provide a form of recreation for the aristocracy. Furthermore, hunting provided practice in the skills of warfare. The importance of this proprietary view of game can be seen in the Robin Hood legends, in which one of the primary charges against the outlaws is that they "hunt the King's deer". Download high resolution version (2303x1663, 185 KB)Ladies Hunting. ... Download high resolution version (2303x1663, 185 KB)Ladies Hunting. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... The Ancient Greek term aristocracy meant a system of government with rule by the best. This is the first definition given in most dictionaries. ... For other uses of War, see War (disambiguation). ... Robin Hood is the archetypal English folk hero, an outlaw who, in modern versions of the legend, stole from the rich to give to the poor. ...

In later times, this aristocratic type of hunting lost its roots as a source of food and supplies, while retaining its nature as a sport.

United Kingdom

The practice of British fox hunting is a prime example of sport hunting; the fox is not eaten, and the skin is rarely preserved afterwards. Fox hunting originally developed as a means of vermin control to protect livestock. In Victorian times it also became a popular sport of the upper classes. It now attracts followers from all walks of life. Mounted followers join in on horseback and foot-followers walk or cycle, others follow by car, stopping to view the hunt from suitable vantage points. Fox hunting attract strong feelings. Some animal rights supporters feel it causes suffering to the fox and is both cruel and unnecessary. Some members of the farming and rural communities in which it takes place feel it is an integral and useful part of rural life, keeping down fox populations and providing an important contribution to social life for local people. A fox hunt Fox hunting is a form of hunting for foxes using a pack of scent hounds. ... The bane of Australian farmers - the wild rabbit Mouse Vermin is a term given to animals which are considered by humans to be pests or nuisances, most associated with the carrying of disease. ... Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819–22 January 1901) was a Queen of the United Kingdom, reigning from 20 June 1837 until her death. ... The Great Ape Project is campaigning for a Declaration on Great Apes. ...

In 2002 the Scottish Parliament passed an act banning fox hunting and other forms of hunting with hounds. On September 15th 2004 the British Parliament followed Scotland's lead and passed a similar ban for England and Wales under the Hunting Act 2004, which took effect from February 18, 2005. The British Government forced the ban into law using the Parliament Act. Some hunting activists have declared their intention to break the law and continue hunting with hounds. 2002(MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Scottish Parliament (Pàrlamaid na h-Alba in Gaelic, Scots Pairlament in Scots) is the national unicameral legislature of Scotland. ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... 2004(MMIV) is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (Latin: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages with Official Status1 English Scottish Gaelic Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English, Welsh Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff First Minister Rhodri Morgan Area  - Total Ranked 3rd UK 20,779 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 3rd UK 2,903,085 140/km² Ethnicity: 97. ... The Hunting Act 2004 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom passed in 2004. ... February 18 is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005(MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the United Kingdom, Parliament Act refers to each of two Acts of Parliament, passed in 1911 and 1949 respectively. ... Activism, in a general sense, can be described as involvement in action to bring about change, be it social, political, environmental, or other change. ...

Hunting in the United States

In the United States, hunting is a sport not associated with any particular class or culture. Today's hunters come from a broad range of economic, social, and cultural backgrounds. In 2001, over 13 million hunters averaged eighteen days hunting and spent over $20.5 billion on their sport.

In the United States, hunters are encouraged to take a hunters safety course. There are many good courses taught by hunters and they teach the responsibilities of a good sportsman. On television there is a show on OLN called Hunters Handbook that shows hunting safety and new hunting products. When outdoors in 2005 theye avaible in United States of America and Canada for original other Emotion programming OLN (formerly known as the Outdoor Life Network until July 2005) is a cable television channel owned by Comcast. ... An extension of Hunter’s Handbook, the award winning official student publication of the International Hunter Education Association, each HHTV episode invites experts in the hunting and shooting sports to the workshop to teach and inform viewers on becoming better hunters. ...

Modern hunters see themselves as conservationists. Each year, nearly $200 million in hunters' federal excise taxes are distributed to State agencies to support wildlife management programs, the purchase of lands open to hunters, and hunter education and safety classes. Proceeds from the Federal Duck Stamp, a required purchase for migratory waterfowl hunters, have purchased more than 5 million acres (20,000 km²) of habitat for the refuge system lands that support waterfowl and many other wildlife species, and are often open to hunting. The $200 million is the federal portion only and does not include monies collected by the states for hunting licenses. Conservationists are those people who tend to more highly rank the wise use of the Earths resources and ecosystems. ... Falcated Duck at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands centre, Gloucestershire, England Wildfowl or waterfowl, also waterbirds, is the collective term for the approximately 147 species of swans, geese and ducks, classified in the order Anseriformes, family Anatidae. ...

Local hunting clubs and national conservation organizations protect the future of wildlife by setting aside millions of acres of habitat and speaking up for conservation in Washington and State capitals [1]. Two such private organizations are Ducks Unlimited [2] and Delta Waterfowl [3].

Hunting of mammals such as deer, elk and small game is regulated by the states. Hunting of migratory waterfowl (ducks, geese, and others) is regulated by the Federal government under treaties with Canada and Mexico since the birds do not recognize international political boundaries. The states usually adminster the federally-set regulations. Subfamilies Capreolinae Cervinae Hydropotinae Muntiacinae Defined strictly, a deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ... This article is about red deer. ... Subfamilies Dendrocygninae Oxyurinae Anatinae Merginae Duck is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae bird family. ... Other uses: Goose (disambiguation) Genera Anser Branta Chen Cereopsis † see also: Swan, Duck Anatidae Goose (plural geese) is the general English name for a considerable number of birds, belonging to the family Anatidae. ...

One task of Federal and state park rangers and game wardens is to enforce laws and regulations related to hunting, included species protection, hunting seasons, and hunting bans. A Park Ranger is a person charged with protecting and preserving parkland, forests (then called Forest Rangers), wilderness areas other natural resources. ... In the United States, a game warden is often a state or local official responsible for enforcing environmental protections laws. ...

Hunting can be an important tool for wildlife management. Hunting gives resource managers a valuable tool to control populations of some species that might otherwise exceed the carrying capacity of their habitat and threaten the well-being of other wildlife species, and in some instances, that of human health and safety [4]. Hunting reduces the annual crop of new animals and birds to allow the remaining animals sufficent feed and shelter to survive.

An example of using hunters in wildlife management can be found in the "Snow, Blue and Ross' Goose Conservation Order 2005." [5] The Conservation Order allows hunters, after all other waterfowl seasons are closed, to shoot an unlimited number of these species of geese. The reason for the Conservation Order is that these species have grown so numerous that they are destroying the artic environment which many species of animals use as breeding grounds.

Many Native American hunters claim subsistence hunting rights as a traditional part of their culture. In certain cases (such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act), Federal law provides protection for Native Americans. This is particularly true in Alaska, where people still feed on sea and land mammals as well as fish and birds. It is common for rural Alaska Native communities to obtain 50-90% of their daily protein from hunting. Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, Amerindians, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... Alaskan Natives are Aboriginal Americans who live in Alaska. ...

Varmint hunting is the killing of animals seen as pests and animals that are not normally considered as game species. While not an efficient form of pest control (poisoning and trapping are much more effective), it does provide recreation and is currently the fastest growing area of hunting. Varmint species are often responsible for detrimental effects on crops, livestock, landscaping, infrastructure, and pets. Animals my be utilised for fur or meat, but often no use is made of the carcass. Which species are "varmints" depends on the circumstance and area. Common varmints include various rodents, coyotes, crows, foxes, feral cats, and feral hogs. Some animals once considered varmints are now protected, such as wolves. Landscaping can refer to more than one subject: Real estate on large scale, see Landscape architecture Gardening on a large or small scale, see Landscape gardening Artwork, see Landscape painting Maintenance, see Landscape maintenance This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... Binomial name Canis latrans Say, 1823 A coyote (Canis latrans) is a member of the Canidae (the dog family) and a relative of the domestic dog. ... Species See text The true crows are in the genus Corvus; they are large Passerine birds. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Most feral kittens have little chance of surving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia. ... Binomial name Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 The Grey Wolf (Canis lupus), also known colloquially as the wolf, is a mammal of the Canidae family and the ancestor of the domestic dog. ...

Animal management authorities sometimes rely on hunting to control certain animal populations. These hunts are sometimes carried out by professional hunters although other hunts include amateurs. Overpopulations of deer in urban parks and bears which have attacked humans might be hunted by animal management authorities. Subfamilies Capreolinae Cervinae Hydropotinae Muntiacinae Defined strictly, a deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ... For other meanings, see Bear (disambiguation). ...

Modern hunting is usually done with guns, but some some people still hunt with bows and arrows. Some prefer bowhunting and bowfishing, as they may consider such hunting methods more challenging. Archers in Competition Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. ... Archers in Competition Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. ...

Depiction in Popular Culture

While there are numerous hunting shows, television programs, magazines and merchandise, some popular entertainment also condemns sport hunting.

This is most obvious in animation which often depicts hunting from the hunted animal's point of view and furthermore has the audience's sympathy as the animal either usually escapes or successfully defends itself. Hence, the hunter is often presented as the antagonist. This can range from the humorous such as Bugs Bunny fighting off Elmer Fudd to the dramatic as in Bambi. In contrast, filmed depictions of hunting by aboriginal cultures like Native American ones are treated with much more sympathy with the implied idea that they are hunting for what they need to survive and no more. (This "implied idea" actually continues to be the case in many Alaskan Bush communities today.)[6] Varmint hunting of prairie dogs is depicted in John Ross' novel "Unintended Consequences". A favorable depiction of hunting is found in L.Neil Smith's science fiction novel 'Pallas'. Animation is the technique in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model unit (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result with a... Bugs Bunny on a United States postage stamp Bugs Bunny is a fictional rabbit appearing in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, and is one of the most recognizable characters, real or imaginary, in the world. ... Elmer Fudd The fictional cartoon character Elmer Fudd, now one of the most famous Looney Tunes / Merrie Melodies characters, also has one of the more convoluted and disputed origins in the Warner Brothers cartoon pantheon (second only to Bugs Bunny himself). ... This article is about the 1942 Walt Disney film. ... The Bush is a cultural as well as geographic division of the state of Alaska in the United States. ...

External Links

• Ethics of Hunting - a philosophy thesis on the ethical arguments for and against hunting, including a section focusing on Christian ethics.
• Hunting Safety
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service statistics
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission as an example of state agencies