Hunting.
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Hunting.
I
INTRODUCTION
Hunting, sport of pursuing and killing wild game animals in order to provide food, or simply for the thrill of the chase, or for the enjoyment of outdoor life. People have
been hunting since prehistoric times to provide themselves and their families with food, fur and leather clothing, and hides for shelter. With the development of
agriculture, animal husbandry, and, eventually, manufacturing, hunting gradually diminished in importance as a means of survival. Because of its challenge and pleasure
as a sport, however, hunting has remained a popular activity even in modern times.
II
HISTORY OF HUNTING
The leisured nobility of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome enjoyed hunting for sport. Greek historian Xenophon argued that hunting is an asset to society, in that the
recreation promotes the well-being and health of the hunter. The first laws designed to conserve game animals were not instituted until the 13th century, when Kublai
Khan, emperor of the Mongols, forbade his subjects to hunt during animal breeding seasons. During the Middle Ages (5th century to 15th century) the feudal lords of
Europe imposed extensive restrictions on hunting, effectively limiting the taking of game to the ruling classes. Stag hunts with hounds and horses and the pursuit of
game birds with trained falcons (see Falconry) were popular pastimes of the nobility.
The invention of gunpowder in the 14th century and the perfection of the matchlock rifle in the 15th century drastically changed methods of hunting. Whereas the trap
and snare, the bow and arrow, and falcons and hounds had previously been used, rifles now facilitated the bringing down of fleeing birds and animals at greater
distances and in greater numbers.
Today, most hunters use rifles and shotguns to pursue their sport; shotguns and .22-caliber rifles are generally used for small game such as squirrels and rabbits, and
larger caliber rifles are employed for animals such as deer and elk. For game birds such as ducks, geese, doves, and pheasant, 12- and 20-gauge shotguns are used.
Claiming that primitive weapons make the hunt more challenging, many hunters now have gone back to the use of bows and arrows, especially for deer (see Archery),
and some use muzzle-loading rifles.
III
HUNTING METHODS
The method of hunting depends on the animal hunted. Hunters of ducks and geese hide in blinds, or camouflaged areas, and try to lure birds into shotgun range by
using waterfowl calls and wooden decoys. Hunters of grouse and pheasant walk through woods and fields and use trained dogs to locate and flush out game within gun
range (see Field Dog). Wild turkeys are hunted by camouflaged hunters using mouth- and hand-operated turkey calls.
Hunters of larger game--for example, deer--employ four techniques: still-hunting, stand hunting, stalking, and driving. Still-hunting, used when game is known to be in
the area but no specific animal is in sight, involves following tracks and looking for signs such as antler-shredded trees or urination areas. The hunter moves quietly, on
the alert to shoot should the quarry be sighted. When stand hunting, the hunter takes position along a game trail and waits for the quarry to go by. Stalking is done
when a game animal is sighted but is out of range. In this case, the hunter tries to move into rifle range while remaining hidden and downwind of the quarry. In driving,
or beating, a group of hunters moves through an area deliberately making noise and trying to frighten game animals in the direction of other hunters.
IV
GAME AND GAME MANAGEMENT
Game animals are hunted throughout the world. In North America, deer, elk, bear, pronghorn, caribou, rabbit, squirrel, duck, goose, pheasant, and wild turkey are
hunted. Among the animals hunted in Asia are elephant, tiger, wild sheep, deer, bear, rabbit, waterfowl, and pheasant. African safari-hunting offers opportunity to bag
a diversity of game: Cape buffalo, elephant, lion, antelope, and duck and other wild fowl. European hunters generally go out for wild boar, fox, red stag, rabbit, and
various game birds. Jaguar, peccary, deer, duck, dove, and turkey are popular quarry in Central and South America.
Unregulated hunting has at various times threatened the existence of some game animals. Prime examples of this occurred in the United States in the 19th century,
when egrets were decimated for their plumes, used in millinery. Buffalo herds (see Bison) that once numbered in the millions were also virtually wiped out by hunters
intent on profit and enjoyment; by 1895 only 400 buffalo remained in the country. Hunters took their toll on other wildlife as well. Pronghorn, deer, and mountain sheep
were decimated to feed the growing population in the West. In the East, waterfowl populations plummeted as hunters armed with cannonlike guns wiped out entire
flocks in one shot and then shipped the birds to restaurants to satisfy exotic tastes. Some game birds, such as the passenger pigeon and the heath hen, were hunted
into extinction by people who believed the game supply to be infinite.
Public outcries eventually forced some states in the 19th century to pass laws protecting certain animals. During an expedition to the Yellowstone region in 1871,
photographer William Henry Jackson and artist Thomas Moran depicted the countryside. These images persuaded the American public and the U.S. government to
preserve the area. President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill creating Yellowstone National Park in 1872. The setting aside of other such national parks, where wildlife may
not be hunted, soon followed (see National Park Service). In 1900, Congress passed the Lacey Act, which put a damper on commercial market hunting by regulating the
interstate shipment of game. Other federal and state laws were passed in subsequent years, establishing hunting seasons, limiting the daily allowable kill of game per
hunter, outlawing unfair and inhumane hunting methods, and making it illegal to hunt species in danger of becoming extinct. See also Endangered Species.
With strictly enforced regulations, the number of game animals began to increase. This, in itself, caused problems. As human settlements spread across the country,
predatory animals such as the wolf and grizzly bear were either killed off or forced into remote regions. Unchecked by these natural enemies and protected by hunting
laws, game animals such as deer and elk reproduced so rapidly that they would eat all the available food in their range, and then many would die of starvation.
In 1933 American biologist Aldo Leopold developed a theory that each unit of habitat can support only so many animals of a given species, and that excess animals
must be cropped by hunters or allowed to die. Since that time, game laws have been designed so that hunters crop the annual surplus of game animals without
threatening actual game populations. Such regulations, which make hunting a crucial part of game management, have allowed wildlife to thrive in the United States.
Other nations, notably those in Africa, have also followed this precept, but nonetheless illegal poaching for food or trophies remains a problem.
V
WILDLIFE ORGANIZATIONS
Many organizations in the United States are engaged in game management. On the federal level, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversees national conservation
efforts. Each state also has a fish and game department, and private groups, including the National Audubon Society, the National Wildlife Federation, and Ducks
Unlimited, support conservation programs. In Canada, conservation and game-management organizations include the Canadian Wildlife Service on the national level,
wildlife divisions on the provincial level, and the Canadian National Sportsmen's Fund on the private level.
See Game Laws; See also Fox Hunting; Trapping.
Contributed By:
Jay H. Cassell
Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Hunting.
I
INTRODUCTION
Hunting, sport of pursuing and killing wild game animals in order to provide food, or simply for the thrill of the chase, or for the enjoyment of outdoor life. People have
been hunting since prehistoric times to provide themselves and their families with food, fur and leather clothing, and hides for shelter. With the development of
agriculture, animal husbandry, and, eventually, manufacturing, hunting gradually diminished in importance as a means of survival. Because of its challenge and pleasure
as a sport, however, hunting has remained a popular activity even in modern times.
II
HISTORY OF HUNTING
The leisured nobility of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome enjoyed hunting for sport. Greek historian Xenophon argued that hunting is an asset to society, in that the
recreation promotes the well-being and health of the hunter. The first laws designed to conserve game animals were not instituted until the 13th century, when Kublai
Khan, emperor of the Mongols, forbade his subjects to hunt during animal breeding seasons. During the Middle Ages (5th century to 15th century) the feudal lords of
Europe imposed extensive restrictions on hunting, effectively limiting the taking of game to the ruling classes. Stag hunts with hounds and horses and the pursuit of
game birds with trained falcons (see Falconry) were popular pastimes of the nobility.
The invention of gunpowder in the 14th century and the perfection of the matchlock rifle in the 15th century drastically changed methods of hunting. Whereas the trap
and snare, the bow and arrow, and falcons and hounds had previously been used, rifles now facilitated the bringing down of fleeing birds and animals at greater
distances and in greater numbers.
Today, most hunters use rifles and shotguns to pursue their sport; shotguns and .22-caliber rifles are generally used for small game such as squirrels and rabbits, and
larger caliber rifles are employed for animals such as deer and elk. For game birds such as ducks, geese, doves, and pheasant, 12- and 20-gauge shotguns are used.
Claiming that primitive weapons make the hunt more challenging, many hunters now have gone back to the use of bows and arrows, especially for deer (see Archery),
and some use muzzle-loading rifles.
III
HUNTING METHODS
The method of hunting depends on the animal hunted. Hunters of ducks and geese hide in blinds, or camouflaged areas, and try to lure birds into shotgun range by
using waterfowl calls and wooden decoys. Hunters of grouse and pheasant walk through woods and fields and use trained dogs to locate and flush out game within gun
range (see Field Dog). Wild turkeys are hunted by camouflaged hunters using mouth- and hand-operated turkey calls.
Hunters of larger game--for example, deer--employ four techniques: still-hunting, stand hunting, stalking, and driving. Still-hunting, used when game is known to be in
the area but no specific animal is in sight, involves following tracks and looking for signs such as antler-shredded trees or urination areas. The hunter moves quietly, on
the alert to shoot should the quarry be sighted. When stand hunting, the hunter takes position along a game trail and waits for the quarry to go by. Stalking is done
when a game animal is sighted but is out of range. In this case, the hunter tries to move into rifle range while remaining hidden and downwind of the quarry. In driving,
or beating, a group of hunters moves through an area deliberately making noise and trying to frighten game animals in the direction of other hunters.
IV
GAME AND GAME MANAGEMENT
Game animals are hunted throughout the world. In North America, deer, elk, bear, pronghorn, caribou, rabbit, squirrel, duck, goose, pheasant, and wild turkey are
hunted. Among the animals hunted in Asia are elephant, tiger, wild sheep, deer, bear, rabbit, waterfowl, and pheasant. African safari-hunting offers opportunity to bag
a diversity of game: Cape buffalo, elephant, lion, antelope, and duck and other wild fowl. European hunters generally go out for wild boar, fox, red stag, rabbit, and
various game birds. Jaguar, peccary, deer, duck, dove, and turkey are popular quarry in Central and South America.
Unregulated hunting has at various times threatened the existence of some game animals. Prime examples of this occurred in the United States in the 19th century,
when egrets were decimated for their plumes, used in millinery. Buffalo herds (see Bison) that once numbered in the millions were also virtually wiped out by hunters
intent on profit and enjoyment; by 1895 only 400 buffalo remained in the country. Hunters took their toll on other wildlife as well. Pronghorn, deer, and mountain sheep
were decimated to feed the growing population in the West. In the East, waterfowl populations plummeted as hunters armed with cannonlike guns wiped out entire
flocks in one shot and then shipped the birds to restaurants to satisfy exotic tastes. Some game birds, such as the passenger pigeon and the heath hen, were hunted
into extinction by people who believed the game supply to be infinite.
Public outcries eventually forced some states in the 19th century to pass laws protecting certain animals. During an expedition to the Yellowstone region in 1871,
photographer William Henry Jackson and artist Thomas Moran depicted the countryside. These images persuaded the American public and the U.S. government to
preserve the area. President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill creating Yellowstone National Park in 1872. The setting aside of other such national parks, where wildlife may
not be hunted, soon followed (see National Park Service). In 1900, Congress passed the Lacey Act, which put a damper on commercial market hunting by regulating the
interstate shipment of game. Other federal and state laws were passed in subsequent years, establishing hunting seasons, limiting the daily allowable kill of game per
hunter, outlawing unfair and inhumane hunting methods, and making it illegal to hunt species in danger of becoming extinct. See also Endangered Species.
With strictly enforced regulations, the number of game animals began to increase. This, in itself, caused problems. As human settlements spread across the country,
predatory animals such as the wolf and grizzly bear were either killed off or forced into remote regions. Unchecked by these natural enemies and protected by hunting
laws, game animals such as deer and elk reproduced so rapidly that they would eat all the available food in their range, and then many would die of starvation.
In 1933 American biologist Aldo Leopold developed a theory that each unit of habitat can support only so many animals of a given species, and that excess animals
must be cropped by hunters or allowed to die. Since that time, game laws have been designed so that hunters crop the annual surplus of game animals without
threatening actual game populations. Such regulations, which make hunting a crucial part of game management, have allowed wildlife to thrive in the United States.
Other nations, notably those in Africa, have also followed this precept, but nonetheless illegal poaching for food or trophies remains a problem.
V
WILDLIFE ORGANIZATIONS
Many organizations in the United States are engaged in game management. On the federal level, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversees national conservation
efforts. Each state also has a fish and game department, and private groups, including the National Audubon Society, the National Wildlife Federation, and Ducks
Unlimited, support conservation programs. In Canada, conservation and game-management organizations include the Canadian Wildlife Service on the national level,
wildlife divisions on the provincial level, and the Canadian National Sportsmen's Fund on the private level.
See Game Laws; See also Fox Hunting; Trapping.
Contributed By:
Jay H. Cassell
Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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