Hunting Regulations

Since the nineteenth century, hunting has been regulated in the United States. Gone are the days when hunters could hunt with frenzy. Today, hunters are told not to hunt as much as they might like. Massive hunting was blamed for loss of species in the past. With today's hunting regulations, there are occasions where hunters may want to keep their gun cases locked. Hunting today is more of a hobby than a quest for food. Hunting clubs and organizations in various states are being established, and they provide education to budding hunters.

Modern hunters do environmental awareness campaigns and they help with wildlife conservation by paying hunters' federal excise taxes. In the United States, migratory waterfowl hunters are required to purchase Federal Duck Stamps since 1934. Since then, more than seven hundred million dollars has been raised. That money has been used to purchase more than five million acres of habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Hunters also pay duties when obtaining license, and the revenue collected by the state is used to fund wildlife management programs. States do employ park rangers and game wardens, who act like guards among hunters to ensure they hunt within legal grounds. Hunting regulations are important because they help maintain diversity in the ecosystem. Hunting bans are imposed during certain seasons and during instances when population of game animals is below the critical mark.

Hunting may be encouraged when populations of certain species exceed the carrying capacity of an ecosystem. When the population of a certain species is too high, it will threaten other species or pose risks to human health. In this instance, it becomes necessary to reduce population of these species by hunting, although wildlife conservation proponents suggest introduction of the natural predators, as this practice poses less ecological impact.

Wildlife management agencies may employ hunters to control animal populations. This is true in the case of deer population control in areas of North America. Professional hunters are employed in this case. It is the duty of local governments to hire hunters to reduce population of animals, whose unwanted increase of population cause hazards in metropolitan areas and parks.

Hunting for animal population management involves shaping that population, which means selecting the size and age of animals to be hunted. This reduces ecological repercussions in the future. Haphazard hunting may result in death of the healthy members of a certain species, which is detrimental to their future populations. The best hunting practices should ensure the sustainability of the population.

State laws on hunting are established to control reduction of population of game animals. Bag limits and season closures are set up for hunters to follow. Gear restrictions are specified to make sure hunters cannot hunt with ease. Bag limits are meant to control how many members of a specified species can be hunted.

As already mentioned, there are times of the year when hunting a specific group of animals is prohibited. This is what they call the closed season, a time when hunting for certain animals becomes illegal. Hunting is restricted during breeding periods when these animals are vulnerable.