What Is Hunting?

Hunting is the act of chasing an animal in the wild for recreation or food. In the past, hunting was not regulated, and people could hunt as often as they wished. Now, wildlife awareness compels countries to regulate hunting activities. Countries around the world impose regulations that set apart lawful from unlawful hunting practices. The term for unlawful hunting is poaching. Hunters can hunt over a hundred species, from feral animals to birds. There are many animals and birds that should never be hunted for any reason. Hunters should know when to not open their handgun safes.

Take note that hunting may also involve eradication of pests. People may organize pest hunting activities to significantly reduce population of unwanted animals, whose large population poses danger upon harmless animals. This activity is sometimes necessary for wildlife management. It is done when the natural predators of the pests are not around. Then again, any form of hunting should be regulated.

Hunting certain types of animals may have specific names. For instance, we all know now that catching fish is called fishing. On the other hand, pursuing birds is not necessarily hunting, but may be casually called bird watching. Expectedly, you cannot use the term hunting for plants. Gathering plants may be called foraging or harvesting.

State laws regulate hunting activities for wildlife conservation. Hunting activities do have significant impact on ecosystems. Hunters inadvertently disturb the habitats of many species other than their targets. State laws are established to avoid serious disturbance of ecosystems that affect living and reproduction of many species. The regulations vary from state to state. These regulations include areas allowed for hunting, appropriate hunting periods, legal methods, and list of animals that can be hunted.

Generally, protected species may not be hunted for obvious reasons. Check your state for a list of animals that can be hunted and animals that should be left alone. On the other hand, hunting of protected species may be legal for hunters who hold special hunting licenses.

Animals that can be hunted are called game animals, and they are classified into different categories. Big game animals include white-tailed deer, mule deer, wild turkey, moose, caribou, boar, bear, and bighorn. Small game animals include squirrel, opossum, skunk, and rabbit. Other animals that can be hunted are beaver, red fox, musk rat, and otter. Predators like mountain lion, wolf, and coyote are also game animals. Birds are also popular targets for many hunters. Birds that can be hunted are woodcock, pheasant, quail, teal, geese, and swan.

Those hunting big game animals need a tag for each animal they plan on taking down. Big game animal hunters need to buy tags, but there is a limit to the number of tags a hunter can purchase. That means you can only hunt for a limited number of mule deer or bear. Otherwise, there would be serious reduction in the population of these species. Imagine if every hunter were given as many tags as they could afford. There are areas where buying tags is restricted for wildlife management reasons.