Meat’s Back on the Menu
For 90% of our existence humans lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, one that comprised harvesting plants from nature and occasionally killing an animal to eat. Back then, hunting was a necessary part of existence, and as research points out, led to the development of our brains. Even after we discovered agriculture, and eventually industrialized, humans continued to hunt.
Nowadays hunting increasingly finds itself in the crosshairs and many groups, from animal rights’ activists to vegans, decry the ancient practice, with common arguments being that it is cruel and unnecessary in today’s world. There are many infamous internet posts by trophy hunters posing with exotic and endangered animals that they have killed for fun, and certainly this type of behavior is extremely unethical. However, one should keep in mind that the people who participate in hunts like this do not represent the population of hunters as a whole.
Elliott Dagenais, an environmentalist currently living in Texas, and has been hunting since he was young. To him, “…hunting is a way to truly connect with yourself and your environment. Stalking and eventually harvesting meat gives a deeper appreciation to the animal…seeing how it moves and reacts to different stimuli makes you realize that the meat you normally eat was once a [living creature].”
On the topic of ethics, Elliott says, “In my experience I have never met a hunter who is okay with anyone [hunting] an animal in any way that isn’t as painless as possible to the animal.” Like almost all hunters, Elliott grew up with the ethics of hunting drilled into him. There’s no hard and fast set, this isn’t Hammurabi’s code, but generally ethical hunting means that one follows hunting laws (they’re set up in a way to keep game sustainable), respect the animal, be proficient enough with a weapon to kill the animal humanely, and pursue the animal fairly (no traps, no vehicles, etc.)
Today, the overwhelming majority of people who eat meat obtain that meat from the grocery store. Since 99% of U.S. animal products come from factory farms, if you buy meat from the store you are participating in this system, whereby animals are submitted to all manners of cruelty. When viewed through this lens, hunting is by far the most humane way to obtain animal products. Hunting gives the animal being pursued a fair shot at escaping, plus the animal was able to grow up in the wild where it belongs, eating the diet it was supposed to.
In addition to being a much less cruel method of obtaining animal products, hunting is also flat out necessary in some cases. Indigenous tribes that live in the extreme north of the world, where very few plants grow, rely almost solely on hunting to meet their caloric requirements. Of course, this represents a very small percent of the human population, but in addition to times where humans need meat to survive, hunting can also be necessary to curb the growth of invasive species.
I used to live in Hawai’i, and there are an astounding number of invasive species carried there first from the canoes of the ancient Polynesians and, later, brought by white settlers. One of these invasive species is boar, and the boar hunt has become a tradition in Hawai’i. Not only is it a community event, whereby the whole neighborhood can come down for some delicious kālua pig, but it also helps protect Hawai’i’s delicate native habitat; boars are a big problem for the Hawaiian bird population.
Jonathan Thompson, currently a political science and environmental studies double major at AUP, originally from Colorado, says he is opposed to trophy hunting and hunting for sport. He says, “Both activities are anthropocentric — meaning that they place the human species above others.” He concedes that hunting for food is ethical though, “provided that it is sustainable.” When asked if he thinks if invasive species should be hunted by humans Jon says, “If the species is non-native and detrimental to the [local ecosystem], then we absolutely should be hunting them. It sounds cruel, but if humans have introduced a species someplace it doesn’t belong then we have the responsibility to get rid of it.”
Hunting is waning in popularity, today less than 5% of Americans partake in the pastime. While some might be happy that less people are hunting, this is causing negative consequences for U.S. conservationists. Per NPR, “Money generated from license fees and excise taxes on guns, ammunition and angling equipment provide about 60 percent of the funding for state wildlife agencies…” Hunters help keep America’s long history with the outdoors alive, which is more important than ever in these times of climate change and increased deforestation.
If you are interested in trying hunting, Elliott says, “The hunting community is very friendly and welcoming to anyone as long as they respect the animal and the sport.” It is an off-putting idea to many, but if you consume meat hunting can be a way to truly understand that it comes at the cost of another creature’s life. Hunting is a way for all of us to get back to our roots, and realize just how lucky we are to live in an age where food can be bought at the store.
