Hi Everyone,
I'll start by being upfront, I'm no fan of trophy hunting and struggle to understand why people would want to do it. So, as part of my university dissertation, I have decided to research it further, from both sides. The point in a dissertation is to offer opinions from each side and then draw a conclusion. I have decided to research lion and elephant numbers in two different African countries, one with a ban on hunting; Kenya, and one without; Zimbabwe. From my initial assessment, it does look as though the numbers of lions in Kenya has fallen dramatically in the last 20 years, whereas in Zimbabwe they have increased. This did come as a surprise, but has left me feeling a little more open-minded.
So why am I on a hunting forum? I'm not here to change peoples minds,I'm not a crazy activist who is trying to get into your heads - I'm not clever enough for that! I respect that everyone makes choices based on their experiences, and just because our views differ, does not make either of us wrong. I'd just really like to understand why people hunt. I have a few questions, and if anyone would like to answer them, I'd really appreciate your views - if not, I completely understand:
- When did you first get into hunting?
- Do you enjoy it, and if so what is the best part?
- Some hunters have pets at home who they adore, how do you separate this from what you do?
- Have you personally noticed any changes in animal population numbers since you started hunting?
- Do you have any moral objections to certain types of hunting i.e. is there anything you simply wouldn't do?
- Have there been any low points for you when hunting?
Any advice or personal stories you can offer would be much appreciated, and thank you in advance for taking the time to read this post.
Kat
I'll start by being upfront, I'm no fan of trophy hunting and struggle to understand why people would want to do it. So, as part of my university dissertation, I have decided to research it further, from both sides. The point in a dissertation is to offer opinions from each side and then draw a conclusion. I have decided to research lion and elephant numbers in two different African countries, one with a ban on hunting; Kenya, and one without; Zimbabwe. From my initial assessment, it does look as though the numbers of lions in Kenya has fallen dramatically in the last 20 years, whereas in Zimbabwe they have increased. This did come as a surprise, but has left me feeling a little more open-minded.
So why am I on a hunting forum? I'm not here to change peoples minds,I'm not a crazy activist who is trying to get into your heads - I'm not clever enough for that! I respect that everyone makes choices based on their experiences, and just because our views differ, does not make either of us wrong. I'd just really like to understand why people hunt. I have a few questions, and if anyone would like to answer them, I'd really appreciate your views - if not, I completely understand:
- When did you first get into hunting?
- Do you enjoy it, and if so what is the best part?
- Some hunters have pets at home who they adore, how do you separate this from what you do?
- Have you personally noticed any changes in animal population numbers since you started hunting?
- Do you have any moral objections to certain types of hunting i.e. is there anything you simply wouldn't do?
- Have there been any low points for you when hunting?
Any advice or personal stories you can offer would be much appreciated, and thank you in advance for taking the time to read this post.
Kat