I have a high school friend who is wealthy and over the years has made two month long trips to Africa on safari hunts. Each trip cost him approx. $35,000..........
Do I agree with it? No..
But with that being said, such expeditions are necessary to the economy of the respective poverty stricken regions and are closely monitored by the local authorities.
The animals legally taken by license are given to the local community as a food source and my friend closely documented his travels via camera and has presented slide show presentations to the local schools in his area of Michigan.
As for me, I'd rather spend opening day weekend of pheasant hunting season walking fields with a buddy and maybe a dog and getting shut out than a day of shooting planted birds on a private preserve...........
I basically agree with what need to be done. But at the same time it’s amazing how all the animals survived and even thrived when man wasn’t even around.
“As for me, I’d rather spend opening day weekend of pheasant hunting season walking fields with a buddy and maybe a dog...”
I used to have a personal bias against folks that used dogs and/or bait to hunt bear or cats. Until I met some and talked with some. That is how they hunt, and how they grew up hunting. And now that has been taken away from them in many places.
With regard to your idea of hunting (mine too!), the Liberals are going after that as well. A Liberal will say it isn’t fair that you use a shotgun - with hundreds of pellets - what sport is that!!!??? And a buddy? That is even worse - two against one. And don’t even get me started on using a dog - the dog just runs up to a bird - points at him, and bang - you shoot the bird. (And your dog is run ragged - that is animal cruelty in itself!)
And how much hunting do you do on public lands? Those birds are for the enjoyment of all - and you kill them!!?? And even if you are on private property - how many of those birds live some of their time along public roads, parks, etc.
And decoys should be banned - that is just as bad as hunting over bait. Perhaps worse - all those ducks had to be killed just so they could be stuffed with stryofoam so they would float!