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Hunting, whether you find it morally objectionable or not, is legal, therefore, it is an activity that can be made environmentally friendlier. Humans are predators. We have eyes in the front of our heads and sharp canine teeth. Does this justify killing animals? I don't know. When a cat kills a mouse is that morally kosher? Is it more natural for a human to stalk and kill and animal or to buy one pre-killed at the grocery store? Why are the lives of animals more important than the lives of plants?
I am not going to write a philosophical treatise on this subject, but I will say that I disagree with the Cartesian view of animals as machines sent by God for humans to do with as they please. Anyways, here are some hunting tips.
How to Green Your Hunting:
- Always pick up your shells. Never leave trash in the woods. Also, pick up any trash that you find in the woods. Be a good steward of your hunting grounds.
- Make sure to get a license and pay all your fees responsibly. These fees and taxes make up the majority of funding for the conservation and habitat programs in the US.
- Always follow the rules set down by the local game commission. Never kill anything that you are not supposed to. Your local game commission monitors the wildlife in your area and knows what animals are plentiful enough for hunting and what creatures need time to rebuild their numbers.
- Use everything that you kill. Don't just kill for sport. If you are going to take an animal's life, take it for a purpose. If you can't eat everything that you kill, you can donate your game meat to charity.
- Hunt locally and carpool with fellow hunters.
Overall, hunting is pretty eco-friendly. The game meat is organic and hormone free. The majority of wild meats are better for your heart than cow, pig and chicken. Most hunters hunt locally. It's probably better for the environment than trucking in meat from a distant farm. It is also a basic survival skill that one can use while living off-grid.
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