Hunting

[seanc1]

How does big game hunting in north America, Europe and Africa benefit nature and local communities?

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Seriously, Google it? There is a tax on everything hunting related in North America that pays for everything from state forest to wildlife conservation programs. The sale of hunting license also goes to fund these things. I think you will find most hunters in the US are conservationist; we are not just out there killing for fun. Management of game levels is conservation it stops the spread of disease. Think rabies and raccoons no one hunts them anymore so who takes care of it Mother Nature does with disease.
In Africa the 50K you pay to hunt an elephant does not go to the outfitter it goes to the tribe in the area you took the animal and so does the meat

[Abraxas]

Seriously, Google it? There is a tax on everything hunting related in North America that pays for everything from state forest to wildlife conservation programs. The sale of hunting license also goes to fund these things. I think you will find most hunters in the US are conservationist; we are not just out there killing for fun. Management of game levels is conservation it stops the spread of disease. Think rabies and raccoons no one hunts them anymore so who takes care of it Mother Nature does with disease.
In Africa the 50K you pay to hunt an elephant does not go to the outfitter it goes to the tribe in the area you took the animal and so does the meat

Well said. Hunting also helps reduce the damage to crops and property.

[Moltke]

Need information for your 11th grade research paper?

[yellowfin]

Every tool, accessory, and supply (guns, bows, ammo, arrows, clothing, packs, decoys/calls), and other expenditure for hunting (gas, lodging, food, leases, etc.) gives income and employment to all of the people who work in the industries that offer those goods and services. That's several billion dollars per state per year every year. I did an accounting project on it in school and it turned out to be one of the biggest industries in the southeastern states and likely to other states as well.

[NeoNeanderthal]

My degree is in ecology, and one thing i've learned is that all the predators that used to kill large game (small game too) were killed off by us. We've wrecked true hunters like wolves and grizzlies, while black bears and coyotes are thriving. These animals rarely take large game.

Basically, unless we as a species are willing to reintroduce the apex predators that we have killed, it is up to us to in some way cull the prey. Hunting is a good way to go because instead of costing the government or management agencies money it actually makes them money, and people get meat in return.

[mallowpufft]

Big game hunting benefits... well, around here it's mostly medium but there are a whole lot of folks whose primary protein comes from what they kill. That's money saved that keeps them in their house.
A lot of folks around here also donate the meat to local food banks.
For me it supplements my food supply and small game/furbearers are money in the bank.
If I can get a good pelt off a 'yote it's worth 30-50 bucks. If I get a buddy to make a bag or hat out of it it sells for 80 and we both get 40 bucks in our pockets.

[longball]

Big game hunting benefits... well, around here it's mostly medium but there are a whole lot of folks whose primary protein comes from what they kill. That's money saved that keeps them in their house.
A lot of folks around here also donate the meat to local food banks.
For me it supplements my food supply and small game/furbearers are money in the bank.
If I can get a good pelt off a 'yote it's worth 30-50 bucks. If I get a buddy to make a bag or hat out of it it sells for 80 and we both get 40 bucks in our pockets.

I'm all about eating the fresh stuff. My wife and I both hunt, and while we're always on the lookout for a trophy, we also don't pass up an opportunity to put some high quality meat in the freezer.

My next question is, how the heck do you skin a coyote? I never tried it but I think that's one of the only animals I would have a tough time sinking my skinner into.

[loganp0916]

Seriously, Google it? There is a tax on everything hunting related in North America that pays for everything from state forest to wildlife conservation programs. The sale of hunting license also goes to fund these things. I think you will find most hunters in the US are conservationist; we are not just out there killing for fun. Management of game levels is conservation it stops the spread of disease. Think rabies and raccoons no one hunts them anymore so who takes care of it Mother Nature does with disease.
In Africa the 50K you pay to hunt an elephant does not go to the outfitter it goes to the tribe in the area you took the animal and so does the meat

^^This^^
And one good sized deer will last a family a while. And think of the hog problem in the U.S. they need to be controlled before they destroy the population of animals that are native to the region that these hogs are invading.

[mallowpufft]

I'm all about eating the fresh stuff. My wife and I both hunt, and while we're always on the lookout for a trophy, we also don't pass up an opportunity to put some high quality meat in the freezer.

My next question is, how the heck do you skin a coyote? I never tried it but I think that's one of the only animals I would have a tough time sinking my skinner into.

I suck horribly at it. My buddy John Boy (i shit you not, that's what everyone calls him) is amazing. He makes possibles bags out of one hide that has the head (sans skull and eyes, obviously) intact on the flap. He sells them at trapper gatherings.
Think of it as a cross between a squirrel and a deer as far as skinning it goes. A few big sections and the legs and head are tricky as hell, at least for me. Not quite as easy as a bear that you just unzip and peel off from the fat.
I much prefer squirrels for ease. Just make one slit between the tail and the butt hole then step on the tail and pull on the back legs.
Toss the guts, quarter it and put it in the crock pot with salt and pepper. Makes some tasty gravy. Dang it, now I'm hungry.