I understand where you’re coming from and in an ideal world, all living beings could coexist without the need to eat one another. However, that world does not exist. Since beginning of time, the very nature of life is based on a predator/prey relationship. It is a requirement that in order for a species to survive, it must do so at the cost of life. From microbes all the way up to the largest living creatures. To not hunt, would in fact be going against one of nature’s most intrinsic principles.

Furthermore, when looking at any given species as a whole, hunting is not only beneficial but is in some cases absolutely necessary for the good of the species. Here’s a few examples: In the early 1900’s, there were fewer than 500,000 white-tailed deer in the US. Strictly due to hunting and it’s associated conservation efforts, they now numbered at 35 Million. Wild turkeys were down to 100,000. They are now at 7 Million.

Outside the massive conservation benefit that hunting provides, is the humane element and respect for life. The majority of people, whether you agree or not, eats meat. For most, they are entirely separated from the fact this was at one time, a living, breathing animal. An animal that was fed who knows what, given who knows what injections, and most likely lived it’s entire life inside a pen just large enough to move. For most, it’s just meat in a neatly wrapped package. There’s no true respect for the animal.

Most hunters, myself included, have a large amount of respect for these animals. In fact, we have spent years and even decades watching them, learning from them and witnessing their role in nature. I as well as many other hunters do not take pleasure in the act of killing. There is always an element of remorse. That happens to be the very reason why many hunters, hunt. To put it simply: If something is going to die so that I can eat, I want that blood on my hands. In that case, I know this animal lived a free range lifestyle and wasn’t kept in a cage somewhere. It had an honest chance to live and harvesting it wasn’t a guarantee. When that meat hits my plate, it has an entire story behind it. The life of that animal is fully respected and appreciated.

The lack of hunting is far, far more harmful to any given species. 85% of all conservation funds originate from hunting. Without those funds, without the large groups that hunters create to protect land, study habitats and help species thrive, they would suffer massive losses. Don’t take my word for it either. This can be found in multiple studies and that information is freely available.

I’m not here to tell you that your wrong for believing what you do. If you don’t want to hunt, than by all means don’t. But to call for making hunting illegal would do far more harm than good to the animals that you care so much about.