An Unnecessary and Cruel Sport
Claudia Santos
DeVry University

An Unnecessary and Cruel Sport

According to nature, the food chain begins and ends with a prey and its predator. Hunting is also one of the laws made by nature to balance the population on the earth's surface and it is through hunting, that the circle of life is complete. But an excess of anything is considered injurious, and this applies for hunting as well. Although it was a crucial part of humans’ survival 100,000 years ago, hunting is now nothing more than a violent form of recreation that the vast majority of hunters do not need for subsistence. Today men practice hunting as nothing but one of those among a list of hobbies, because there is no requirement for predation by humans in modern times. Sport Hunting should be banned because it can be dangerous, cruel and it contributes to the extinction of animal species all over the world.
Many believe in hunting as a hobby, because it serves as a great outdoor experience. It might even be considered as a good exercise, on a day out! The truth is that Hunting is, by its’ nature, a dangerous sport. Hundreds of individuals armed with long range weapons through the woods are a perfect formula for a tragedy. This is especially true when the average hunter only shoots one of two days a year. Hunting accidents destroy property and injure or kill cats, dogs, horses, hikers and other hunters. According to International Hunter Education Association, about 1,000 people are accidentally shot while on a hunting trip each year.
Hunters also claim that they are not being cruel to wild animals. In the matter of fact it is considered a cardinal rule of hunting, never to leave an injured animal behind. Although this might be true for some, many once a year hunters just don’t take the trouble to finish an unsuccessful kill. The result is that each year, hundreds