State-by-State Hunting Data

Why ‘Sport’ Hunting Is Cruel and Unnecessary

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.1 Hunting has contributed to the extinction of animal species all over the world, including the Tasmanian tiger and the great auk.2,3

Less than 4 percent of the U.S. population (13.7 million people) hunts, yet hunting is permitted in many wildlife refuges, national forests, and state parks and on other public lands.4 Almost 40 percent of hunters slaughter and maim millions of animals on public land every year, and by some estimates, poachers kill just as many animals illegally.5,6

Pain and Suffering
Many animals endure prolonged, painful deaths when they are injured but not killed by hunters. A study of 80 radio-collared white-tailed deer found that of the 22 deer who had been shot with “traditional archery equipment,” 11 were wounded but not recovered by hunters.7  Twenty percent of foxes who have been wounded by hunters are shot again. Just 10 percent manage to escape, but “starvation is a likely fate” for them, according to one veterinarian.8 A South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks biologist estimates that more than 3 million wounded ducks go “unretrieved” every year.9 A British study of deer hunting found that 11 percent of deer who’d been killed by hunters died only after being shot two or more times and that some wounded deer suffered for more than 15 minutes before dying.10

Hunting disrupts migration and hibernation patterns and destroys families. For animals such as wolves, who mate for life and live in close-knit family units, hunting can devastate entire communities. The stress that hunted animals suffer—caused by fear and the inescapable loud noises and other commotion that hunters create—also severely compromises their normal eating habits, making it hard for them to store the fat and energy that they need in order to survive the winter.

Nature Takes Care of Its Own
The delicate balance of ecosystems ensures their survival—if they are left unaltered. Natural predators help maintain this balance by killing only the sickest and weakest individuals. Hunters, however, kill any animal whose head they would like to hang over the fireplace—including large, healthy animals who are needed to keep the population strong. Elephant poaching is believed to have increased the number of tuskless animals in Africa, and in Canada, hunting has caused bighorn sheep’s horn size to fall by 25 percent in the last 40 years. Nature magazine reports that “the effect on the populations’ genetics is probably deeper.”11

Even when unusual natural occurrences cause overpopulation, natural processes work to stabilize the group. Starvation and disease can be tragic, but they are nature’s ways of ensuring that healthy, strong animals survive and maintain the strength of the rest of their herd or group. Shooting an animal because he or she might starve or get sick is arbitrary and destructive.

Another problem with hunting involves the introduction of exotic “game” animals who, if they’re able to escape and thrive, pose a threat to native wildlife and established ecosystems.

Canned Cruelty
Most hunting occurs on private land, where laws that protect wildlife are often inapplicable or difficult to enforce. On private lands that are set up as for-profit hunting reserves or game ranches, hunters can pay to kill native and exotic species in “canned hunts.” These animals may be native to the area, raised elsewhere and brought in, or purchased from individuals who are trafficking in unwanted or surplus animals from zoos and circuses. The animals are hunted and killed for the sole purpose of providing hunters with a “trophy.”

Canned hunts are big business—there are an estimated 1,000 game preserves in the U.S., with some 5,000 so-called “exotic ranchers” in North America.12,13 Ted Turner, the country’s largest private landowner, allows hunters to pay thousands of dollars to kill bison, deer, African antelopes, and turkeys on his 2 million acres.14

Animals on canned-hunting ranches are often accustomed to humans and are usually unable to escape from the enclosures that they are confined to, which range in size from just a few yards to thousands of acres. Most of these ranches operate on a “no-kill, no-pay” policy, so it is in owners’ best interests to ensure that clients get what they came for. Owners do this by offering guides who are familiar with animals’ locations and habits, permitting the use of dogs, and supplying “feeding stations” that lure unsuspecting animals to food while hunters lie in wait.

While many states have limited or banned canned hunts, there are no federal laws regulating the practice at this time.15

Other Victims
Hunting accidents destroy property and injure or kill horses, cows, dogs, cats, hikers, and other hunters. In 2006, then–Vice President Dick Cheney famously shot a friend while hunting quail on a canned hunting preserve.16 According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, thousands of injuries are attributed to hunting in the U.S. every year—and that number only includes incidents involving humans.17

The bears, cougars, deer, foxes, and other animals who are chased, trapped, and even killed by dogs during (sometimes illegal) hunts aren’t the only ones to suffer from this variant of the “sport.” Dogs used for hunting are often kept chained or penned and are denied routine veterinary care such as vaccines and heartworm medication. Some are lost during hunts and never found, whereas others are turned loose at the end of hunting season to fend for themselves and die of starvation or get struck by vehicles.

What You Can Do
Before you support a “wildlife” or “conservation” group, ask about its position on hunting. Groups such as the National Wildlife Federation, the National Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, the Izaak Walton League, the Wilderness Society, and the World Wildlife Fund are pro–sport-hunting, or at the very least, they do not oppose it.

To combat hunting in your area, post “no hunting” signs on your land, join or form an anti-hunting organization, protest organized hunts, and spread deer repellent or human hair (from barber shops) near hunting areas. Call 1-800-628-7275 to report poachers in national parks to the National Parks and Conservation Association. Educate others about hunting. Encourage your legislators to enact or enforce wildlife-protection laws, and insist that nonhunters be equally represented on the staffs of wildlife agencies.

References
1National Research Council, “Science and the Endangered Species Act” (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1995) 21.
2Grant Holloway, “Cloning to Revive Extinct Species,” CNN.com, 28 May 2002.
3Canadian Museum of Nature, “Great Auk,” 2008.
4Outdoor Life, “Why We Suck at Recruiting New Hunters, Why It Matters, and How You Can Fix It,” 15 Oct 2019.
5U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation” (Washington, D.C.: GPO, 2012) 28.
6Illinois Department of Natural Resources, “How the Program Works,” accessed 25 July 2013.
7Stephen S. Ditchkoff et al., “Wounding Rates of White-Tailed Deer With Traditional Archery Equipment,” Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (1998).
8D.J. Renny, “Merits and Demerits of Different Methods of Culling British Wild Mammals: A Veterinary Surgeon’s Perspective,” Proceedings of a Symposium on the Welfare of British Wild Mammals (London: 2002).
9Spencer Vaa, “Reducing Wounding Losses,” South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks, accessed 25 July 2013.
10E.L. Bradshaw and P. Bateson, “Welfare Implications of Culling Red Deer (Cervus Elaphus),” Animal Welfare 9 (2000): 3–24.
11John Whitfield, “Sheep Horns Downsized by Hunters’ Taste for Trophies,” Nature 426 (2003): 595.
12Morgan Loew, “Arizona Organization Protects ‘Canned’ Hunting,” CBS5 9 Nov. 2012.
13CBS News, “Can Hunting Endangered Animals Save the Species?” 60 Minutes 29 Jan. 2012.
14Robert M. Poole, “Hunters: For Love of the Land,” National Geographic Magazine Nov. 2007.
15Morgan Loew, “Arizona Organization Protects ‘Canned’ Hunting,” CBS5 9 Nov. 2012.
16Dana Bash, “Cheney Accidentally Shoots Fellow Hunter,” CNN.com, 12 Feb. 2006.
17National Shooting Sports Foundation, “Firearms-Related Injury Statistics,” Industry Intelligence Reports 2012.

2019 International Trophy Hunting Review

International trophy hunting is a multinational, multimillion-dollar industry practiced throughout the world. Trophy hunting is broadly defined as the killing of animals for recreation with the purpose of collecting trophies such as horns, antlers, skulls, skins, tusks, or teeth for display. The United States imports the most trophies of any country in the world. Congressional interest in trophy hunting is related to the recreational and ethical considerations of hunting and the potential consequences of hunting for conservation. For some, interest in trophy hunting centers on particular charismatic species, such as African lions, elephants, and rhinoceroses. Congress’s role in addressing international trophy hunting is limited, because hunting is regulated by laws of the range country (i.e., the country where the hunted species resides). However, Congress could address trophy hunting through actions such as regulating trophy imports into the United States or providing funding and technical expertise to conserve hunted species in range countries.

International trophy hunting generates controversy because of its potential costs and benefits to conservation, ethical considerations, and its contribution to local economies in range states. Proponents of trophy hunting contend that the practice provides an estimated millions of dollars for the conservation of species in exchange for the hunting of a proportionally small number of individuals. Further, they argue that trophy hunting can create incentives for conserving habitat and ecosystems where hunted animals roam and, in some impoverished areas in range countries, can provide a means of income, employment, and community development. Critics of trophy hunting contend that the practice can lead to the decline of rare and endangered species and that the pathway of moving funds from hunting to conservation can be fraught with corruption and mismanagement. Further, some contend it is unethical to kill animals for sport, or at all, and that animals should not be valued according to how much a hunter would pay to hunt them.

The international community, including the United States, has laws and regulations related to international trophy hunting. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement that creates a series of incrementally more stringent restrictions on imports and exports of wildlife, depending on the sustainability of such trade. The European Union (EU) also addresses trophy hunting through regulating trade of trophies, issuing permits for trade of trophies, and suspending certain species from trade with the EU if the species is in peril. In the United States, international trophy hunting is addressed by several laws, including the Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. §§1531-1543), which implements CITES. ESA does not regulate trophy-hunting activities within range countries directly; rather, the law governs what can be imported into the United States. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regulates trophy hunting, in part, by issuing permits to import trophies of species that are listed as threatened or endangered under ESA.

Congress could address international sport hunting by regulating trophy imports and funding conservation and research activities overseas, among other options. Some activities that Congress could consider, according to observers, include

directing the U.S. government to work with foreign governments and partners to monitor hunting practices and game species to help ensure a positive impact from trophy hunting in range states;

creating uniform standards for evaluating trophy import permits, specifically whether trophy hunting could enhance the survival of a population as addressed under ESA or be nondetrimental to a population as defined by CITES;

mandating that permit applications and decisions be made publicly available; and

creating an independent third-party certification system to evaluate trophy hunting operations.

Congress also might evaluate alternatives to trophy hunting in the wild. In Africa, for example, some countries have banned trophy hunting altogether and support wildlife viewing and tourism in its place. Some countries, such as South Africa, have large, fenced game ranches where animals can be hunted in a practice called captive hunting. Some contend these operations do not allow for fair chase hunting (i.e., hunting wild animals without boundaries) or contribute to conservation, whereas others argue that they facilitate wildlife management and reduce poaching.

10Ten great places to hunt roebuck

ROEBUCK HUNTING IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING AND CHALLENGING TYPES OF HUNTING THERE IS. WE HAVE ASSEMBLED A LIST OF 10 OF THE BEST PLACES IN THE WORLD TO HUNT ROEBUCK.

 

“No matter where you are in the world, amazing experiences await”

For many hunters, the spring and summer stalk for roebuck marks the start of the hunting season. This is nature in the raw – a technology-free hunt, untroubled by crackling radios or having to enter complicated dog tracking codes. This is hunter and nature alone. Quiet, peaceful and in harmony. Of course, searching for and selecting a beautiful large buck makes the hunt even more appealing. To shoot or to spare? How close do I dare approach? Where is the wind coming from?

 

Besides the simple magic of being in the natural world, a trip away from home adds an extra dimension to the hunt. New landscapes, different food, different hunting culture and new friends. The benefit of a buck hunting trip, practically speaking, is that it need not take too long, avoids excessively long journeys, does not require a plethora of gadgetry, and need not be crushingly expensive, as long as you avoid the very largest bucks. In addition, for those who have difficulty finding time off, the hunting season handily coincides with the holiday season.

So how do you pick your country? I have enjoyed amazing hunting in Spain, Hungary, France, Romania, Sweden and on Finland’s Åland archipelago. My largest buck came from Romania, on the day that I found myself just 60 metres from a 300 kg brown bear. An unforgettable experience. The smallest buck was offered by Åland, along with an even greater hunting experience. I was waiting in a small clump of trees surrounded by fields, for a buck to make an appearance. Suddenly, in the binoculars, I notice that a buck has stepped out in front of me, some 200 metres away. At that moment, as if from nowhere, a thick fog rolls in over the landscape. Visibility falls pretty much to zero. And then it happens. Out of the fog, right next to me, barely six metres away, he appears.

 

Every day in the forest, no matter where you are in the world, amazing experiences await. My advice would be to base your choice on your own interest in a particular destination country, rather than on the size of the roebucks in a tour operator’s advertising. Happy hunting!

Sweden – world-class roebucks

No buck hunting list is complete without Sweden. Magnificent bucks are felled across the country, but the ‘estate bucks’ in the south are often in a class of their own. The largest Swedish roebuck ever taken is the Widtsköfle buck, shot on the estate of the same name in 1982. Its trophy measured 246.9 CIC points and weighed 977 grams. But Northern Sweden has also delivered the goods. The next largest buck was shot north of Umeå in Västerbotten by hunter Jonas Lundgren in 2010. The trophy measured an impressive 234.7 points.

Poland – good value and close by

Poland is a paradise for roe deer. With its reasonable prices and excellent roe deer population, this is a favourite destination for buck fans. Target large bucks and hunt selectively, or target quantity and take several bucks over the course of your trip. The Polish buck season begins in mid-August and continues until the end of September.

Spain – tremendous trophies

 Spain may not be the first country to spring to mind when talking about roebuck hunting, but in fact many tremendous bucks are taken every year, especially in the north of Spain. The Spanish hunting season runs from April to September. Many Spanish hunters think that April and September are the best months, even though the rutting season is in July and August. However, July and August are very hot, which means that the deer do not move about as much compared with the rutting season in cooler climes.

Åland – good chance of a raccoon dog

The Åland archipelago, between Sweden and Finland, consists of 6,700 islands – and an impressive roe deer population. The population is estimated at 15,000, with an annual take of around 4,000. Stalking begins on 15 August, lasting till the end of the month. Of course, there are impressive large bucks in Åland, but in general it is not a paradise for trophies. There are however good chances of another sort of game when hunting: the raccoon dog. This invasive alien species is hunted year-round.

Hungary – hunting during the mid-summer rut, and hunting by horse and carriage

Hungary is a tradition-rich hunting country. There are large national hunting areas and wildlife conservation is very professionally managed. Here you can hunt spring roebuck in the wide open fields, but hunting is also permitted during the rut in mid-summer. So don’t forget your deer call! For a somewhat different experience, organisers offer hunting by horse and carriage. The horse walks along the fields at a steady pace and when you discover a buck, you simply step down and start stalking.

Great Britain – high-quality hunting in a beautiful landscape

Buck hunting in traditional Oxfordshire, on Devon’s luxuriant moorlands or in Scotland’s extensive Highlands. There are endless opportunities for the enthusiast looking for high-quality roebuck shooting in a beautiful landscape close to home. In Scotland and England, the roe deer season begins on 1 April and runs to 20 and 31 October, respectively. Did you now that neighbouring Ireland’s first reported roe deer sighting was in 2016? There is officially no roe deer population in Ireland.

Russia – the world’s largest roebucks

OK, let’s admit from the start that we are not talking about the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), but rather a different species, the Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus). That being said, roe deer don’t come bigger than this. An adult Siberian roe deer can weigh 40–50 kg and the horns of a fine buck are generally between 700 and 900 grams, but horns weighing a good bit more than a kilo are also found. The Russian roe deer hunt usually takes place in the huge Siberian birch forests or out in the massive open fields. The best period for hunting is during the rut, which takes place from late August to mid-September.

France – combine holidays, chamois and deer

France has amazing roe deer country and a mild climate. There are many excellent regions, but the south-west is generally considered to be among the very best. The hunting season runs from June to the end of September. In September, in certain areas, roebuck hunting can be combined with red deer stalking and even chamois. In addition to this, the buck hunting season is a prime holiday period in the south of France, so why not hunt for a few days and holiday with the family for the rest of the time?

Romania – hunting in Transylvania

Romania has very fine roebucks, due to their excellent wildlife conservation. Under Romanian law, a hunting area must be at least 7,500 hectares, with some local variations, and each area must also have a professional hunter who is officially responsible for the hunt. In other words, this is just the place for a roebuck hunter looking for a fine trophy animal. The roebuck hunt runs from 1 May to 15 September. The best time to go hunting is the first two weeks of the season and from the late-July rut to early August.

Germany – black roebucks, yes, they do exist

Black roebucks? Yes, there are actually populations of black roe deer in Europe, notably outside Hamburg in Germany and an area of the Netherlands. These bucks very rarely have large horns, but it is of course the colour of the hide that is desirable. However, hunting for black roebucks is an expensive business. You need to reckon on 5,000 euro for a three-day shoot, including one buck.

//Tobias Bestelid has worked as a travel and hunting journalist for many years and has also written a series of guidebooks to various destinations worldwide. His work has taken him to more than 80 countries. Tobias prefers stalking or hard hunting in the mountains.//