The History and Socio-Economic Benefits of the Hunting Culture in the US

The Hunting Culture in the United States
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The Hunting Culture in the United States
Introduction
Hunting is widely regarded as one of the oldest economic activities practiced by man. Long before the arrival of European colonists in America, Native American Americans practiced hunting for nourishment, clothing, tools, and commodities for trade. In one of his books, famed historian, Philip Dray, traces the advent of the hunting culture from the frontiersmen through the warriors of the American Revolution up to the establishment of the more recent National Rifle Association and the conservation movement. Among the most notable hunters in American history in Dray’s account, are Davy Crocket and Teddy Roosevelt who were among the frontiersmen, people who selflessly fought for America. Although the frontiersmen practiced farming, they were still heavily reliant on hunting for meat and clothing. Today, hunting is mainly practiced as a sport.
Hunting has played a crucial role in the building of what we call America today and still plays a key role in American social production, including the protection of wildlife and the environment. However, despite its obvious importance to the welfare of our country, hunting has been widely demonized, being portrayed by the media as merciless and barbaric. Although the practice is dwindling in modern America, it is still a major controversial point, intersecting with issues of gun control, animal rights, and environmentalism. The hunting culture has great inferences for modern America. Hunting is described by many as terrible and cruel, but hunting has many benefits in American social production, including the protection of wildlife and the environment.
Wildlife Management and Conservation
Urban sprawl is causing major ecological imbalances for various animal species especially the deer in some cities of the United States of America, e.g., Austin and Texas. As humans settled into the lesser populated lands of these cities suburbs, they scared away most natural predators, leopards, tigers, etc., causing an influx in the population of deer’s, effectively leading to overgrazing (McCorquodale, 1997). Overgrazing leads to the extinction of some animal species either through diminished food sources or destroyed shelters. Therefore, as a means of wildlife management, hunting helps in balancing animal species in the ecosystem ensuring that the number of animal species is within what the land can comfortably support, thus curtailing crop damage, disease outbreaks and other environmental effects (Krenezevic, 2009).
The History of the Hunting Culture in America
Hunting was in existence in America long before European colonists arrived. In the early cultures, the primary role of American women was housekeeping and farming, while men took on hunting expeditions. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the civilized interior had concerns over the hunters because they lived in the woods, far from civilization, and only showed up sporadically to sell pelts and meat. People from the mainland’s felt that they would soon become outdated as civilization advanced (McCorquodale, 1997). However, all this changed in the Revolution War, the frontiersmen, the hunters...