Opinion: Trophy hunters are getting a bad rap, and that hurts all hunters

Thanks to a successful smear campaign, the term “trophy hunting” has been appropriated by anti-hunters to conjure up negative connotations. They want non-hunters to believe trophy hunters are rich slobs who travel the world murdering endangered species and leaving the meat to rot. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for example, states bluntly that “trophy hunting is the hunting of wild animals for sport, not for food.” As a result of such misinformation, some hunters are understandably shying away from the term, but isn’t it time we took it back instead?

Trophy hunting has slightly different definitions in various parts of the world, but to most hunters, it simply means hunting a mature male animal. The notion that meat is wasted is ridiculous. In most of North America, the flesh from hunted animals must be consumed by law, and in Africa, where the antis are focusing much of their effort, such meat is a precious commodity. Not only is it all consumed, but so too are the organs and bone marrow. In many parts of Africa, in fact, hunter-supplied meat is the only source of protein.

THE ANTI-HUNTING THREAT

The anti-hunting movement has become so convincing that many countries are banning the import of animals taken in Africa. Canada recently stopped the import of rhino and elephant trophies, for example. despite there being a surplus of those animals in some parts of the continent, where hunting is an important part of their conservation. The ban is strictly for social reasons, with no science to support it. In most cases, the science actually supports hunting.

The antis are well-funded and masters at playing on emotion. They start with high-profile, iconic animals that most people have never seen outside of a zoo. It’s easy to convince the average non-hunter—and even some hunters—that elephants are near extinction and there’s no reason to hunt them. The same ploy was used to end B.C.’s grizzly bear hunt in 2017. Make no mistake, the antis are selecting these animals not because they are in danger from hunters, but because they are easily used to garner public sympathy. The antis’ ultimate goal is the abolition of all hunting, but it’s a long game of patience and they are starting with the low-hanging fruit.

So, should hunters shy away from the term trophy hunting? And do we need to stop hunting some of these iconic species with the hopes the antis will leave us alone? It would be nice to think that would make a difference, but it would only embolden the foes of hunting. Rather than continue to lose ground to them, we need to start taking some back, and the term trophy hunting is a good place to start.

In several recent polls conducted in Canada, approximately 70 per cent of respondents supported hunting for meat, but only 10 to 15 per cent supported trophy hunting. The two are essentially the same thing, but it shows how effective the antis have been. We need the public to stop believing the anti-hunting rhetoric, and to understand trophy hunting is meat hunting, too. It’s just a more selective harvest of mature male animals.

THE REALITY OF HUNTING

As hunters, we also need to hold ourselves to the highest standards and distance ourselves from those who willingly break the law to secure a trophy animal. The media often uses the terms “poacher” and “hunter” interchangeably. They aren’t.

We also need to educate those around us about the realities of trophy hunting, that it’s an important part of science-based wildlife management. We must show trophy hunters are no different than more socially acceptable meat hunters, other than being more selective about what they harvest.

As for trophy hunters who travel abroad, they also play an important role in science-based wildlife management, with the added benefit of providing much needed income to often impoverished parts of the world. Putting a value on game helps protect wildlife habitat that would otherwise be lost to income-producing domestic livestock. And again, all the meat is utilized.

Trophy hunters aren’t the scourge of our hunting heritage. They are merely another type of responsible hunter the antis have found easy to target. If we don’t take a stand now, make no mistake, they will be coming for whatever type of hunter you are next.