For many years now, hunting has been a consistent source of contention among many, with constant debating over whether hunting is morally right or wrong. Much of this debate is centered around and started by animal rights groups and activists who believe that killing animals in any form is wrong. Still, there is also a major discussion amongst hunters and non-hunters, and often even in between hunters themselves, about whether or not hunting is a sport.
Of course, the answer to the question of is hunting a sport depends on your own particular point of view. Still, we decided to do some research to see what other people have to say on the subject. This isn't in an effort to change your opinion, as likely you've already made up your mind on whether or not you feel hunting is a sport. We simply thought it would be interesting to see if we could come up with a consensus point of view on how the majority of hunters feel about the subject.
In order to do this, this article will look at all points of view, beginning first by looking at the official definition of a sport to see whether hunting qualifies.
Is Hunting a Sport by Definition?
If we take a look at Merriam-Webster's dictionary, there are a several different definitions of the word 'sport' as a noun. The first definition states that a sport is:
“an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”
Although hunting definitely qualifies under the first part of the definition, in that it is a physical activity that is done according to a specific set of rules, the second part of the definition is problematic. This definition states that a sport involves a person or people competing against other people, which would seem to suggest that hunting is not a sport as it involves a person competing against an animal, not another person.
The first definition of sport in Oxford Dictionary doesn't help either, as it states that a sport is:
“an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”
Again, hunting almost always involves physical exertion, but this definition still requires a person or team to compete against others, which hunting doesn't involve.
In fact, this is one of the most commonly used arguments by those who feel hunting is not a sport, that the deer or other animal does not actually know it is 'playing the game/sport' and therefore hunting cannot truly be called a sport. As well, there are also some people who question whether or not hunting truly requires skill, especially in the case of hunting with a gun. This is another area that's really a matter of personal opinion, although there's no doubt that being able to pull off an accurate kill shot at distance does require a certain amount of skill. In this sense, the sheer act of hunting may not require that much skill, but doing it well definitely does.
Still, all of this is based only on the first dictionary definition of a sport. Webster's has another definition that many others use to argue that hunting is a sport, which states that a sport is simply any:
“physical activity done for enjoyment.”
In fact, this definition specifically lists hunting, along with fishing, swimming and running, as examples of sports. So, if we go by this definition, hunting definitely qualifies as a sport.
Of course, looking at the question purely from a linguistic point of view doesn't fully answer the question, which is why we'll now look into some of the other arguments.
Is Hunting a Sin? The Moral Arguments
Amongst animal rights activists and other like-minded individuals, there is the question of whether or not hunting is morally right. This argument tends to focus on such questions as whether humans should kill animals and do animals have feelings. While it is fairly obvious that hunters don't think it is morally wrong, there is still much debate among hunters about so-called sport or trophy hunting.
What the Hunters Think: Is Hunting a Sport or Hobby?
After doing extensive research, it seems that at least a small majority of hunters don't actually consider it to be a sport and instead a hobby. Amongst this group of hunters, the focus is on harvesting a deer for its meat. Many in this group tend to also focus on the use of hunting in helping to control animal populations. Hunting can be a valuable tool in population control, working to keep the number of animals in check so that an area doesn't become overpopulated, which tends to result in disease and famine. Of course, there are still those who claim that Mother Nature has other mechanisms to help control populations.
Trophy hunting - hanging on wall
Still, not all hunters harvest and eat the meat from the animals they shoot, instead simply shooting huge animals that they wish to hang on their walls as trophies. There are a great many game farms and ranches all over the United States that specialize in this type of trophy or so-called 'sport hunting', allowing any person willing to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars the chance to shoot a trophy animal, whether it be a huge whitetail or some exotic imported species. Similarly, many people routinely travel to Africa to go on trophy safari hunts.
However, among the majority group of hunters, those who view it more in terms of harvesting an animal for its meat, this type of hunting is not only NOT a sport, but is also morally wrong. There are many hunters who highly respect animals, believing that you should only kill one if you plan on eating it for sustenance. Among many of these people, there is no such thing as hunting for sport.
Is Hunting a Sport: The Final Word
As you can see, the question of is hunting considered a sport has a great many answers depending on your point of view. Still, from the point of view of many hunters, it is not about the sport, but instead it's about respecting the animals and being thankful for the opportunity to harvest such a beautiful creature.
