Go Big or Go Home: Big Game Hunting
Go Big or Go Home: Big Game Hunting
Big game hunting is a big business, both in the United States and in other countries. According to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, 12.5 million people aged 16 and up hunt within the U.S and of these, about 10.7 million of them hunt big game. Big game hunting is also popular in Africa, where about $280 million is generated annually.
The definition of big game varies depending on where you live and hunt. In the United States big game includes deer, moose, elk, bear, bighorn sheep and other animals. However, individual states are able to classify other species as big game, so the list varies from state to state and country to country. In Africa, big game includes such animals as cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, lions, elephants, leopards, rhinoceri and Cape buffalo.
Big game hunting can be done in many ways. Many big game hunters choose to go out on their own to trek big game while others hire guides to take them to popular big game territories. Many big game hunters dream of going on a guided African safari in order to hunt the most dangerous game. During the 2003-2004 hunting season, 6,700 tourists in Africa killed roughly 54,000 big game animals according to a report done by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
Despite the large revenue that large game hunting generates, there is much controversy surrounding hunting such animals. Many people who set out to hunt big game are in it for the trophy at the end of the hunt. For this reason, many big game hunters pay top dollar in order to kill rare animals on private hunting reserves. This practice is known as canned hunting, when animals are bred in captivity and released into enclosed surroundings with no chance of escape.
The act of canned hunting is frowned upon by both animal rights groups and hunters. Many animal rights groups object to keeping animals in such small enclosures, while many hunters oppose the practice of canned hunting because it takes away from the challenge and hunting, giving the animal an unfair disadvantage. Regardless of the opposition, there are no laws against canned hunting other than those put into place by local governments. In spite of the controversy surrounding canned hunting, big game hunting continues to be a popular sport among hunters all over the world. As with any hunting trip, big game hunting requires you to be prepared and properly outfitted for the hunt.
I was fortunate to come across BigGameGuns.com while I was planning my first big game hunting trip. From Ruger and Savage Arms to Remington and Browning, BigGameGuns has the firepower you need to take down game of all sizes. When hunting big game, it’s always best to be prepared and with their large selection of hunting accessories and tools, BigGameGuns has you covered. Whether you plan to hunt deer, mountain lions, moose, bears or even elephants, BigGameGuns offers quality knives, binoculars, ammunition, scopes and other accessories to help you bag the biggest available game.