I take a more philanthropic attitude towards my hunting, in that, while you hunt to feed your family, I am attempting to feed every hungry kid in the world, but I'm only one man.
Seriously though the meat is all used and the dollars I spend, in those mostly third world countries, helps to create employment and support the economy. The dollars also go toward game management programs, that keep their borders open to hunters, helps in the anti poaching programs and helps to educate the indigenious population in the value of game to them, and their need to protect it.
In countries that allow it, non-resident big game trophy hunting brings in more reveue per tourist than any other form of tourism. The money I spend for one elephant hunt and trophy fee in Botswana is roughly 10 times that of any other form of tourism, per person, in that country.
The money I spent on my Altai Argali in Mongolia was 30 times the average annual income in that country and that money contributed to many pockets, jobs and mouths there.
Prior to the closure of managed hunting in Kenya, it was the single largest industry, dollar wise, in the country. Now it's poaching and many many more animals are killed to bring in a fraction of what the hunting industry did. Wise decision, I think not.
Bottom line though is I do it 'cause I love it, but there is no downside to international big game hunting, everyone comes out a winner and the critter was gonna die regardless. This way he greatly benefits his country of origin and gets to live on forever on my walls.
Douglas
Well said!
But be careful...antis don't like to be challenged into re-thinking their beliefs.
By the way...what is that critter in post 94?
