This book gets to the heart of trophy hunting, unpacking and explaining its multiple facets and controversies, and exploring why it divides environmentalists, the hunting community, and the public. Bichel and Hart provide the first interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach to the study of trophy hunting, investigating the history of trophy hunting, and delving into the background, identity and motivation of trophy hunters. They also explore the role of social media and anthropomorphism in shaping trophy hunting discourse, as well as the viability of trophy hunting as a wildlife management tool, the ideals of fair chase and sportsmanship, and what hunting trophies are, both literally and in terms of their symbolic value to hunters and non-hunters. The analyses and discussions are underpinned by a consideration of the complex moral and practical conflicts between animal rights and conservation paradigms. This book appeals to scholars in environmental philosophy, conservation and environmental studies, as well as hunters, hunting opponents, wildlife management practitioners, and policymakers, and anyone with a broad interest in human–wildlife relations.
Author(s): Nikolaj Bichel, Adam Hart
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 376
City: Singapore
The Smallest of Trophies
Contents
Abbreviations
1 Introduction
1.1 A Lion Dies
1.2 Trophy Hunting as a Field of Research
1.3 Defining Trophy Hunting
1.4 Going Hunting
References
2 A History of Hunting and Hunting Perceptions
2.1 Prehistory
2.2 Ancient Egypt and China
2.3 Ancient Greece
2.4 Ancient Rome
2.5 Pre-Columbian America
2.6 From the Middle Ages to the Nineteenth Century in Europe
2.7 Colonial Hunting in India and Africa
2.8 Theodore Roosevelt and North American Conservation
2.9 The Transcendentalists
2.10 Modern Animal Rights and Ecofeminism
2.11 Recent Trends and Perceptions of Hunting
References
3 Hunting Trophies
3.1 Taxidermy
3.2 Fish and Birds
3.3 Skulls, Antlers, Skins, and Other Trophies
3.4 Trophies and Record Books
3.4.1 Rowland Ward
3.4.2 Boone and Crockett
3.4.3 International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation
3.4.4 Pope and Young
3.4.5 Safari Club International
3.4.6 Erongo Verzeichnis for African Game Animals
3.5 A Critical Look at Trophy Records
3.5.1 Do Record Books Honour Animals or Hunters?
3.5.2 The Consequences of Record Books
3.6 The Meanings of Hunting Trophies
3.6.1 Dead Nature
3.6.2 Achievement, Tribute, and Gratitude
3.6.3 Trophies as Interior Decoration
3.7 The Trophy Photo
References
4 Hunters and Antihunters
4.1 Hunter Demographics
4.2 Hunting, Privilege, and Social Schisms
4.2.1 Gender
4.2.2 Race and Wealth
4.2.3 Guns and God
4.3 Hunting Motivations
4.3.1 The Naturalistic Hunter—Nature
4.3.2 The Utilitarian Hunter—Meat
4.3.3 The Dominionistic Hunter—Sport
4.3.4 Motivation Demographics and Prevalences
4.4 Antihunters
4.5 More on Hunting Motivations
4.5.1 New Nature Hunting
4.5.2 Rituals and (Male) Identity
4.5.3 Getting Away
4.5.4 The Conservation Justification
4.5.5 Costly Signalling
4.5.6 Collecting and Collections
4.5.7 Record-Book Hunting
References
5 Trophy Hunting and Conservation
5.1 Hunting- and Trophy Trade Regulations
5.1.1 CITES
5.1.2 USA
5.1.3 Europe
5.2 Hunting and Conservation in Africa
5.2.1 Lion Conservation
5.2.2 Rural Livelihoods
5.2.3 Eco-Imperialism and Living with Lions
5.3 Hunting and Conservation in Eurasia and the Americas
5.3.1 An Overabundance of Deer
5.3.2 Problems of Overabundance
5.3.3 The Role of Hunting in Deer Management and the Problems with Fair Chase
5.4 Trophies and Genetics
5.4.1 Trophy Deer Management and Deer Farming
5.4.2 Evolution in Reverse
5.5 Population Management Alternatives
5.6 Photo Safari and Photographic Hunting
5.7 Poaching
References
6 Fair Chase and Sport Hunting
6.1 Technological Handicaps
6.2 Behavioural Handicaps
6.3 Fair Chase and Animal Welfare
6.4 Canned Hunting
References
7 Anthropomorphism and “Viralability”
7.1 #SaveMarius
7.1.1 Individuality
7.1.2 Empathy
7.1.3 Innocence and Defencelessness
7.2 Anthropomorphism, Empathy, Conservation, and Trophy Hunting
References
8 The Morality of Trophy Hunting
8.1 The Vices of Trophy Hunters
8.1.1 Trophy Hunter Antipathy on Twitter
8.2 Weighing Character Against Consequences
References
9 Trophy Hunting Now
9.1 Covid-19
9.2 Post-Truth
References
