The Reality of Canned Hunts

Canned hunts, also referred to as trophy hunts, provide unethical and cruel hunters the opportunity to shoot and kill captive animals. Kept on fenced game ranches ranging from a few acres to a couple thousand, these animals have no escape. On some of the larger ranches, hunters are even driven around until they spot an easy target. Hunters pay to visit these ranches, or even visit a website, and kill helpless animals of all kinds.

These defenseless victims of canned hunts include native species of deer, elk, bison, and bears, and exotic species of antelope, boars, zebras, and large cats. They are either bred and raised on game ranches, or are purchased from research laboratories, zoos, game farms, or animal dealers. Because most of these animals are captive bred and bottle fed, they are accustomed to human contact and do not consider humans dangerous. This works to the hunter’s advantage because target animals do not know to run or defend themselves when they are approached.  

Many of these imprisoned animals are fed at the same time every day by their captors, who use this as a tool for hunting them. Game ranchers will drive a hunter to the feed area at a time when the animals normally get fed so the hunter can shoot them as they come to eat. In fact, killing an animal at these ranches is so certain, many ranches offer a “no kill, no pay” policy.

This policy, along with the fact that these animals are enclosed and somewhat tame, does not sit well with most hunters and hunting organizations. Even though hunting as a whole is unethical and unnecessary, most hunters feel the lack of a “fair chase” is reason to denounce canned hunting. Trophy hunters are only concerned with hanging a head on their wall, or stuffing an exotic creature for their den. Any skilled hunter participating in a canned hunt will aim at non-vital organs so as not to damage the head or chest. This causes these sentient beings to suffer long, painful deaths.

It is these atrocities that have led 20 states to ban or restrict canned hunting. Although this is a step in the right direction for a more humane tomorrow, it is a small step. Most states do nothing to prevent the cruelty of the canned hunt, and there is no federal law prohibiting or regulating it. In fact, the Animal Welfare Act does not address canned hunts, the Endangered Species Act—which protects animals who have been listed as endangered or threatened—does not prohibit ownership of endangered animals, and the Fish and Wildlife Service allows the canned hunting of endangered species.

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