Difference Between Hunting and Poaching

Hunting vs Poaching

Hunting predates the existence of man, and the earliest men were known to be hunters and gatherers. They hunted animals, big and small alike, for food and also for survival. Even after the development of agriculture, hunting is still a very important source of food for man.
Hunting is defined as the act of pursuing animals for food or for recreation. The animals that are hunted are called game. They can be mammals, birds, or fish. Pests and vermin are also hunted to safeguard other animals from getting overwhelmed by them.
Today, there are still many tribal societies that rely on hunting for food such as the indigenous people of the Amazon, Central and Southern African Bushmen, and some tribes of New Guinea, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Hunting in most developed nations today is regulated with laws that hunters must abide by.
It is distinct from poaching which is illegal. Poaching is not limited to the hunting of wild animals; it also includes the illegal taking of wild plants. Because of the rapid extinction of several plant and animal species, hunting wild plants and animals is subject to laws that aim to preserve what is left of them.
While many people are against hunting, many also believe that the growing numbers of some animal species must be curtailed because they can be hazardous to the environment especially in the absence of their natural predators.
Hunting becomes poaching when:

Hunting animals when not in season and not during legal hours.
Hunters don’t have permits and use illegal weapons, spotlights, stun guns, or are hunting from a moving vehicle.
Hunters are using bait which is not suitable for the animal’s health.
The plant or animal has been tagged by a researcher or it is on the endangered list.
The hunters are hunting on private property without permission from the owners.
The animals, animal parts, or plants are sold for profit.

Only wild plants and animals can be poached, and they are the species that are on the endangered list which include: tigers (Siberian Tiger), elephants (Asian Elephant), birds (Philippine Eagle), and many others. Any domesticated animals that are taken or killed have a different penalty.
Hunting is essential for the ecological balance of the environment, but it is necessary for hunters to be very careful not to deplete the resources that we still have. For this, poaching must be stopped.
Summary:

1.Hunting is the act of pursuing a living thing for food, for game, or trade while poaching is the illegal taking and killing of wild plants and animals.
2.Hunting is subject to rules and regulations, and any violation against any of these rules and regulations causes the act to be considered as poaching and is punishable by law.
3.Hunting can be helpful in maintaining the ecological balance while poaching is unnecessary and can, in fact, destroy the ecological balance.
4.Only wild plants and animals can be poached while any animal can be hunted.

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