Varmining, a.k.a varmint hunting, is defined as the act of using a firearm to kill a non-domesticated, not obviously threatening animal when the shooter has no specific intent to use the animal carcass for any practical application such as using it as a food source, tanning the skin into workable leather or turning it over to a taxidermist. Although rarely done now, in some cases, state and local government will offer bounties on varmint animals with cash payment offered for proof of animals killed. Proof usually consists of the delivering the ears, pelt or other significant anatomical parts of the animal to a local agent. When bounties are not paid, quite often the shooter will not claim the animal carcass and will simply leave it where it falls. When the carcasses are collected, it’s usually done as a disease prevention measure to protect domestic livestock. Many different species are generally considered varmints and are treated as fair game. Coyotes and prairie dogs are probably the animals most commonly killed but rabbits, rats, pigeons, wolves, armadillos, feral swine, feral cats, wild goats, crows and occasionally deer are all culled.
Shooters typically defend the practice of varmint hunting with any combination of three arguments.
Varmint shooting is a necessary step in efficient land use management. Larger, carnivorous varmints such as coyotes and wolves prey on livestock directly while smaller ones either consume crops or domestic animal forage or they damage foraging ground directly. Cattle often snap their legs by stepping into animal burrows and feral swine have a well earned reputation for digging up entire fields. Many varmint species are also accused of spreading disease among domesticated stock. Control of such pest species makes good financial sense for the land owner and helps keep the operation profitable.
Varmint shooting is a sad but required step to keep the populations of such animals within check. Because of the way that humans have modified the environment, there is only so much food to go around. If the animals are not put down as efficiently and painlessly as possible now then they will just suffer a painful starvation this winter.
Target shooting is an enjoyable sport that many people practice on a regular basis. There is skill involved in place a bullet on a target the size of a quarter at three hundred meters but prairie dog shooters do this every day. Every effort is made to put the animal down as cleanly and painlessly as possible but effectively, varmints are challenging, no cost, self-replenishing and biodegradable targets.
Opponents to varmint hunting generally use some combination of the following three arguments.
Any non-zero level of human induced pain and fear in an animal that doesn’t serve a critical need is virtually the definition of cruelty. Yes an animal may starve over the winter but you can’t prove that it will any more than I can prove that it will not. If you’re that worried about animal suffering then spread some food around and work to preserve habitat. Prarie dogs have lost more than 95% of their range due to human intervention. Why is shooting more of then an answer?
Target shooting, especially shooting with high powered, long ranged weapons poses an unacceptable risk to the public. Even the most skilled hunter misses sometimes and stray bullets can thousands of feet with lethal velocity. As an example, the .30-06 cartridge is a very powerful shell designed for military use in a time when accurate 1,000 yard shots were to be expected and commonly used today in deer hunting rifles. Opinions vary but most experts agree such a bullet retains killing potential at well over a mile
Also note that specific safety concerns over lead have prompted bans of lead bullets in California and more restrictions are in the works.
“Efficient land use management” misses the big picture. Allowing the population of predator and pest species to self regulate will create a more balanced and overall healthier environment for all of us. If the farmer/rancher suffer some small economic inefficiency resulting in higher food prices then that’s a price that society should be willing to pay.
Too many people see a varmint hunter as a steel eyed killer sadistically gunning down helpless, harmless animal cast members from a live action Bambi film or they see the scene from the first Crocodile Dundee movie with drunken rednecks mindless shooting anything that moves. While I concede I’m probably biased, that doesn’t match my experience at all. I grew up around varmint shooters and I’ve gone myself a few times. I don’t apologize for that fact and I’l probably go again if the situation presents itself.
Should I?
Given the difficulty in enforcement and public opinion backlash, should varmint shooting be regulated or abolished?
varmint hunting should be expanded. We’re getting an influx of fox and coyote in residential communities in my area and they’re killing domestic pets. They can be dispatched with a decent air rifle.
There are probably valid reasons for hunting varmints. Anti-hunting people don’t always distinquish between necessity and sport. Personally, I think its cowardly to kill anything for ‘sport’. If you want sport, leave the weapon at home and take on the animal with your bare hands. If your hunting for animal products which you will use, or to protect crops and livestock, or for proper land management, then just do it responsibly. It’s not hard to find signs of irresponsible hunters. When they don’t ‘bag’ a wild animal, they start shooting everything in sight. They don’t track down wounded animals, or bury remains, and may not hesitate to kill pets. I think responsible hunters should work towards keeping the fools away instead of worrying about the government taking their guns away.
Now getting out my bullet proof vest. I’m sure others will disagree.
The problem is that in my example the fox and coyote are protected. It makes me wonder what will happen if bears and wolves work their way back into the state. I guess when a small child is mauled things will change.
I don’t know anyone who is suggesting that shouldn’t be the case. The post is specifically about shooting non-domesticated animals. AFAIK, killing a person’s pet is already covered under destruction of private property laws but I could be wrong on that.
False. This just proves the farmers want the perceived pests removed from his land and that the farmer is willing to bring in outside help to get the job done. It doesn’t prove that the targeted animals are actually a problem.
In my state, one must have a regular hunting license to varmint shoot. Every once in a while there is a news story where a coyote hunter got shot by another member of his group. But as a rule, there are only rare issues with bands of hunters firing centerfire rifles at coyotes and homeowners or property getting hit.
I would agree with this. I also know many people who don’t. This is especially true in regards to potentially endangered species like prairie dogs. Clearly we just don’t have enough of the little vermin say some.
Because in some areas, it’s perfectly responsible to leave your dog outdoors 24/7, except in extreme conditions.
My grandparents have 30+ acres of land (in fact, I’m there right now. And looking out the back door, all you see is field and a pond. My dog (formerly my dog, I had to bring her here because I couldn’t maintain her properly where I was living) refuses to come inside unless it’s snowing heavily (she’s thick coated, so it has to be snowing and very cold/windy), raining heavily with thunder or above 95 degrees.
She sleeps on the back porch, has an insulated doggie bed, and gets flea/tick meds regularly. She wouldn’t be an indoor dog anymore. And it’s pretty common to have dogs like that, in this area.
On the other hand, it’s not common to have dogs like that in more suburban areas, like where I live. I have 2 American Bulldogs which are entirely couch marshmellows.
You should be getting your flame proof suit, not bullet proof vest.
I don’t know what the law is around here, but it’s not uncommon for the chicken, goat and cow raisers (farmers, I guess… but can you be a goat farmer? Maybe herders… but you can’t be a chicken herder, can you?) to carry around a .22 or .223 in order to take out any number of varmints on their property, year 'round.
I’m of the opinion that as long as it’s safe to shoot in the area and it’s not purely for sport, vermin are fair game. Perhaps licensing, perhaps not. But I do know that feral pigs do a LOT of damage to gardens (my grandfather took one out last year, had dug up his squash).
No, my grandparents have a literal house in the country, with a lot of land, where a dog that I couldn’t take care of for a few months went. And now my grandpa wont let me take her back, and even if he would, she wouldn’t be happy living in a house with a small back yard anymore.
