The Pros And Cons Of Internet Hunting

In 2005 a Texas man named John Lockwood created a website called Live-Shot. Lockwood used technology to create a new form of hunting. Internet hunting, or remote-controlled hunting, allows users to view a live feed of animals through a camera online. For a monthly fee, users could shoot the animals they see with the click of a mouse. When they click the mouse, a real gun fires at the animal on the field where the animals are caged. The creator of internet hunting claims its creation was intended for people who are disabled, unable to hunt, or living in other countries. But, with the creation of this new hunting idea comes plenty of controversy. Unlikely candidates join in an attempt to outlaw the practice of internet hunting, while others appreciate …show more content…
For example, Veronica Rose and Gerald Barrett wrote a report to the Connecticut General Assembly website saying “it is not hunting; it is killing and it violates the rules of ‘fair chase.’” Rose and Barrett are affirming the idea that this practice does not come close to traditional hunting and creates a far more corrupt form of the sport. These animals are not given the chance of “fair chase” and have no way out. This practice should not even be considered hunting because the two are not comparable. Traditional hunting requires licenses, practice, learning, and skill, while this technology allows somebody to kill a living animal from their living room. The abilities that Lockwood created with internet hunting should have bothered more people. He himself should have known that this practice is cruel, disrespectful, and against the morality of Americans. “The problem here is […] the distance. It increases our sense that real killing is an anonymous activity” writes Kirk O. Hanson from Santa Clara University. He means that people are becoming too comfortable with the concept of killing and do not feel responsible for what they are doing. Shooting an animal on a screen is different than shooting it with the gun in your hands. People have become used to video games and familiar with shooting games, so it is hard for them to understand that this game has real consequences. …show more content…
The Humane Society of The United States stated that “we need federal legislation to ban it in all states” (The Humane Society of The United States). The fact that no federal legislation exists creates many issues. For one, users from outlawed states could “hunt” on a website based in a state where the practice is legal. Plus, people from other countries could still use the websites in these legal states, increasing their revenue. Each state could create different laws with different stipulations and punishment, making it easier or harder to internet hunt in certain states, but federal legislation would make it illegal with the same punishments nationwide. The research report from the Connecticut General Assembly website explains that House Bills have been proposed and not passed (Veronica Rose and Gerald Barrett). The House has been made aware of the issues involved with remote-controlled hunting and has not enacted federal laws. It is upsetting that the federal government knows what is happening and the problems and controversy that have arisen from the issue, but have yet to act upon it. At the time the Connecticut General Assembly posted their article thirty- five states had passed legislation against internet hunting, with more debating the topic in their state governments (Veronica Rose and Gerald Barrett). With so much state legislation