Since time immemorial, humankind has embraced hunting for multiple reasons.
They have been hunting since prehistoric periods till date; when man used simple bows, arrows, and spears up to when hunters utilized shotguns laden with black gun powder.
And now, there is diverse hi-tech gear favored by the contemporary hunter. People hunt for food, personal beliefs, culture, and tradition for sportsmanship, while for some, it’s a passion.
A few centuries back, hunters would freely market their kills in open stalls. It was common to find auctions for trophies collected from prized hunts such as elephant tusks, rhino horns, or leopard skin.
In the modern-day, a few lessons through time and space have brought about hunting restrictions in various places around the world. All these bans have affected the economic potential of hunting. In this article, we strive to figure out how to make money hunting.
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Can You Make Money Hunting?
As mentioned above, one of the major traditional ways people made money from wildlife was via trophy hunting.
It happened because selected wild species were hunted for parts of their body and were collected as evidence of the successful kill.
The prize parts were then sold off to trophy collectors, sometimes for huge amounts of money. The game meat was sold off as food. And in some parts of the world, such as West Africa and Asia, animals were hunted and sold to make exotic culinary dishes or traditional medicine.
However, such practices in the past led to a decrease in wild animals’ population, which disrupted the ecosystem. The after-effects included a decree to regulate hunting. Today, depending on where you live, different laws define if hunting is legal or not.
Many countries allow hunting only with a license and in special “hunting lands“.
You have to purchase a license or register with a governing body. But even with all these rules and regulations in place, one would still want to know if you can make money from hunting. We explore some viable ways you can generate money from hunting. Read below to find out.
How To Make Money Hunting
Animal Bounties
Hunting of animals for bounty in the United States is believed to have been introduced by European immigrants. It’s now a common practice in several states that face an abundance of a particular species.
The local government pays a stipend to hunters who bring in evidence of a kill. Find out if your state has a bounty on wild animals to maximize the opportunity while doing what you love.
Trapping
Neighborhoods that are plagued by invasive wildlife species will often outsource trappers to help with the problem. You can charge varying rates depending on the wild animal. For instance, in Alabama, you can obtain a license to trap furbearers like mink, coyote, or bobcat.
Hunting Guide & Fishing Guide
If you are passionate about hunting or fishing, you can transform this devotion into a job. As more people take up hunting and fishing as pastime activities, they are bound to travel with the hope of encountering new wild game.
If you possess the necessary skills, sign up for certification to increase your chances of becoming a good hunting or fishing guide.
Pest Hunting Rewards
You can also make money from pest hunting rewards. These are monetary prizes won by hunters for shooting or trapping animals considered pests in respective areas. You may need to obtain a firearm license, but the best thing is you can hunt all year round.
A good example is a city in Canada that stated it offers $50 for a set of boars ears because they were becoming increasingly persistent and dangerous for citizens.
Essentials You Need For Hunting
When heading out for hunting, many essentials can help optimize your hunt or save your life. Having the right geat is especially important if you want to take on hunting as a “full-time job”
A common misconception is that hunting is a gear-intensive endeavor. You will commonly receive advice and theories from numerous sources, but not every tale is to be trusted.
You have to own the necessary tools and equipment to get you through various hunting seasons. With just the basics, you might have the best hunting season yet. Let’s take a look at what you need.
Permits and Licenses
The rules governing the practice of hunting vary between states and countries. In some places, these regulations may change from year to year. You must familiarize yourself with such restrictions to avoid breaking the law.
An excellent place to begin is the area’s wildlife offices. Conduct research to know local laws, season dates, designated hunting zones, and permits required to be on the safe side.
Government laws define most permits. But in other territories, they are regulated by a moral code, personal restraint, or unwritten law. The purpose of these permits and licenses include:
- Animal conservation processes. Different permits highlight which wild game you can hunt and which species are off-limits.
- Generation of revenue via taxes.
- Help prevent the transmission or spread of animal-borne maladies such as rabies and Lyme disease.
- Preservation of public safety. Hunting zones are designated to ensure that the general populace, like other hunters or bystanders, does not get compromised due to your hunting activity.
For example, one can get charged with reckless endangerment for firing at a deer in a densely populated area such as a parking lot, across highways with heavy traffic, or aerial hunting, no matter how good of a marksman you may be.
Permits are derived from centuries ago. One can find mention of such regulations from literature dating back to the 9th century, during the reign of William the Conqueror. Nowadays, it is a common requirement that anyone to hunt should have a hunting permit.
For instance, under the Australian legislature, you need a basic hunting permit to hunt feral animals like foxes, pigs, and rabbits. The permit forbids the hunting of endangered animals such as Kangaroos.
And because hunting in most Australian territories is limited to Crown land or private property, you also need written consent obtained from the landowner within the past six months to permit hunting on their grounds.
In countries like Canada, you may have to apply for a license to acquire or possess a firearm solely for hunting. It is mandatory to take an introductory training course to ensure the hunter is well-trained.
Places like Germany are a bit more strict with who they disburse permission slips to. Thus, anyone with a prior criminal record or without liability insurance can be denied a hunting permit.
Regardless of where you are, make a point of inquiring from the relevant authorities about permits or written permissions, you need to hunt within the said jurisdiction. To be on the safe side, ensure you keep this documentation with you at all times. Local law enforcement may request to see your gun and hunting licenses at will.
Gear
When it comes to hunting, the gear you have is essential to the success of your endeavors. Imagine a duck hunter without decoys and a duck call. He may spend the whole day and night in the marsh to no avail.
Hunting gear ranges from simple everyday things such as clothes, boots, hats, and gloves to accessories and tools like guns, rifles, poisons, bows, and arrows. As hunting gear becomes advanced and sleeker, there are great misconceptions as to what one must have.
The equipment you choose is intended to make the experience of hunting as pleasant as possible. But with so many choices in the market, the process can get overwhelming. However, with a few tips and tricks, you should be well on your way to choosing the essential hunting gear. What you require is dictated by a couple of factors, such as:
- Type of hunting: Are you hunting waterfowl, big game, or fish? For instance, if you will be using snares for hunting, you have to invest in traps. And a duck hunter will require warm and waterproof clothing.
- Your skill level:The requirements of a novice hunter will differ from those of a professional hunter.
- The cost of the gear: Some hunting equipment and gadgets can be quite expensive as some rifles and bows will set you back a couple of dollars.
- The weather conditions.
- The landscape: Every seasoned hunter understands the importance of camouflage. Being able to blend with the landscape greatly improves your hunting experience. Bright orange may help a rabbit hunter but is detrimental to a deer hunter.
- Where will you be hunting? If you are traveling far and wide trying to stalk prey, your gear needs are different from someone who hunts from a blind in their backyard.
Here are a couple of vital things you need, whether you are a novice or a connoisseur hunter.
Clothing
Having the appropriate hunting clothes can be a game-changer. Your personal preference will often dictate what you choose to wear.
However, the essentials include tight-fitting clothing that doesn’t blow in the wind, sturdy boots, socks, a hat, gloves, and a weather-friendly jacket.
It pays off to invest in insulated clothing to keep you warm at night and protect you from the arctic breeze. If you are hunting in wet conditions, make sure you have rain gear and waterproof clothing. Extra layers of clothing under the jacket should keep you warm and dry.
Weapons— Firearms and bows
Most hunters prefer using firearms in the current day and age compared to other hunting tools like knives.
The use of guns and rifles differs between places. In the United States, the federal government regulates the ownership of arms under the 2nd Amendment.
In other areas, like Germany, the governing bodies formulate laws governing firepower, especially in hunting expeditions. Every territory or state has regulations that you have to comply with as a hunter.
For a duck hunter in the U.S., federal laws regulate the number of shotgun shells to three. You have to pick a shotgun model that allows a third shot to maximize this. You can also only use non-lead shells.
Depending on the type of animal you will hunt, consider the actual scenario you might encounter in the field. This should help you decide the type of firearm to have, how much ammunition to carry, and the relevant accessories.
Bag
You will need a bag to carry all your hunting gear. A high-quality bag will protect your things from moisture damage. Various camouflage designs that blend with different environments are available.
A First aid kit
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of a first aid kit whenever you are outdoors. Anything can happen in the field, and it doesn’t hurt to be sufficiently prepared with at least the basic tools to conduct first aid before you get professional medical assistance.
Other accessories
There are tons of accessories you can add to your essentials list when heading out hunting. Take say, gaiters. These coverings help keep water, snow, or debris out of your boots. They are not a complete necessity, but they do come in handy.
If you are carrying a gun, you can consider a gun case for storage and a belt cartridge holder to keep your ammo handy. Other things you can take with you to better your hunting experience are gadgets like a folding knife, a multi-tool, parachute cord, maps, or a compass.
Can You Sell Wild Game Meat For Money?
When it comes to the legality of handling and selling wild game meat, it is important to consider your state or region of residency.
We will answer some of the common questions concerning the sale of game meat.
Is it legal to sell wild game meat?
You may have to check with the relevant bodies in charge of hunting. The legality of wild game meat differs from state to state.
However, federal law dictates that before any wild game meat is put up for sale, it must be inspected for diseases and sanitation. This means that one can only sell wild game meat if it has received a mark of inspection from the appropriate officials.
What about imported wild game meat? You may ask. The assumption is that the venison was inspected at the point of origin before it was exported to the U.S. Therefore, it is perfectly legal to sell such wild game meat.
Are inspections required before you sell wild game meat?
As mentioned above, the only way you are permitted to sell wild game meat is if it has a mark of inspection. Without this, one cannot sell venison within the U.S. Regular meat inspections are carried out by the USDA under specific livestock and poultry laws.
If you are living in Texas, you are in luck. The state operates its inspections of wild games intended for sale to the public. But if you live in other states, you may face the challenge of obtaining a mark of inspection in the game meat.
Under the specific rules and regulations, if the game meat falls under the restricted category, it will not be inspected; thus cannot be put up for sale. But, if it is inspected and marked as safe for human consumption, you can be assured that it is legal to sell to the public.
Make sure your wild game meat products are properly inspected to ensure that you are operating within the law. The last thing you need is a lawsuit from a dissatisfied customer or a fine from the authorities for breaking the law.
What states allow the selling of wild game meat?
Each state in the United States has its own set of restrictions about selling wild game meat. The FMIA has defined the types of meats that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is mandated to inspect.
However, the wild game does not feature in this list, making it a vague topic. It is termed non-amendable. The USDA will occasionally issue inspection marks voluntarily, as they are not obligated by federal law to inspect meat from wild game.
The State of Texas is the only state that currently runs its own inspection program. The only stipulation is that the process must follow the same guidelines as the USDA’s. And even though federal law forbids the sale of non-amendable meats across borderlines, inspected wild game from Texas can be sold in the rest of the United States. This is because the inspection regimen in Texas is close to the protocol of the USDA criteria.
Can I sell products from processed wild game meat?
Some species of wild game are regarded as amenable in some states. Therefore, it is perfectly legal under that particular state’s laws to sell products from this wildlife.
Products from the wild game such as deer, hogs, reindeer, elk, quails, ducks, and turkey can be sold so long as they pass the inspection test.
Final Word
The art of hunting has been around since the era of our ancestors. It developed through time and space to become what we know in this age.
Today, most people take up hunting for sport or as a tradition passed down from father to son (or daughter). But it might be beneficial to know how to make money hunting in your state or territory.
