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This book gets to the heart of trophy hunting, unpacking and explaining its multiple facets and controversies, and exploring why it divides environmentalists, the hunting community, and the public. Bichel and Hart provide the first interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach to the study of trophy hunting, investigating the history of trophy hunting, and delving into the background, identity and motivation of trophy hunters. They also explore the role of social media and anthropomorphism in shaping trophy hunting discourse, as well as the viability of trophy hunting as a wildlife management tool, the ideals of fair chase and sportsmanship, and what hunting trophies are, both literally and in terms of their symbolic value to hunters and non-hunters. The analyses and discussions are underpinned by a consideration of the complex moral and practical conflicts between animal rights and conservation paradigms. This book appeals to scholars in environmental philosophy, conservation and environmental studies, as well as hunters, hunting opponents, wildlife management practitioners, and policymakers, and anyone with a broad interest in human-wildlife relations.
- Introduction
- A History of Hunting and Hunting Perceptions
- Hunting Trophies
- Hunters and Antihunters
- Trophy Hunting and Conservation
- Fair Chase and Sport Hunting
- Anthropomorphism and "Viralability"
- The Morality of Trophy Hunting
- Trophy Hunting Now
Nikolaj Bichel obtained his PhD in environmental philosophy from the University of Hong Kong with a dissertation about trophy hunting. He holds a BA in Sociology and an MA in European Studies. His research interests are in the intersection between conservation science, social science and philosophy and include subjects such as human-wildlife relationships, hunting, and conservation ethics.
Adam Hart is Professor of Science Communication at the University of Gloucestershire. His research interests include African ecology and conservation and, as a broadcaster and public commentator, he has made a number of contributions to the public debate on trophy hunting. In 2015 he wrote and presented the BBC Radio 4 documentary Big Game Theory, which examined the role of hunting in modern-day conservation.
– Named The Marsh Ecology Book of the Year by the British Ecological Society.
"[...] This is a genuinely unusual and fascinating text. You don't have to be a wildlife/hunting researcher to appreciate the depth of the topic – in fact, as the book makes abundantly clear, very few people are hunting researchers hence the paucity of the debate. What could be a simple text about kill rates and hunting locations is turned into a highly nuanced debate with threads weaving through economics, politics, sociology, ecology, history, and a few others. As a study in discussing the parameters of an applied conservation topic, there are few texts that can match it. You don't need to have a viewpoint on trophy hunting to appreciate that."
– Paul Ganderton, The Niche 54(3)
