HUNTER
In a snowy landscape in southern Limburg, hunters with their dogs move slowly through the forest area looking for a good hunting spot, to shoot game. For millions of years, our ancestors have walked through the forest this way, looking for food, defending the community or protecting crops.
Yet things have changed, looking at the purpose of hunting today. Apart from food, today’s hunters are also of great value to fauna management. In a small country like the Netherlands, we have to pay attention to the diverse interests of humans and animals. Some animal species suffer from human activities and others benefit too much. Think of geese, foxes, and wild boars. These animals cause enormous nuisance, damage and they restrict other animals in their habitat.
So, hunters are also engaged in mapping animal populations to find out which vulnerable animal populations need help. That is why the Netherlands has approximately 27,000 hunters.
Each hunter requires a certificate and adheres to numerous laws. “We always hunt specifically for what is needed at the time and with extreme caution to prevent unnecessary suffering at any cost. The shot game is thanked and honored in a traditional way,” says hunter Klaas Evenhuis.
Hunters Klaas and his brother Sjoerd run a business called “Wild van Wild”. They make products from the yield of hunting. Through this approach, they ensure that the game they shoot does not go to waste. This is an example of how traditional practices can be integrated into a modern and environmentally conscious society.