The history of hunting is as old as mankind. In the past hunting was essential to our survival, because it provided us with valuable food. Even when farming and cultivation was widely used, man continued to hunt for meat. As time passed hunting was not practiced only for food, but animals were hunted also because of their skin and for trophies. Thus the hunting sports were born. Nowadays there are different types of hunting sports.Let me mention just some of the most common ones: deer hunting, game hunting, bird hunting, fox hunting, big game hunting, hog hunting and many others.
Hunting sports are widely enjoyed around the world, but not all people hunt in the same way. I will now demonstrate some of different weapons and tactics used.

The most common option is rifle hunting. It is considered to be a lot easier as (also common) bow hunting. This is mainly because, you can shoot from a larger distance and you can be more accurate at a greater distance. Because of this a hunter needs little less skill to successfully bring down a game. For hunting with a rifle, you will need a rifle, ammunition and a knife. These are the most important parts of a hunters equippment. But you will also need camping and hiking equippment and a lot of knowledge of the terrain, the animal you are hunting, etc.

Bow hunting: Hunting with a bow is preferred by hunters who want to come closer to the primal nature of hunting sport. Like mentioned before, bows can not produce the same firepower as the rifle so aim and accuracy is much more important. Also you must know how to move more stealthly because you will need to get closer to the animal, which can sometimes be quite difficult. Hunting with a bow is quiet, so you do not scare of other animals with the shooting. Because of this you can successfuly bring down several animals in the same trip.

The equippment that you will need for bow hunting is of course the bow and additional arrows. It is also wise that you have extra arrowheads, if you damage the ones on the arrows. The knife is allways welcome and also many bow hunters use a rangefinder to improve the chances of hitting the target. Bow hunters usually hunt for large game, because it is very hard to catch small animals with a bow.

Decoys are commonly used for hunting waterfowl birds. There are also other types of decoys, for hunting different animals, but they are not used often. Decoys are placed somewhere in the sight of a hunter. The hunter remains hidden and tries to loure game to himself using fowl-enticing calls or scents. You do not need so much skill for a succesfull hunt, which comes in handy when the hunter is hunting for food.

Another thing a hunter needs to learn if he want’s to be successful in hunting is tracking. It is much more interesting and effective as just waiting the game to come to you. Bow hunters practice tracking more often than hunters with a rifle. This is because the bow is more quite and the hunter usually has more than one shot if he misses the first one. A skilled hunter is able to follow animal tracks and determine from scat and some other signs if the hunted animal has been there in the near past.
Lodges, blinds and hides are also commonly used in hunting. They are set up in places where the type of hunted animals is common- usually by their paths to rivers and food supplies. Only patience is needed for this type of hunting, as the hunter just waits for the game to come by.

Hunting sports have been around for a long time and if we want to be able to hunt in the future it is very important that we preserve the animals and prevent poaching. Hunting requires licenses and permits in most areas of the world, so animals are mainly protected from overkill. It is very important that the conservation programs are running and that we limit permits and licenses for hunting animals that may become endangered. Conservation efforts that are continuing today are an important part of hunting and must be respected. Different countries have different rules and seasons for hunting and we must strictly respect these laws in order to conserve hunting also for future generations to enjoy.