Perhaps one of the oldest activities on the face of the planet is hunting. The history of hunting, consequently, is also one of the most diverse. Hunting for food has always been something humanity has had to do, since the beginning of any civilization known to man.
As a result of this, thousands of weapons and devices have been used to hunt. The history of hunting is much more complicated than any other history in the world, since it goes back to the past. To understand this history, you need to break down and study each era in which hunting has been an important part of life. While there are exact timelines of when certain guns or weapons were produced, understanding the importance of hunting needs to be done on a much broader scale. There is much more to the history of hunting than when the gun was created.
The First Era, Pre-Civilization
In this time frame, from before the great cities to the earliest beginnings of basic civilization, the human race survived thanks to their gathering and hunting skills. In cultures similar to those of the first era and pre-civilization, the woman had the role of taking care of the home and preparing the food that the men brought. Some parts of modern Africa have conditions similar to this, where they don’t have a lot of money and a similar style of hierarchy. All men learned to hunt, and they made these hunts daily for food. Unlike today, all the hunting was for survival and nothing for sport. All materials from the slaughtered animals were used, from the bones to the skin. Hunting was also a method of determining who was the bravest warrior. The bravest would hunt down the ferocious creatures that lived near their homes. These murders were a vital part of the early hierarchies.
A wide variety of different weapons were used during this time, from slingshots to spears made of wood and stone. For large prey, the hunters would work together in packs, similar to how a wolf hunts to bring down its prey. The only trophies they kept were antlers and teeth. Occasionally, the skulls were kept for decoration or as symbols of the clan or family group. This older form of hunting was the foundation on which the present one was formed.
The Second Age, Growth of Civilization
As people came together and civilization really began, the role of men as hunters also changed. Cities, by their very nature, require a variety of people with many skills. There needed to be artisans and weavers, animal keepers, and other trades so that everyone could have access to everything they needed. Instead of the division between men and women, hunting became the task of the fittest for hunting. They were usually always men, as women were looked down on to be involved in this line of work.
This was also the turning point where hunting became a sport. Civilizations like the Babylonians, the Egyptians, and the Romans had their hunters and craftsmen. The Romans took hunting as a sport to a whole new level, capturing live game for sale or gladiator competitions. Only certain individuals were hunters, allowing select men to feed those in their community.
The Third Era, The Middle Ages
Perhaps one of the most interesting times in the history of hunting is the Middle Ages. This is the period in time when hunting for food was a vital, albeit restricted, part of life for many. Rules about hunting, such as no hunting in the King’s Forest, were the first real restrictions on hunting in the world. Only the wealthy prospered, and the surf classes hunted whatever they could, when they could to survive. Hunting, from wild boar to deer to fox hunting, became the main sport of the nobility of the time. This started the trend of hunts organized by sport.
New World settlers required as many hunting skills as possible during this time period, though they quickly progressed from relying on gathering and hunting to creating farms and plantations. Popular weapons to use for hunting during this time period were forms of archery, slingshots, and thrown spears. The weapon was also used, although it had not yet reached the full levels of popularity.
The Fourth Age, The Industrial Period
On the heels of the Middle Ages was the Industrial period. This era spanned from beyond 1700 to just after the beginning of 1900. The evolution of machines brought great changes to hunting. Large estates became very popular, where cattle were raised instead of the practice of hunting wild game, degrading hunting to becoming a hobby. Weapons, ranging from muskets to rifles, were in widespread use. Archery was reduced to sporting use only, although it was very popular for skill tests.
Nowadays
Through these stages of the history of hunting, the human being has been perfecting this activity, counting on a wide range of weapons. Archers, for example, have many types of bows to choose from. Arrows are just as plentiful as bows, from metal to wood, with many different types of heads. Weapons have evolved in the same way, with many types of bullets and pistols for different types of hunting. Special weapons and equipment designed for elk hunting, for example, would not be the same as deer hunting supplies.
Competitive hunting, such as fox hunting, is still highly enjoyed by many people who prefer a little more action than hunting. In the modern world, safety and skill are the requirements for hunting, and it is open to anyone who is willing to learn proper gun handling and obtain all necessary hunting documents. Gun and hunting regulations have been developed to prevent species from going extinct. While hunting is still very popular, it is far more restricted today than at any time in hunting history.
Each of these eras in hunting history has done much for the sport and the craft, giving it a rich heritage that should not be forgotten.