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Hunting is widely enjoyed as a pastime here, and deer season is quickly approaching. The hunting of deer is thought of as a public benefit in the form of population control (deer-car crashes are common, deer tend to eat local gardens), and few would publicly debate the ethics of a responsible hunter. Although I've never hunted before (my aim would probably be terrible), many locals are about to retreat into the woods and enjoy a bit of sporting camaraderie and life a bit closer to nature.
Hunting in particular must seem like a free-for-all to many nationalities that are more restricted in this regard. To hunt deer with a gun during deer season in Minnesota, all you need is a gun safety permit (available at age 12), a gun and ammo (widely available in all different forms, shapes, and sizes, both on the new and used market), and a hunting license (to prevent over-hunting). Land is not an issue (at least in my region) because there's so much state land to build a deer shack and hunt on. I have some sense of the pride hunters must have when taking a correct aim and turning a wild animal into fresh venison, ready to be gutted and cooked, often in a semi-primitive hunting cabin.
Many here view it as a coming-of-age ritual, especially for boys (though there are a lot of female hunters, too), who are often pulled out of school for the open of the season, and cherish the memories of sitting in the deer stand (essentially a tree shack), spotting, and catching their first buck, and of the conversations with uncles, fathers, and grandfathers that last long into the night.
In my particular Tucson suburb (which seems to want to be as stereotypical as possible), hunting is popular and almost seen as a rite-of-passage for some. Individually, I despise it (at least sport hunting) and will have nothing to do with it.
This is a very left-wing, liberal progressive place but hunting is totally accepted as a part of life here.
I have never heard anyone say hunting should be banned and those who choose not to hunt are generally cool with hunters as they help control animal populations, for example.
Mostly done by the upper class and farmers. A rather traditional thing to do, people often dress up for it.
You need a hunting license, you'll have to take an exam (hunting law, gun law, ...) and the permission of the landowner, which you can get when you turn 16. People usually hunt deers (red, fallow and roe deer), Alpine ibex, mouflons, chamois, wild boars and various game birds.
A lot of people here go on hunting trips, it couldn't be more normal. I don't get the draw personally, but this is usually how you get to try something offkilter like 'moose jerky' or partridge.
It's also something like a rite of passage for boys and their fathers. It's probably absolutely no different from hunting 'culture' in Minnesota, I'd imagine.
In the Netherlands (and most of West Europe) it's really an elite sport. It's not possible for the "average man" to hunt. You need to own a minimum of 40 ha (100 acre) land to get a hunting permit. So this is only for the rich and farmers. What people without land can do, is join a hunting club, but for that you need to get an expensive hunting course and a lot of "friends at the right place" because this is a very closed circuit. Farmers and rich people mostly don't accept outsiders.
I'm pro hunting, but most people here aren't. They feel sorry for the animal.
In the US hunting is common and accepted, especially in the south, Midwest and mountain west. It is common almost everywhere however. It is largely seen as a way to control wildlife population, and as a way to enjoy time in the outdoors. I love hunting, and there is nothing like cooking and eating meat which you stalked and hunted. Its nice knowing where the meat your eating came from, knowing how it was processed. Hunting will likely be accepted in the US far into the future.
Not that popuar. No one's that bothered by it, but most aren't that interested. Some will go hunting occasionally, but it's more of a novelty rather than something done regularly. Some might consider hunting a nuisance, there was strong support of the Sunday hunting ban so that the woods would safer to walk in.
In France it is popular among lower/ middle income income farmers , often to supplement their diet (beware because some of those people during hunting season -from august to february, more than half of the year- are trigger happy and shoot about everything in sight-every year there are casualties, including from "friendly fire" among themselves ).
Another category are upper class , posh , elite people (often landed nobility with manors like in Britain) who hunt deer or wild boar on horseback , uniform and pack of hounds. That medieval method of hunting is particularly cruel, the prey stands no chance.
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