Humans Have To Be The Worst Hunters On The Planet?

[Tiercel 6,986]

I was sitting here staring into my glass of cider, just thinking about things. When it struck me, that man has to be either the worst hunter on the planet or the greatest, depending on your point of view?

 

How many humans could actually survive just by gathering food without tools. Very few animals in the wild actually use tools, there are some, I suppose the best example would be a spider web, Galapagos finches use sticks to prize grubs out of holes, some monkeys use stones to break pods to gain access to the kernels, a thrush will use an anvil to break snail shells and seagulls will drop shell fish to get at the meat inside the shell etc: But as a general rule most wild animals catch what they feed on by dent of their abilities alone

 

I could quite believe the idea of a net came from observations of spiders webs and mimicked by early man to catch their prey. It could be argued that the superior brain power of man led them away from the need to hunt with just what they had.

 

It is often stated that man is the top predator. But is he? To hunt successfully man has to employ either other animals to do the catching for him, ferrets, dogs, birds of prey even cormorants or tools such as nets, guns or traps. Without these would man would be a very poor hunter?

 

Or does the fact that we have been able to harness such trappings to hunt for us make us an apex hunter?

[whippet 99 2,613]

have another cider ,

[blackmaggie 3,377]

or does that make him the cleverest being able to adapt and use other successful forms of hunting from the animal kingdom to make him be able to survive

[neil cooney 10,416]

I would think that World wide man is TOO efficient as a hunter. Maybe not everywhere but in a lot of places.

[Tiercel 6,986]

I would think that World wide man is TOO efficient as a hunter. Maybe not everywhere but in a lot of places.

With all the tools available to them, I would have to agree with you. But without the tools?

 

TC

[neil cooney 10,416]

True, but we've evolved because of our dependency on tools.

If a predator uses it's keen sense of smell is that a tool ?

Is a cheetah's speed a tool ?

A raptor has brilliant eye sight, is that a tool ?

Once upon a time man kind probably had all these things but nowadays we don't need them as much.

 

But your right, if left on his own in the wild without tools most, but not all, humans would starve.

But isn't that survival of the fittest.

[Tiercel 6,986]

True, but we've evolved because of our dependency on tools.

If a predator uses it's keen sense of smell is that a tool ?

Is a cheetah's speed a tool ?

A raptor has brilliant eye sight, is that a tool ?

Once upon a time man kind probably had all these things but nowadays we don't need them as much.

 

But your right, if left on his own in the wild without tools most, but not all, humans would starve.

But isn't that survival of the fittest.

Yep, your right. This is the sort of discussion I wanted.

 

Over the last few nights I have watched a box set on sky go, Naked and afraid or something like that. Where people who have survival skills have to spend 21 days in a team of two in a survival situation. Some did not make it, others just scraped through. I know it is edited and just entertainment but there is an underlying truth there.

 

One scene in particular brought about this train of thought. It was in a Louisiana swamp and all around them birds were picking food out of the water, yet they could not get anything to eat as they had no tools. It made me think.

 

TC

[Born Hunter 17,909]

Take any animal away from it's natural environment and it's a bag of shite........ Our natural environment is one of a complex community where individuals are largely dependant on that society. It's no different to any other species. We're capable of surviving in just about any ecosystem this planet has but only with our highly developed society, that is OUR natural environment.

[Tiercel 6,986]

Take any animal away from it's natural environment and it's a bag of shite........ Our natural environment is one of a complex community where individuals are largely dependant on that society. It's no different to any other species. We're capable of surviving in just about any ecosystem this planet has but only with our highly developed society, that is OUR natural environment.

A very astute observation BH and no doubt a truism.

However, it does not address why the need for humans to employ tools to hunt? While other animals that are arguably the same age, if not as highly developed as man, have developed into niche hunters that need no tools to catch a living.

 

TC

[BIGLURKS 874]

Tickling fish is one way just depends on your patience

[Born Hunter 17,909]

 

Take any animal away from it's natural environment and it's a bag of shite........ Our natural environment is one of a complex community where individuals are largely dependant on that society. It's no different to any other species. We're capable of surviving in just about any ecosystem this planet has but only with our highly developed society, that is OUR natural environment.

A very astute observation BH and no doubt a truism.

However, it does not address why the need for humans to employ tools to hunt? While other animals that are arguably the same age, if not as highly developed as man, have developed into niche hunters that need no tools to catch a living.

 

TC

 

 

Humans thousands of years ago are believed to have been able to run at speeds of up to 30mph..... we can't anymore..... as our intelligence has given us the ability to use tools and comlex planning to achieve our goals with minimal effort we have lost the need to achieve them through more primitive means. As society has produced efficient means of putting food on the table we have lost our ability to survive in a world without this support network. We are the most adaptable survivor on the planet because of the society we have created through our application of superior intelligence.

 

In essence, the invention of tools meant that we no longer needed to be able to survive in our naked ass form. Use it or lose it.....

[BGD 6,437]

about as natural as human hunting gets I reckon, hunting similar to a pack of wolves just running the prey down until it's too exhausted to fight back.

Edited July 7, 2014 by BGD

[Mickey Finn 3,081]

 

True, but we've evolved because of our dependency on tools.

If a predator uses it's keen sense of smell is that a tool ?

Is a cheetah's speed a tool ?

A raptor has brilliant eye sight, is that a tool ?

Once upon a time man kind probably had all these things but nowadays we don't need them as much.

 

But your right, if left on his own in the wild without tools most, but not all, humans would starve.

But isn't that survival of the fittest.

Yep, your right. This is the sort of discussion I wanted.

 

Over the last few nights I have watched a box set on sky go, Naked and afraid or something like that. Where people who have survival skills have to spend 21 days in a team of two in a survival situation. Some did not make it, others just scraped through. I know it is edited and just entertainment but there is an underlying truth there.

 

One scene in particular brought about this train of thought. It was in a Louisiana swamp and all around them birds were picking food out of the water, yet they could not get anything to eat as they had no tools. It made me think.

 

TC

 

TC It's reality TV. There is no truth to it what-so-ever. So, what kind of cider do you like?

[tsteve9999 456]

Most zoo animals wouldn't survive long either in the wild, I think man today is more akin to them than our original ancestors.

[paulus 26]

early man could run down a horse but killing it with his bare hands would be virtually impossible, a rock to the head, became a club,became a sharpened sick, became a knife, became a gun, whilst the tools have evolved man has gone backwards, how many men could now run down a horse