Wednesday, February 18, 2014
Kabul (BNA) People worldwide used to be engaged in hunting as their cultural and source of revenues, even the culture has been popular in the most primitive era.
To have the skill developed, and in some countries, in order to help it remain as a business and source of securing one’s livelihood, there was a need for devices such as bow and arrow and lance to reach the aim. In Afghanistan, particularly in some areas of the country’s central provinces, such as hazarajat (regions, where Hazara tribe is mostly dwelled), people, even will not exist without hunting. Hunters in different parts of the country are now mostly use shotguns and hunting dogs to track a hunt, and in central Bamyan province, there are many residents making traps and other devices and using them across the routes where a hunt could usually cross to be stuck, while some are shot with the gun special for hunting. The most primitive device for hunting was slingshot (a small instrument made of two elastic fibers connected to a Y-shaped hand-held stick) used to hurl stones or other small projectiles for hunting a sparrow, partridge and other small birds. But the tradition got expanded, with a need for bigger and developed ones to shot deer for their meat and other fierce wild animals for their soft skins, with prolific income. The hunters finally could find new methods; nurturing horses, dogs and training how to track down a hunt as well as building weapons and traps for easily getting their favorite hunt accessed.
Cragsmen highly interested to climb mountains for tour and sightseeing and visiting tourist attractions, also use various types hunting devices alongside carrying safety items. The four sides of the hunting site are guarded by several members of the groups and finally succeeding to trap the hunt. The hunting team leader has the responsibility to monitor the site and organize the team and help the members reach their targeted sites for hunt. There are different types of deer in Afghanistan, with the most known ones touring across the slops of Pamir and Baba in the central and northeastern provinces of the country, such as Bamyan and Badakhshan provinces. Gazelles and antelopes could also be found in different parts of the country’s high slopes, but the hunters are now prevented to trail them as they had been once escaped of their residences because of insecurity spread across the country and using illegal arms against them. But as seen, they are now starting appearing along the mountains in some provinces of the country, with natural sites, out of the residence and difficult to be reached by the hunters. A resident of Bamyan province and now a hunter, Shir Ali told the hunters in the past used to consume the meat they earned from their hunted deer and granted to their relatives even to the villagers they could as well. The recent efforts of the national unity government, he lauded to have been the most instructive measure in restoring security through the process of illegal armed men disarmament could do much in preventing illegal hunting and hoped the decision remain durable and helping the people provide their livelihood instead of resorting to hunt the rare wilds. Karima Malikzada
