I’ve got nothing against hunting per se. If hunting helps the animal population one way or another, or if it’s hunt or die, have at it. That said, I’m not a big fan of shooting animals just because. [Note: “not a big fan” doesn’t mean I don’t understand or oppose the practice.] And there are some animals whose death at the hands of hunters disappoints me. In this case, Mr. Bell’s young ‘un shoots a tarantula with a blow gun. The thing about tarantulas is . . .
they’re not harmful to humans.
A tarantula’s number one defense against larger animals? Hide. Number two? Flick the tiny, sharp hairs off the backs of their bodies (urticating hairs) into their attacker. Bite? You’d have to work hard to get a tarantula — or any spider — to bite you (one reason they make wonderful pets). Their venom is precious cargo, saved for their prey.
And even if a tarantula did bite you, and even if it injected venom (many spiders “dry bite” in defense), a healthy adult human will survive the experience. The spider? Given humans’ usual reaction to spiders, not so much.
More than that, tarantulas do a fantastic job of pest control. Simply put, they eat “bad” bugs: animals which are not as shy and retiring around humans. Without spiders generally, our crops would be overrun by pest insects. Not to put too fine a point on it, human civilization depends on spiders.
In short, please don’t be killing spiders — unless you’re going to eat them (tarantulas taste like chicken). In which case a blowgun strikes me as a near perfect tool for the job. IMHO the same no-go goes for snakes, which also taste like chicken. Unless they’re attacking — which has been known to happen. And yes, you can train your dogs not to mess with snakes.
Agreed?