Game animals are animals hunted for sport. Common game animals include deer, moose, elk, bear, rabbit, turkey, pheasant, grouse, quail, dove, goose and duck. Many states have limits as to when game animals may be hunted as well limits as to the quantity of the animals that may be killed. A game animal can also be an animal pursued by a predatory mammal, bird of prey, dragonfly, or hunting dog.
'Big game' can refer to more exotic, usually African animals such as elephants, rhinoceroses and zebras. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it used to be a popular pastime for rich westerners, particularly aristocrats, to go to Africa and bring back a collection of heads of impressive beasts such as gnus, lions and wildebeest as trophies. However, these species are seldom hunted in the present day since many of them are now on the brink of extinction.
See also
- Hunting with:
- Fishing
- Bowhunting
- Gun hunting