It has been suggested that narcissism, machiavellianism and (non-clinical) psychopathy are all involved, the so-called “dark triad” of personality characteristics.
Understanding hunter motivation is important, not least because it can lead to improved wildlife management policy and practice, and can tell us, ultimately, what can be done to combat trophy hunting.
No bias in those statements. LOL
No mention of Kellert and his work on hunter subtypes.
I consider it a part of the human tendency to add ritual in order to increase and emphasise meaning in an otherwise common activity, while simultaneously preserving a limited resource.
Instead of taking the first animal that I see, I deliberately (if I am a trophy hunter) restrict myself to a far small pool of potential prey. I magnify the value of the hunt and the animal beyond mere acquisition of calories. In seeking the rarer and more difficult quarry, I am making the statement that the hunt is neither about “grocery shopping”, nor about “killing”, per se…
It is all about the hunt. If it were only about the “trophy”, I would buy antlers on ebay.